The Springfield Fire Department is enhancing its life-saving efforts with the installation of the newest FDA-approved cardiac monitor defibrillator in each frontline vehicle. This initiative comes as part of Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month, aiming to promote awareness and early detection of A-Fib, a heart condition affecting over 10 million Americans.
The Stryker Life Pak 35 monitors are now being used for nearly every medical emergency handled by the department. Deputy Division Chief Bryce McCormick of the Springfield Fire Department said, “We will use them for checking somebody’s blood pressure. We can check and see if they have carbon monoxide in their blood without drawing blood, especially after a fire, and then we can use them to look at case somebody’s having a heart attack.” McCormick emphasized the life-saving potential of the tool, stating, “The cardiac monitor, the defibrillator, the AED side of it that people are familiar with is 100% a life saver. The earlier that we can start CPR and the earlier that we can defibrillate the heart, the higher the likelihood of a positive outcome.”
