VIDEO/PHOTOS: The Kenosha Fire Department is breaking new ground in emergency careโbecoming the first fire-based EMS service in Wisconsin to carry blood on all of its front-line ambulances. The new pre-hospital blood administration program allows paramedics to administer life-saving transfusions at the scene of an emergency, giving patients a critical head start before they even reach the hospital. โWe can give blood 20 to 30 minutes faster than if we were to transport to a hospital and wait for the transfusion there,โ said Division Chief of EMS William Glass. โBlood is the only thing that carries oxygen to your brain and to your organs and it’s important that we get that replenished as soon as possible.โ Kenoshaโs ambulances are now stocked with O-positive packed red blood cells, a universal donor type that can be used for anyone experiencing major blood loss due to trauma or medical emergencies.
