A new mobile rehabilitation clinic in Rock County is helping emergency responders stay safe and healthy while on the job.
“We have about 100 fire service-related deaths on duty in the country,” Mercy Health Associate EMS Medical Director Christopher Wistrom said. “That’s unacceptable.” Town of Beloit Fire Chief Gene Wright said more than half of those deaths are from overexertion or heart attack.
“Many of those could be prevented if people were cognoscente of how they’re acting, how they’re feeling, what’s going on, taking time to rest,” Wistrom said. “If you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anybody else.”
The Town of Beloit Fire Department bought a unit last year to help monitor and treat firefighters on the scene. The mobile rehabilitation clinic went into service this summer and responds to every structure fire call in Rock County.
“The unit provides a place to bring the people in, cool them off, warm them up, whatever we need to do. Provide them with hydration, some food,” Wright said. “It’s air conditioned, heated, runs on its own generator, so it’s self-sustained and can run for hours on its own.”