With $15,000 in funding provided by the local Firefighters Union 3436 and the Benevolent Association, the Batavia Fire Department purchased a Lucas Automatic CPR machine to assist in lifesaving measures for people experiencing cardiac arrest. The unit is designed to fit any patient and is transportable. “This machine helps apply consistent CPR without fatigue,” said Batavia Firefighter Chris LaFleur. “And it is continuous, which is proven to be a more effective way to conduct CPR.”
In 2010, the American Heart Association (AHA) released guidelines calling for continuous, high-quality chest compressions to general blood flow and oxygen delivery to the myocardium and brain without delay. It also found that 75 percent of all cardiac arrest result from non-shockable rhythms, making the more intense, higher quality CPR even more important than before.
With more than 325,000 people annually experiencing non-traumatic, out-of-hospital cardiac events in the United States, cardiac arrest remains the leading cause of death in people over the age of 45 years old. In combination with trained use of Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) devices, the Batavia Fire Department seeks to reduce the risk of death from cardiac arrest.