Martin County Fire Rescue has a new tool to get seriously injured or sick patients the help they need.
The agency said it's the first one on the Treasure Coast to use portable ultrasound technology to help paramedics find internal bleeding, potentially hours faster. When firefighters and paramedics race to respond to a 911 call, they're now carrying new equipment that could save lives.
"I’ve used it a couple of times on some patients," said Faye McAlpine, a firefighter and paramedic with Martin County Fire Rescue.
Portable handheld ultrasound technology helps emergency crews find internal injuries, such as bleeding, which they couldn't see before.
McAlpine has already seen the benefits. "We’ve had a couple of stabbings, and there was blood or we call it, free fluid, around the liver," said McAlpine.