VIDEO: Thanks to a donation from a local group of philanthropists, the Madison Fire Department is now equipped with a life-saving CPR device known as a LUCAS.
Short for Lund Cardiopulmonary Assist System, LUCAS has now been added to all five of the Madison Fire Department's ladder trucks in order to aid first responders when a person has gone into cardiac arrest.
"There's sometimes human error involved with manual compressions or anything else," Madison Fire Department Chief of Medical Affairs Ché Stedman said. "The device provides consistent manual compressions so the victim is receiving the best kind of compressions they possibly can."
Once a person has gone into cardiac arrest, first responders place the machine's suction cup on the patient's chest. From there, LUCAS can mechanically give the person CPR, making the process more efficient and effective.