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Ken Smith, EMT, and Keith Workman, Paramedic, is working on a practice patient with their new piece of equipment.
In December of 2019 the Ambulance Board knew they had to do something to be able to purchase not less than one, but hopefully two, ROSC-U mechanical CPR devices. Letters went out to local businesses and within the same month the board had already received a substantial amount in donations.
A member of the board, Cindy Brown suggested they contact the RC Durr foundation for additional funding. Upon researching this foundation It was discovered this foundation was indeed funded by RC Durr. His idea in founding it was to provide for the very young and the very old, the homeless, indigent, those needing medical and dental care as well as scholarships for educational institutions and non profit organizations providing food, clothing and shelter to the less fortunate. Since Mr Durr’s death in 2007, his foundation has donated $25,000,000 and a portion of that has gone to the Pendleton County Ambulance’s. The foundation donated $19,966.00 which was the cost of two CPR devices so desperately needed. Other monies raised came from Heritage Bank, Chad Cadell, Former Chairman of Heritage Bank prior to his death and US Bank. There is still a need for a third device and a state grant has been applied for.
The device is a critical part of the equipment on the trucks. With the medic not required to perform CPR once the unit is hooked up, that medic can tend to other pressing issues with the patient. An extra person had to accompany each ride when CPR was necessary in the past but with the addition of the new ROSC-U devices, that person is eliminated. Richard Luber with ROSC-U sales came from Lexington and trained all employees and those on duty that day got virtual training. The purpose of the device is to do the chest compressions in CPR. The patient in distress is intubated for the breath’s and the device does the rest. The devices that Pendleton County has will fit a chest with a circumference of 61”. They have been in service since April of 2020 and have been used four times.
Pendleton County is ahead of the times with these new devices. Only two other places have these to our knowledge, Cincinnati Airport and Maysville Fire/EMT.
The ambulance board would like to send a heartfelt thank you to all who donated and helped in making this dream a reality for Pendleton County.