FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2022
Charlottesville Fire Department to Deploy Chest Compression Devices and Video Intubation Equipment.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Charlottesville Fire Department will deploy 21st-century medical devices to improve cardiac arrest patient care and enhance personnel safety.
The Charlottesville Fire Department has secured $64,000 from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) awarded in FY22 for four (4) CPR chest compression assist devices (Zoll AutoPulseTM). The devices will be placed on two (2) engines and two (2) ambulances.
The deployment of the AutoPulse devices ensures timely and consistent delivery of chest compressions in cardiac arrest patients. This will improve the safety of Fire/EMS providers while performing CPR on in-transit patients to local emergency rooms. Based on Neighborhood Risk Assessment data, residents in all nineteen (19) neighborhoods are expected to benefit from deploying these devices, most notably Tenth and Page, where the data highlights the significant importance of timely interventions.
The video laryngoscopes (AirtraqTM) being deployed are devices used to manage a victim’s airway when not breathing. The devices have been used in pre-hospital systems and in emergency departments to improve success in airway management.
According to Linda Johnson, the EMS Coordinator, “these are exciting times to work at CFD, as our agency continues to improve the services we provide to our community”.
With the implementation of these state-of-the-art EMS equipment, the Charlottesville Fire Department continues to demonstrate its commitment to improved patient care, clinical outcomes, and personnel safety.
Media Contacts
Dr. Hezedean A. Smith, Fire Chief
smithhez@charlottesville.gov
(434)970-3323
Erin Atak, Office of Community Solutions
atake@charlottesville.gov
(434)970-3093
