Defibrillation
In the mid 1990s, in response to the needs of a growing population the Monroe Police Department began cross training police officers to be Emergency Medical Technicians (E.M.T.). These officers are able to respond to medical calls within the Village of Monroe in a few minutes and begin to render emergency medical treatment. Police cars are equipped with defibrillators allowing Police Officers to apply the defibrillator to patients that are suffering from a heart attack within the recommend time frame increasing the chance of success. We strive to train as many Police Officers as possible so that we may have one patrolling your streets regularly. Since our E.M.T./Police Officer have been on patrol they have already saved lives using their training and the defibrillator.
Prior to the Police Department initiating this service, the department had to be certified
as a Emergency Medical Service Agency by the New York State Department of Health.
We then had to have final approval by the Hudson Valley Regional Emergency Medical Service
Council. These requirements were met and Defibrillator service from the Police
Department was launched August 21, 1998 as the department took delivery of our
first Defibrillator. We are proud to be the first Police Agency in
Orange County to have such a program. We
believe that this service compliments the outstanding work done by the Monroe Volunteer Ambulance Corp.
and gives the citizens of the Village of Monroe even more confidence in their Emergency Medical
Service.
The defibrillators currently being used are the Physio Control
First Medic 710 (above) and the Life Pack 500. The 710 device allows our EMT's to evaluate a persons heart rhythm
by giving a visual interpretation printed on a monitor and/or paper (strip). Our
EMT's will then read these readouts to determine what distress the heart is experiencing.
This unit also gives instant analysis of a persons pulse rate while they are being
monitored as well as the oxygen concentration of their blood. Together these readouts give a wealth of information to our EMT's on the
status of a patient and to determine the appropriate care to be given. If necessary,
our EMT's can deliver an electrical shock to a patient that can restore a normal heart
beat to a patient.
This department also utilizes a portable suction unit. This device allows our EMT's to clear the airway of a patient who can not breath due to some type of blockage. This unit can be used continuously to keep the airway clear of any foreign matter.
We carry epinephrine which is administered to patients that are suffering from an allergic reaction. These reactions are commonly caused from insect stings or bites, foods drugs or other allergens. Some of the reactions experienced consist of flushing, apprehension, syncope, tachycardia, low blood pressure, convulsions, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Some of the reactions can be life threatening as the onset of them can occur in just minutes after exposure. Our EMT's will be able to inject the appropriate dose of epinephrine to ease the reaction that the patient is experiencing.
Also in our inventory is Albuterol. This medication is administered to patients that are suffering from respiratory distress commonly associated with Asthma. This medication helps to reverse the effects of Asthma buy dilating the air vessels in the lungs, allowing air to move in and out easier.
We have
recently received two more defibrillators to our list of equipment and have
outfitted all the defibrillators with oxygen sensors which will help our
EMT's evaluate a person's oxygen concentration in their body and evaluate the
effectiveness of supplemental oxygen that is being administered to them.
For your information
A heart beat is simply a chain of events happening within the heart. Inside a heart are cells that carry electrical impulses that cause the muscle cells in a heart to contract, which then pushes blood through the heart causing what is known as a "Heart Beat". When a person suffers a heart attack, often the problem is related to the electrical pathway of the heart. Areas of the heart are not receiving their impulses properly causing the heart muscles to contract ineffectively or not at all. A defibrillator sends an electrical pulse through the heart that, in effect, erases the incorrect electrical impulses in the heart so that the proper impulses can be restored, thus restoring the correct contractions of the heart muscles. There are events that happen to a heart that a defibrillator can not correct. If a heart is not experiencing any electrical activity or the heart muscles have been damaged where they will not contract, a defibrillator will not be able to correct this condition. If this is the situation the only alternative is Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) until the patient can be transported to a hospital.
For more information follow the Physio Control hyperlink to there web page.
So don't be surprised if you call for an Ambulance and a Village of Monroe Police Officer walks through your door.
