KING CITY, Ore. — At a fire house in King City Tuesday, crews gave KGW an up-close look at one of their newest tools, the Lucas Mechanical CPR Device.
"It's highly efficient," said Capt. Tim Nokes of Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R). "It's highly effective."
Capt. Nokes says the device is one of three in service in the TVF&R district. He says it could not have come at a more ideal time.
"I've been doing this job for over 20 years," he said. "I feel a sense of stress this past nine or 10 months more than I've ever felt in my career."
COVID-19 is the reason why. First responders could contract the coronavirus from any patient, but especially those in cardiac arrest.
"Chest compressions are a huge generator of that aerosolizing product so when you're doing chest compressions physically on someone's chest they are obviously exhaling," said Capt. Nokes. "There's a high potential for us coming in contact with aerosolized particles of COVID-19."
The Lucas Mechanical CPR Device lessens those chances by doing the medics' work. That allows them to socially distance themselves from their patients. On top of that, the mechanical CPR device provides a much more efficient and reliable chest compression.
"You're getting an exact rate, an exact depth, and exact rhythm all the time as opposed to a real-life responder who will become fatigued," said Capt. Nokes.
"We carry two of them on our transporting medic units and one on an engine in Estacada," added Capt. Mike Verkest of Clackamas Fire.
Capt. Verkest says Clackamas Fire has been using Lucas Mechanical CPR Devices for months.
"Having mechanical CPR, being able to be right there and take the place of someone we'd be rotating a new person through every two minutes, has been a huge benefit for us," he said.
From Clackamas Fire to TVF&R, a new tool is providing a layer of safety, during a pandemic, crews never had before.
"Once we start seeing the data and benefit of these machines the end game would be to obviously have them on every apparatus out there," said Capt. Nokes.