How the Grant Has Helped:

One of five Lifepak® 12 (12-lead) defibrillators/monitors purchased by the St. Tammany Parish Fire District 4 with its AFG grant.

In 2002, St. Tammany Fire Protection District 4 received a grant for emergency medical services (EMS) equipment and training. They used the grant to purchase 5 new 12-lead defibrillator/monitoring devices to replace their existing 3-lead defibrillators. When the grant was awarded, Fire Chief Earl B. Gorrondona predicted that the new equipment would help save more lives and reduce the severity of injuries.

The results? "We aren't losing people," says St. Tammany EMS Director Frank Jordan. "Because of the grant, our pre-hospital care has improved dramatically. The 12-lead device puts the physician on the scene, so that we can start treating patients in the field, 15 to 20 minutes before they arrive at the hospital." St. Tammany receives more than 2,000 medical calls per year. Five of their vehicles are equipped with the 12-lead defibrillators/monitors: three ambulances, which run 24-hours per day, and two trucks that are on call.

"Because of the grant, our pre-hospital care has improved dramatically. The 12-lead device puts the physician on the scene, so that we can start treating patients in the field, 15 to 20 minutes before they arrive at the hospital." Frank Jordan EMS Director St. Tammany Fire Protection District 4

The new 12-lead devices are part defibrillator and part diagnostic and communications technology. With these units, paramedics can monitor a patient's vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse oximeter and EKG readings, and transmit them electronically to emergency room physicians. Physicians use the continuous flow of patient data to guide the paramedic in treating the patient until they arrive at the emergency room. When paramedics use a 12-lead device to aid a heart attack patient, they frequently can eliminate the patient's symptoms before reaching the hospital. Paramedics can make use of the 12-lead device even from remote locations because it can be connected via cell phone.

St. Tammany's grant has had a far-reaching effect, says Jordan. "It has led to dramatic changes in pre-hospital care across our entire parish and county. Because of our commitment to the 12-lead product and its benefits, one of our local hospitals chose to follow our lead and purchased similar units to maintain uniformity in the delivery of patient care." In addition, two area hospitals have purchased data receiving stations that will have a link to St. Tammany's system for direct patient intervention.

Paramedics learn how to use the 12-lead defibrillator/monitor. Part of the grant supported trainings in the use of the new devices.

Part of their grant supported training in the use of the new equipment. Medtronic, the device's manufacturer, provided a trainer who conducted trainings for several different groups. The initial training consisted of a 4-hour in-service for training all 96 of St. Tammany staff members. The trainer conducted an 8-hour 12-lead interpretation class for paramedics, which, in addition to St. Tammany's staff, was attended by paramedics from East Jefferson EMS and West Jefferson EMS. Train-the-trainer classes were held, and literature and instructor tools were provided to enable participants to conduct in-house trainings.

"Throughout the parish, our first responders are using the same equipment used by our Advanced Life Support (ALS) providers, and this has created fluid connectivity and uniformity," says Jordan. "The Chain of Survival (Early Access, Early CPR, Early Defibrillation, Early ALS Intervention) has been linked together as a direct result of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program."

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