LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — Daniel Defranze is with Pasco Fire Rescue, Station 15.
“Going into any scene you don’t know what you are getting into,” said Defranze.
Countless times he’s found people near death after a heart attack or cardiac arrest.
“We try 110% to do everything we can for the survivability of that patient. They don’t make it sometimes,” he said.
Now Defranze and all Pasco crews have something to help them make sure those in trouble do make it.
The device is the AutoPulse Resuscitation System.
It takes CPR out of the hands of EMTs and does it with a precision no human can match.
“It’s difficult to perform CPR over a long period of time. We are asked to do 2 minutes of CPR before we swap out with another rescuer,” said Firefighter/Paramedic Jennifer French
Now paramedics can attach the AutoPulse and let the device do the work.
Performing consistent chest compressions that get the blood pumping more than three times as well as by hand.
It also continues uninterrupted as rescuers are moving a patient at any angle, and as they are taking them to the hospital.
It also frees up an EMT to do something else that might help someone pull through.
“When they do make it, it’s beyond words the feeling that you get; that you’ve actually saved someones life,” said Defranze.
Pasco Fire says cost is the reason why many departments don’t have these yet.
They are about $16,000 each.
But they thank county leaders for allocating Penny for Pasco money to cover the cost of 26 of them.
