Submitted column courtesy of the Fishers Fire Dept.
In the United States, if you have a cardiac arrest, you have a 1 in 10 chance of leaving the hospital to live a normal life (American Heart Association). If you have a cardiac arrest in the City of Fishers, you have a 1 in 3 chance of leaving the hospital alive according to Fishers Department of Fire and Emergency Services 2014 statistics.
Chief Steven Orusa attributes this success rate to “the continuum of care and the strategic placement of our skilled paramedics throughout the City of Fishers.” Our six fire engines have at least one paramedic and all three ambulances staff paramedics 24/7. This provides our community with one of the most robust emergency medical service capabilities in Indiana and this increased save rate for cardiac arrests is just one of the benefits. All 136 Fishers firefighters are certified as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or greater.
The Protecting the Heart of Fishers initiative prioritizes the continuum of care in Fishers. This is accomplished through teaching our citizens the life saving techniques of beginning immediate Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) through Friends and Family CPR as well as how to use an AED. Fishers has promoted the purchase of AED’s in schools, churches and the business communities which have documented cases of being successfully used.
Our highly trained paramedics are strategically placed in the community in efforts to be on scene within five minutes of being dispatched on the run. The Fishers Police Department is supported in the use of AED’s from their police cars and continuing education in performing CPR. Finally, our community is supported by three major heart hospitals located within 15 minutes or less.
As the community continues to grow, Fishers Fire Department continues to train additional paramedics to meet the needs of the community. CPR classes continue to be offered for free to our community, and private business and organizations are encouraged to invest in the AED’s to help protect those in their organizations.
Friends and Family CPR courses will be offered monthly starting in May. For more information, contact us at 595-3200 or register at www.fishers.in.us under Fire and Emergency Services.
