Home About Archives RSS Feed

North Adams Ambulance Getting High-Tech Monitors

Staff Reports

The Lifepak 15 has Bluetooth technology.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Ambulance Service will be adding the latest state-of-the-art equipment to its life-saving arsenal thanks to a $126,500 Federal Emergency Management Agency grant.

Manager John Meaney Jr. said the service will use the award to replace its decade-old Lifepak equipment — used as both cardiac monitors and automated external defibrillators — with new Lifepak 15 units with Bluetooth technology.

"This equipment will allow us to transmit EKGs into emergency rooms capable of receiving this information," said Meaney. While North Adams Regional Hospital is still working on that technology, larger hospitals are already putting it into use, he said. "When local hospital are able to connect to these, we'll be ready."

The new monitors will also be able to monitor blood pressure and carbon monoxide, which will come in handy when treating firefighters at fire scenes.

The units cost about $25,000 each. The service will replace the four current Lifepak 12s and purchase a fifth one
to replace an AED in the fifth ambulance of its expanded fleet.

Meaney estimated the Lifepaks are used on 80 percent of the service's calls. The 12-lead units (referring to its monitoring system) are also required as part of the service's paramedica capability.

The Assistance to Firefighters grant, authorized through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is one of several awarded to emergency services and fire companies in the Berkshires; some 57 grants totaling more than $5 million were awarded in Massachusetts. Emergency medical technician Amalio Jusino wrote the grant in his role as a principal of Emergency Response Consulting.

This is the second time that the service has received this grant. It was awarded some $73,000 in 2006 for protective clothing and training, the first time the grants had been used for emergency medical services.

Meaney said they were informed of the latest grant by U.S. Sen. John Kerry's office last week.

"These will be definitely beneficial for our patients and we'll be able to do a lot more information at the scene," said Meaney.
 

 

Tags: ambulance      

Support Local News

We show up at hurricanes, budget meetings, high school games, accidents, fires and community events. We show up at celebrations and tragedies and everything in between. We show up so our readers can learn about pivotal events that affect their communities and their lives.

How important is local news to you? You can support independent, unbiased journalism and help iBerkshires grow for as a little as the cost of a cup of coffee a week.

News Headlines
Pittsfield Super Details Emergency Communication with Families
Weekend Outlook: Bazaars, First Friday and Day of the Dead
Are your heirs ready to receive an inheritance?
Berkshire Organizations Awarded Food Security Infrastructure Grants
MCLA Announces the MountainOne Fund
Greylock Federal Promotes Assistant Vice President, Market Manager
Greylock School Project Moves Into Detailed Design Stage
MCLA Awaits for News on Donor Gift
Lanesborough Select Board Decreases Bailey Road Speed Limit
Pittsfield Licensing Board Says Bar Responded Properly to Melee


Categories:
Animals (8)
Arts (25)
Community (59)
Daily Beat (4)
Fun stuff (106)
Fundraiser (2)
Green (10)
Health (2)
North Adams (11)
People (14)
Pittsfield (7)
politics (1)
Richmond (2)
Sports (2)
State (4)
Technology (3)
Williamstown (12)
Archives:
Tags:
Food Drive Concerts Volunteer Scholarship Country Fair Baseball Champion Elm Pittsfield Holiday Auditions Latin Halloween Bcc Morning Report Williams Library Fall Foliage Reading Program iBerkshires Kalker Election Funeral News Adams Richmond Fundraiser Music Downing Mass Moca iBerkshires Wilco Family Family Event Children & Families
Popular Entries:
ABC News Features Cheshire's Madigan
Williams Student Dies in Avalanche
Adios, Karen
Prof's Fraud Past Cancels Caucus
Little Red Schoolhouse to Hold Craft Fair, Tag Sale
Will the Boys of Summer Return?
Williams Tops With Forbes, Unigo
ABC Broadcasts Travel Video on Berkshire Winter
Scholarship Available for Mt Greylock Seniors
Pittsfield Wins Arts Video Challenge
Recent Entries:
Are We There Yet?: Take A Moment to Breathe This Weekend
Are We There Yet?: Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Are We There Yet?: Warm Up On a Cold Weekend
Are We There Yet?: Halloween Times Two
Are We There Yet?: Halloween Is Just Beginning
Are We There Yet?: Enjoy a Quiet Fall Weekend
Are We There Yet?: Help Find a Cure for Type One Diabetes
Are We There Yet?: It's All About the Foliage
Are We There Yet?: Fall Into A Beautiful Autumn Weekend
Are We There Yet?: Curiosity, By George!