Ocean City, Maryland โ (January 16, 2019): The Ocean City Fire Department (OCFD) recently received a generous grant of $99,000 from the Ocean City Paramedic Foundation. The contribution was used to buy two training devices, including the Gaumard Scientific Advanced Patient Simulators (HAL), which allows the department to provide realistic simulation training.
โHAL allows us to perform a number of skills such as monitoring cardiac rhythm, insertion of intravenous lines, endotracheal tubes, and monitoring of routine vital signs like blood pressure, breath sounds, pulse, and end tidal carbon dioxide,โ said OCFD Assistant Chief Eric Peterson. โHAL is completely wireless, has a drug recognition system and runs on a very user-friendly interface, allowing us to get the most lifelike training possible at our disposal at any time.โ
The foundationโs grant contributed $36,000 toward the purchase of HAL, which had a purchase price of $76,000. In addition, the contribution by the foundation enabled the department to purchase a mechanical chest compression system. The device, LUCAS III, is a user-friendly piece of equipment that can be used on adult cardiac arrest patients. The foundation purchased three of these devices at a cost of $33,000.
The remainder of the grant will be used for personnel training, including the EMS Today Conference, the Fire Department Training Network, and an Advanced Airway Anatomy course. โThe Paramedic Foundationโs donation not only gives us state of the art equipment to train with, but it allows us to attend national training courses to assure weโre the most prepared to do our jobs,โ Peterson finished.
Along with the recent donation, the Ocean City Paramedic Foundationโs Robert T. Adkins Memorial Scholarship provides financial assistance for educational purposes to those wishing to enter the field of Emergency Medical Services. To learn more, visit: https://ocpf.org/ocean-city-
