Fontanelle Rescue takes delivery of new monitor defibrillator

Fifty years ago this month, the Fontanelle Observer reported on a class firefighters here were taking to stay on the cutting edge of emergency medical services techniques of the time.

A half century later, firefighters and medics here still have the same focus of giving the most expert and compassionate care to those they’re called to help whenever the tones drop.

Fontanelle Fire and Rescue recently took delivery of an advanced life support monitor and defibrillator, billed as a modern approach to prehospital monitoring and defibrillation.

The monitor allows medics to not only gather vitals and other data on patients while in transport to the hospital, but it also can transmit that information to an app that the hospital can see before the patient even arrives.

The defibrillator has the ability to shock a patient’s heart back into rhythm, if needed. According to the American Heart Association, 9-of-10 cardiac arrest victims who receive a shock from an AED within the first minute live.

This refurbished device the department has costs $20,000 and it was all paid for by budgeted or raised funds through fall suppers and by other means. The closest department with a piece of equipment like this is about an hour away.

“That’s not something they just give away,” Fire Chief Tyson Sickles said. “We appreciate all the community’s help.”

Sickles commended rescue squad volunteers on the department, who are under EMS Service Coordinator Heather Schneider’s leadership, for the work they put in to always better themselves and the care the department is giving.

“The biggest hurdle is getting people involved. I know people are getting pulled in a million different directions, but it’s hard to get volunteers now,” Sickles said. When he joined the department, they had 11 EMTs. Since then, that number has dwindled greatly.

“Any type of training is tons of hours. It’s really not volunteer, if you want me to be 100% honest. Volunteer isn’t volunteer anymore,” Sickles added.

Fontanelle Fire and Rescue officials reiterated how thankful they are for the community to support them enough for them to have new technology such as their new monitor and defibrillator.