Lifesaving device arrives in Flomaton

Thanks to Escambia County Commissioner Larry White, a Lucas 3 chest compression system has been purchased for the Flomaton Fire Department which first responders say will save lives.

Commissioner White spent $15,745 out of his discretionary money to purchase the piece of equipment that basically takes over life-saving measures in the event of a heart attack.

"Obviously there's a local concern about the lack of ambulance service and I talked with the chief (Steve Stanton) and he said the Lucas device was needed," White said.

White said he reached out to Brewton Fire Chief Jeff Salter, EMA Director David Adams and Dakota Chancery, who is a paid fireman in Mobile and a volunteer in Pineview.

"We compared notes and I decided it was well worth the funds," Commissioner White said.

White noted that Brad Lowry, administrator at Atmore Memorial Hospital, helped get the price for the Lucas 3 lowered.

Brewton Fire Chief Jeff Salter said the Lucas 3 device takes all human errors off the table and performs CPR compressions.

Salter said the Brewton fire department has one and the fire department runs two to three heart attack calls a week.

"It's 10 times better than a human can do it," Salter said. "It's idiot proof. You hook it up and takes away all human error."

Salter, along with Flomaton Fireman Jermey Lee said the device also "frees up hands" to provide other medical attention that is needed and added that the device never gets tired.

"It doesn't get tired, it doesn't quit," Salter said.

Commissioner White said he recently talked with a paramedic on a helicopter in Mobile County and was told the Lucas 3 device has been named the Fireman of the Year for the past five years.

Lee said the device buys time and saves lives and Flomaton Mayor Jim Johnson added that without an ambulance in Flomaton full time, "It's a life saver."

Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton said the Lucas would be housed on the Flomaton fire truck but would be available for use for any cardiac arrest call to include Friendship, Lambeth, McCall and even across the line in Century.

"This is huge because we don't have an ambulance," Stanton said. "It's just not going to benefit Flomaton but it will benefit the Flomaton schools and surrounding areas."

"We're going to be available and no boundaries will dictate where we go," Stanton said. "It's going to save a life."

Stanton said it's hard to perform CPR on a patient when they are being loaded onto a stretcher but once the Lucas 3 is attached the CPR continues.

Stanton said everybody in the fire department will be trained to operate the Lucas 3 device with some already having the training including two town workers and a police officer.

Commission Chairman Raymond Wiggins said the commission will be looking to secure some grant funds to place a Lucas 3 device in strategic locations across the county.

"We can't buy one for every department," Wiggins said. "But if we can find the funds, we'll try to purchase them and locate them where they are most needed."

Stanton said there are some training sessions set up in the next few weeks for firemen, police officers, town employees and others who need to be certified on using the Lucas 3.