BEDFORD, NY – The Bedford Fire Department working with the Bedford Village Fire District has implemented additional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) equipment on its ambulance and its fire chief’s response vehicles to provide a higher level of care to those who reside, work or travel through Bedford. There were three critical additions that include a LUCAS CPR device for the ambulance, EpiPens for the chiefs’ cars and Narcan for both the ambulance and the chiefs’ cars.

LUCAS CPR Device
This device provides automatic compressions to a cardiac arrest patient in continuous operation. The compressions that it delivers are more effective, consistent and uninterrupted for 45 minutes on one battery. Compressions given by people can have varying levels of consistency and effectiveness due to positioning, conditions and fatigue. The device allows for compressions to continue non-stop while packaging or moving a patient and even continues while the patient is being moved up or down stairs, something that is nearly impossible to do with EMS staff. The device also provides a safer environment for our members during transportation of a patient with CPR in progress by not requiring the EMS member to have to stand in a moving ambulance to deliver compressions. Below is a photo of the LUCAS CPR device that is now part of the equipment on our ambulance.

EpiPens
Each of the three chiefs’ vehicles has been equipped with two sets each of adult and junior auto injector epipens. While our ambulance has been equipped with these pens for a number of years, it made sense to add these to our chiefs’ vehicles as they are often the first on scene at an allergic reaction medical call.

Narcan
Due to the increased exposure to prescription or illegal opioids in our society, the department felt the need to be prepared for such an emergency and to carry Narcan (Naloxone Hydrochloride) on our ambulance and in each of our chiefs’ cars. Narcan is an opiate antidote and can reverse the effects of an overdose. Narcan was introduced originally in 1971 for use in hospitals to prevent patients from overdosing on pain medication during and after surgeries. In the 1990’s, its use was expanded as an emergency remedy for addicts overdosing on opiates. In the last several years it’s been added to ambulances to provide the antidote in the field.

The Bedford Fire Department is always working to provide top EMS and fire services for the fire district and our surrounding neighboring departments by identifying equipment such as this and ensuring our members are trained and prepared for a situation in which we respond to.

Please contact us if you’d like to know more about any of these items or for an explanation or demonstration.

About the Bedford Fire Department
Bedford Village, a community with a population of 6,000 inhabitants, is a hamlet within the Town of Bedford and is located in Westchester County, New York. The Bedford Fire Department, which serves the Bedford Village Fire District, is comprised solely of volunteers, responding to over 600 fire and EMS alarms a year. We have been serving the community since 1923 and are always looking for new members.

Our mission is to provide the residents, merchants and those who pass through the Bedford Fire District with the highest degree of fire protection, rescue and emergency medical service and community education in a professional and courteous manner.

Our members are certified by the State of New York in both firefighting (FF-I or FF-II) and emergency medicine (EMT). They also train and maintain certifications in a variety of other firefighting, rescue and emergency medical disciplines.