To the untrained eye, chest compressions might seem an elementary part of the job for first responders, but the technique can be challenging, depending on the situation.

Sometimes, the angle of the patient isn’t ideal. Transporting a patient downstairs on a cart can also create challenges for administering chest compressions.

“Once they’re on that cot moving, we have to either stop compressions or get next to it as we’re moving it,” Carmel Fire Department Public Information Officer Tim Griffin said.

CFD has invested in a device that can make chest compressions easier to perform. The LUCAS device (LUCAS stands for Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System) provides automated chest compressions to patients. It is now standard in all five of Carmel’s frontline ambulances.

The CFD acq

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