BOUCHER SECURES FEDERAL FUNDING FOR WASHINGTON COUNTY LIFESAVING CREW

$45,877 Federal Grant Will Enable Purchase of New Cardiac Emergency Equipment

            (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Rick Boucher announced today that, at his urging, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through its Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, is providing a federal grant in the amount of $45,877 to the Washington County Lifesaving Crew.

            “This provision of federal funding will enable the Washington County Lifesaving Crew to purchase state-of-the-art cardiac emergency equipment, which will transmit information on a patient’s cardiac needs at the scene of an emergency directly to doctors at Johnston Memorial Hospital eliminating the need for preliminary evaluation at the hospital,” Boucher said.

            With the benefit of the federal funds, the Washington County Lifesaving Crew will purchase four 12-lead EKG units, which will replace two outdated cardiac monitors currently in use by the Department. The new units will enable the Lifesaving Crew to transmit information about a patient’s heart rhythm directly to Emergency Room doctors at Johnston Memorial Hospital. Currently, most cardiac emergencies handled by the Lifesaving Crew are first taken to the hospital for evaluation. With the new equipment, doctors will be able to make a preliminary evaluation about a patient’s needs before the patient arrives at the hospital, providing doctors time to prepare or, in some cases, sending the patient to Kingsport for more complex procedures. 

The Washington County Lifesaving Crew provides emergency services to a 400 square mile area including Abingdon and the surrounding areas of Washington County.  The Crew has 45 members, all of whom serve on a voluntary basis.

            "I am pleased that the Department of Homeland Security has provided this funding to the Washington County Lifesaving Crew. The new equipment purchased with these federal funds will enable the Crew to handle cardiac emergencies in the most efficient way possible," Boucher concluded.                                                          

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