May 20, 2021
As the saying goes, “Not all heroes wear capes.” In the Western North Carolina mountain community of French Broad Crossing, several local fire and forest service departments work together to help keep the community safe year-round. As a token of our gratitude, the French Broad Crossing homeowners association in partnership with the James Fisher Memorial Foundation and Preserve Communities recently raised funds for a Lifeline Arm ACC for the Walnut Fire Department. Monetary contributions were also distributed to the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department and Marshall Volunteer Fire Department.
The Lifeline Arm ACC device is for performing mechanical chest compressions when effective manual CPR is not possible. Effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) requires a high level of excellence in order to have an impact on the survival rate of a cardiac arrest victim. This is very difficult to achieve manually when fatigue can occur in as little as 1-2 minutes while trying to maintain at least 2 inches/5 cm depth compressions at a minimum rate of 100 compressions per minute. In an emergency situation, the Lifeline ARM when used as an adjunct to manual CPR, provides extended CPR with minimal interruptions when fatigue, insufficient personnel, or patient transport (e.g., ambulance, intra-hospital) may prohibit the delivery of effective/consistent compressions to the victim. Its award-winning design provides portability, speedy deployment, and delivers precise CPR with unmatched operating times.
The availability of this lifesaving device is a welcome addition to the resources at the Walnut Fire Department and will be beneficial to the whole community. We are incredibly grateful for all our hometown heroes!
