The Starke County EMS Department will be getting a Lucas Device thanks to a Starke County Community Foundation Grant.
EMS Director Travis Clary told the Starke County Commissioners last week that he gave a presentation to the Community Foundation Grant Committee and they called him back the next day to deliver the news.
A Lucas Device is designed to help improve outcomes of sudden cardiac arrest victims and improve operations for medical responders. It performs at least 100 compressions per minute.
“We did get $15,000 to purchase one new unit,” said Clary. “They’re also covering a one year service plan for the device. We’re really excited about this. It’ll probably be stationed at our Knox station as it’s centrally located. Statistically, most of the cardiac arrest calls are in this area. It’s really going to help out our responders and most importantly our community.”
Clary added that he’s working on some other grants to help pay for equipment such as stretchers and radios. A recent successful fundraiser will assist the department in getting closer to those goals.
