By Bill Carey
EMS1
SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. — Shelby County is launching a new pre-hospital blood program. EMS leaders say this countywide initiative will help save trauma patients.
The Shelby County Fire and EMS Association, comprising all fire and EMS agencies in the county, is launching this initiative, WBRC reported.
“Logistics for the blood itself and are agreeing to respond anywhere in Shelby County to whichever agency needs that for whatever patient conditions,” Southeast Shelby County Rescue Deputy Chief Matthew Rush said.
Rush said four units have been strategically placed throughout the county to help assist fire and EMS agencies with trauma patients. The locations are North Shelby Fire, Pelham Fire, Montevallo Fire and Southeast Shelby Rescue.
“We are trying our best to meet them and we’ll jump in the truck with them and continue onto the trauma center,” Rush said. “Or if the patient can’t be moved, such as a mass casualty incident or a patient that is trapped for some reason, we will go to the scene and start treating them immediately.”
A local grant of $100,000 from the Shelby County Health Foundation enables these agencies to provide this service to the county immediately.