MARION, S.C. (WBTW) – Marion Fire Rescue hopes a new grant will save lives. The Marion Fire Department bought the four Lund Hospital Cardiac Arrest System (LUCUS) CPR machines for first responders. A 56 thousand dollar grant came from the Marion County Healthcare Foundation. The LUCUS can pump up to 120 times a minute. That speed can be crucial when you’re trying to protect someone’s brain and heart. The City of Marion Assistant Fire Chief Chris McKenzie said, “Me and you are human, this is a machine. We get tired. The machine does not get tired.”
The machine also turns a job for four people into a job for two. Assistant Chief McKenzie said the devices also provide relief for the fire rescue squad’s small staff.
“We were having to stand up to do chest compressions to transport a patient to the emergency room. Now for safety reasons, we can put our seat belt on and transport the patient to the hospital so in case there is an accident our medics and technicians are safe,” explained McKenzie.
Marion Fire Rescue hopes to improve cardiac arrest survival rates.
