On December 12, 2018 Dallas Fire & EMS was presented a check for $25,000 from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund for the purchase of new ventilators for our ambulances. This generous grant will allow us to purchase ventilators that will also function as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP units. These new ventilators will greatly improve the quality of care that our patient’s receive and allow us to integrate two pieces of needed equipment into one smaller unit.
The City of Dallas Fire & EMS provides emergency medical care and transport to people who reside in and travel through our 240 square mile service area within Polk County. We also have mutual aid contracts that require us to respond with SW Polk Fire District, Sheridan Fire District, West Valley Fire District and Polk County Fire District #1 during times of high call volume. The state and county gives our organization sole responsibility over emergency medical services in our service area.
Here is a little more information on their current medical equipment that they will be replacing and what their function is; Ventilators breathe for persons who have had a tube placed in their windpipe. This machine breathes for patients with equal and regular breaths. This consistency limits lung trauma, decreases the chance of complications and allows our staff to focus on other needs. CPAP units help the breathing of responsive patients suffering from breathing difficulties. During the last 5 years approximately 120 patients were placed on a ventilator. During that same time period, over 200 patients were given CPAP to improve their breathing. Once purchased, this new equipment could provide lifesaving care to over 700 patients during its life span.
Dallas Fire & EMS is grateful to be the recipient of this grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund to assist us in our mission to provide exceptional emergency medical care for our citizens.
