Fire House Facts

The Yuma Fire Department responded to 182 emergency calls for service:

• 10 Motor Vehicle Crashes
  Including: 1 involving a bridge, 1 involving a bicycle, and 1 involving a pedestrian

• 156 Other Medical Emergencies (serious to minor)
  Including: 3 for difficulty breathing, 13 for chest pain, 19 fall victims, 8 unconscious people, 5 seizure cases, 14 subjects with mental problems, 1 diabetic emergency, 27 trauma injuries, 1 possible stroke, a child locked inside of a vehicle, and other illnesses and injuries
  
• 16 Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments
  Including: A cat in a tree, 2 calls for bees swarming, a small fire outside of a shed near a residence, a small brush fire from hot barbecue coal being discarded improperly, power lines down in an alleyway, a smoldering tree stump in an alleyway, an illegal trash fire behind a residence, a call for people stuck in an elevator, a vehicle fire, and various alarms

Continuous Chest Compression (CCC) CPR

So far this year, the Yuma Fire Department has responded to 48 calls for a person in cardiac arrest. According to the University of Arizona’s Sarver Heart Center, every year more than 160,000 people die of sudden cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is a condition where the heart suddenly stops pumping blood. In many cases, the heart goes from a regular heartbeat to random twitching (called ventricular fibrillation). When something like this happens blood stops moving through the body. In this condition, quick action must be taken for the person to have a chance of survival. These recommended actions are often referred to as the “Chain of Survival” and are:

• Calling 911 (Getting the Paramedics on the way)
• Starting CPR
• Defibrillation (Using an Automated External Defibrillator-AED- if one is available)
• Early Arrival of Advanced Care (Paramedics)

The Yuma Fire Department has been providing instruction in the new “Continuous Chest Compression” CPR (that does not include mouth to mouth resuscitation) since February of last year, and has trained over 2,100 people in more than 100 classes! Studies have shown CCC-CPR is not only more likely to be used, but also is more effective than traditional CPR.

For More Information

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Mike Erfert or Kayla Holiman at 373-4850.

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