Tuttle Fire Department Receives Mobile CPR Machines

A rural Oklahoma fire department has a new tool to help treat patients on the verge of death.

Tuttle's emergency crews just received two new mobile CPR machines to combat cardiac arrest.

“Manual CPR was what we were doing prior to that, so 45 minutes and trying to rotate those people in the back of an ambulance is difficult,” said Tuttle Fire Department Battalion Chief Chris Kondos.

With a largely volunteer staff, Kondos says, sometimes just two people show up to respond to a call - making cardiac arrest treatment even more challenging.

But the new machines can compress a chest for up to three hours without taking a break.

The purchase was made possible by Firehouse Subs, which awarded a $19,000 grant to Tuttle for the upgrade. The chain has made a mission of helping small departments like this gain access to new technology.

“Being able to provide definitive care by using the most updated equipment on a call is key to patient survival,” said Craig Bartley with Round Tree Medical.

Tuttle firefighters and paramedics currently respond to one or two cardiac arrest calls per month, but Kondos says the new tech is right on time for even more citizens in need in the near future.

“With the age of patients and the baby boomers getting older that number is going to increase over time. We're a little older community, so we anticipate that number going up,” said Kondos.