Fire House Facts & National CPR Week

06/06/2012 | Kayla Holiman, Fire Inspector

The Yuma Fire Department responded to 214 emergency calls for service:

• 13 Commercial Assignments
  Including: A carnival ride trailer fire, the smell of smoke inside a business, and various alarms
• 2 Hazardous Materials Assignments
  Including: An unknown substance in a mailbox, a small mecury spill from a broken thermometer
• 13 Motor Vehicle Crashes
  Including: 1 involving a pole, and 2 roll overs
• 163 Other Medical Emergencies (serious to minor)
  Including: 10 for difficulty breathing, 5 for chest pain, 13 fall victims, 5 unconscious people, 3 seizure cases, 13 people with psychiatric problems, 29 trauma injuries, 7 diabetic emergencies, 2 strokes, 1 hyperthermia, 1 dehyrated person, and other illnesses and injuries
• 23 Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments
  Including: a kitten in a tree, three calls for dogs locked inside of vehicles, a snake at a residence, a newborn puppy stuck between a concrete slab and a wooden fence, 3 vehicle fires, the smell of smoke inside a residence, a mattress fire outside of apartments, 3 trash fires, a vehicle leaking fuel, the smell of natural gas in a residential area, and various alarms

National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Week

This week is National CPR Week. So far this year, the Yuma Fire Department has responded to 44 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 trained over 4000 people in Continuous Chest Compression(CCC) CPR since we began offering this free training in 2009. 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.