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There are times when we are called to help
someone who has been injured in the woods. Someone may have fallen
from their horse. Someone may have fallen asleep in their tree stand
waiting for that 12 point buck of their dreams. Maybe someone was
honing their skills on that dirt bike when they hit that tree... the
possibilities are endless. When there is no way to get our ambulance
to the patient it normally means that the patient will have to be
carried out of the woods in a stokes basket. Not the most
comfortable way to go but even more concerning is the fact that
it is very hard to treat someone while they're being carried
like that.And there can be long delays in treating the patient if we
have to walk a great distance before locating them.
Owen County EMS has just taken
delivery of a compact 4 x 4 vehicle similar to "gator" or
a "carryall" that can be used around a farm. We believe that
MERV will fill the gap when we have to move a patient long distances
over rough, uneven terrain. It will carry all the equipment needed
to provide care to a patient and enable us to move the
patient safely to the ambulance regardless of their original
location. We feel that this new
vehicle will improve the quality of care we can provide the patient,
especially in rough terrain environments.
Here's a partial list of the equipment that
MERV will be carrying:
- Lifepak 12 Monitor - Defibrillator
- Stryker Cot
- Bandaging, Splinting Supplies and traction
splints.
- Long Spine Board and spinal immobilization
devices
- IV Supplies
- Oxygen and Oxygen Therapy Equipment
- First Line Cardiac Drug
We call our new vehicle "MERV". Which stands for "Medical
Emergency Response Vehicle"
In addition to
it's multitude of off road uses; we feel that MERV will also fill
the need when we have special events such as the Owen County Fair,
Demolition Derbies, Apple Butter Festival, High School Rodeos, OVHS
Home Football games and all events that require responding into a
crowd of people. The MERVs smaller size and increased
manoeuvrability will allow us to get to our patient and begin care
more quickly.
Come out to the
Owen County Fair to have a closer look at MERV!
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