May 14, 1996

AMBULANCE SERVICES TO BE PRESENTED DEFIBRILLATORS

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- Representatives of the Illinois departments of Public Health and Transportation on Wednesday will present life-saving portable cardiac medical equipment to three ambulance services.

The ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. at the state regional office building, 5415 N. University St., Peoria. Recipients of the defibrillators will be Gulfport Ambulance Service, Henderson County; London Mills Community Fire Protection, Fulton County; and Warsaw Community Ambulance Service, Hancock County.

Fred Uhlig, regional health officer for the Illinois Department of Public Health, and Larry Wort, chief of the Bureau of Safety Programs for the Illinois Department of Transportation, will make the presentations.

The Illinois Department of Public Health solicited applications for the medical equipment from ambulance services in medically underserved areas throughout Illinois. Twelve ambulance crews were selected based on community need, local hospital support, accident morbidity, geographic location and defibrillation training.

The defibrillators were purchased through a $50,000 federal grant awarded to the Illinois Department of Transportation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

About one-third of the 2,100 licensed private and municipal ambulances in Illinois do not carry defibrillators, which can revive victims of sudden cardiac arrest with electrical jolts administered at precise intervals. The defibrillation can stop irregular heart contractions and restore the heart's natural beating pattern.

This is the second year the state has purchased defibrillators for ambulance squads in medically underserved areas.

Others receiving defibrillators are Bismarck Community Ambulance Service Inc., Vermilion County; Cambria Volunteer Fire Department, Williamson County; Hurst Volunteer Ambulance Service, Williamson County; Jasper County Ambulance Service; Loda Ambulance Service, Iroquois County; Meadowbrook Fire Department, Madison County; Milledgeville Fire Department, Carroll County; Pinckneyville Ambulance Service, Perry County; and Sidney Fire Department, Champaign County.

Illinois Department of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments