SEATTLE, Wash. — A life-saving CPR device is being implemented in fire departments across Western Washington.
It’s called a LUCAS device and it is strapped onto a patient to keep compressions going while they are being transported to the hospital.
This is an effort to keep medics safe while still delivering consistent care to the patients while riding in an ambulance.
The difference between a patient living and dying is often determined in the back of an ambulance, but what happens when that rig gets into a crash?
Seattle Fire Lt. Ryan Ellis has been a firefighter for 24 years. He tells us he has been in accidents while in the back of an ambulance before.
“It’s just one of those situations, it happens all of the sudden, you don’t really get to think about it at the time, it’s really not fun,” Ellis said.
He said ambulances rarely get in crashes, and usually it’s not their fault, but accidents do happen.
This is why firefighters need to be buckled in while in the back of a vehicle. This way they stay safe.
“It’s pretty dangerous to be up walking around in the back of the rigs when we are transporting a patient,” Ellis said.
When a firefighter is trying to give CPR while transporting, the patient care also isn’t as consistent as when they are not moving.
Now the LUCAS device changes that. The device can be used on most average-sized adults when transporting them to the hospital.
Ellis said this ensures the patient keeps the same stable compression rate during CPR in transport.
“It’s very difficult to keep your balance and when the rig goes around corners it does good compressions,” Ellis said. “Just in case they do lose pulses during transport we can just turn it right on.”
Snohomish County Fire District #4 Lt Kenton Lucke uses the LUCAS in their department too. He said this has changed the way they give care.
“For pretty much every CPR call we get we end up using the device when we get their pulses back,” Lucke said.
Both Seattle Fire and Snohomish County Fire Departments are among many in our area using the LUCAS, firefighters say they are grateful to have it.
“It’s where firefighter safety and patient care intersect,” Ellis said.
©2025 Cox Media Group
