ResQPODs Now in All Louisville Metro Ambulances

Louisville Metro EMS ambulances are now equipped with new devices that are used to increase the chances of surviving cardiac arrest. The devices are called ResQPODs, and 300 of them are now in each EMS ambulance and fly car at a cost of 30-thousand dollars to the city.EMS Director Dr. Neal Richmond says the device is well worth the money."We might see a doubling in survival rates," says Richmond, "when you’re talking about two to three percent in a community like this, that might mean at the end of the year, there are another 30, 40, 50 people walking around, which I think is a pretty big deal."The ResQPODS work by preventing air from entering the body at the wrong time. Richmond says it increases blood flow to the heart and can help maintain brain function if the heart has stopped.He says all EMTs will likely complete training for the devices this week.