Pa. EMS agency upgrades ambulances courtesy of state grant

By Tawnya Panizzi
The Tribune-Review, Greensburg

PITTSBURGH — Foxwall EMS will be better equipped to care for critically ill and injured patients thanks to new IV pumps aboard their ambulances.

The Fox Chapel-based group, stationed along Hemlock Hollow Road, said the upgrade came courtesy of a grant from the Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner.

Foxwall was selected to receive $8,426 through the 2022-2023 Fire Company and EMS grant program.

Money was used to purchase Sapphire infusion pumps, which equip healthcare providers with the ability to stabilize and manage patients who need precise medication administration and fluid, sometimes for extended periods of time.

With these pumps, EMS crews will be better able to administer IV medication doses and fluids throughout pre-hospital treatment and transportation to a hospital, Foxwall member Gino Mollica said.

"Over the next two months, our crews will undergo training on these pumps and once implemented, these machines will allow us to provide the latest cutting-edge technology in patient care and pre-hospital medicine," Chief Anthony Cuda said.

"We are excited to continue providing high-quality patient care to our communities through this grant."

Previously, patients might have had to wait for medicine at the hospital that EMS was unable to administer because they lacked the exact equipment, Cuda said.

Now, paramedics and pre-hospital nurses can administer a wide range of medications to better treat conditions like low blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, infections, blood clots and more, Cuda said.

"These IV pumps are another resource to help us continue to provide the highest quality of care to the people of our communities," he said.

Foxwall was founded in 1978 and primarily serves Fox Chapel and Aspinwall.

Mollica said residents should take comfort in knowing that their local EMS can provide advanced medical technology through an array of trained personnel and resources.

"As a smaller non-profit ambulance agency, Foxwall EMS is remarkably fortunate to have both a tenured and a younger, diverse corps of paid staff and volunteers whose dedication and motivation are unwavering," Mollica said.

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