Boca Raton firefighters can now start a blood transfusion on the street, long before an ambulance reaches the emergency room. The program launched this summer, and crews have already used it on a critically injured motorcyclist who survived to thank them in person.
According to the city’s Whole Blood Program page, Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services carries whole blood on a specially equipped EMS supervisor vehicle. It is kept in a temperature-controlled cooler and tracked through a digital system from receipt to patient care. Firefighter personnel on scene can warm and administer the blood right there.
The city says whole blood is meant for severe blood loss from traumatic injuries, such as vehicle crashes, and for certain medical emergencies, including gastrointestinal bleeding. All Boca Raton firefighters are certified paramedics, and the city says they completed specialized training in storing, handling, warming and administering whole blood.
A Motorcycle Crash Becomes the First Test
Jo Thomas was critically injured in a motorcycle crash this summer, and crews gave whole blood for the first time under the new program, as reported by WPTV. Thomas said he was thrown about 20 to 30 feet from his motorcycle into a crosswalk pole. He also said that giving blood to a bleeding person can keep them alive until they reach the hospital for full treatment…