SEATTLE — Seattle is setting the standard when it comes to cardiac care, as the city currently has some of the highest resuscitation rates in the country, averaging around 50%.
Seattle Fire crews resuscitate a patient at least once every couple of shifts, and they’re usually on the scene of an emergency within minutes to quickly start compressions.
Because of that high level of experience, they tell us paramedics are known for saving a record number of lives.
SFD says every paramedic goes through the same training, that way there are no discrepancies when it comes to care.
Every dispatcher is also trained in how to properly give CPR over the phone, so that they can talk the caller through what to do while waiting for first responders.
SFD Lt. John Leffingwell said being uniform is key.
“The city of Seattle is a really good place to have a cardiac arrest, we have higher save rates than they do the rest of the country,” Leffingwell said.
Here in Seattle, the University of Washington studied the best chest compression rates, Seattle created one of the first on-scene paramedic groups, and is heavily involved in the community.
“A lot more people are trained in bystander CPR than they are in the rest of the country,” Lt. Leffingwell said.
This year, the Bellevue-based Medic One Foundation will help train paramedics across the world, bringing top-notch cardiac care from the Puget Sound area.
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