New Somers Fire & Rescue HeartStart MRx Cardiac Monitor
(Source:  Photo by Jacqueline Klapproth Nelson)

John Sorensen, Fire Chief of Somers Fire & Rescue attaches training unit to monitor for demonstration
(Source:  Photo by Jacqueline Klapproth Nelson)

Erik Wroblewski, Captain of Somers Fire & Rescue displays new defibrillators
(Source:  Photo by Jacqueline Klapproth Nelson)

Somers Fire and Rescue squads and fire trucks are now equipped with the latest technology in emergency care that will help our emergency responders quickly and effectively acquire more diagnostic data which influences the overall course of patient care as never before.

At the last annual budget meeting, taxpayers approved the purchase of three new Philips HeartStart MRx monitors/defibrillators ($70,807.75) for rescue squads, and three new Philips HeartStart FRx defibrillators ($5,188.97) for fire trucks and the chief’s truck, replacing units with old technology that were ten years old.  “Somers Fire and Rescue is the first department in southeast Wisconsin to use the MRx wireless link technology,” said John Sorensen, Somers Fire Chief.  “We now have the best diagnostic tools available which means we can deliver more accurate treatment.”

Erik Wroblewski, Captain of Somers Fire and Rescue explains, “our old monitors communicated with the hospital via old technology similar to a fax machine.  The new wireless technology is able to grow with the future of emergency medicine in the coming years, where eventually all the data can be transmitted real time to the hospitals, allowing the hospitals to observe what is happening in the ambulance as it happens.  This better prepares for the arrival of the patient with staff and specialists waiting to give specialized care when needed.”

Somers emergency medical staff has been trained by the manufacturer, Philips, on the HeartStart MRx monitors.  All firefighters and emergency medical staff have been trained in CPR and with the use of the HeartStart FRx defibrillators.   Continuous training on the monitors has been integrated into staff scheduled training sessions.  The new monitors are expected to be a long-term asset to the Town for over a decade, as the monitors have technology that can be upgraded as the changes in  medical diagnostics are needed.

By Jacqueline Klapproth Nelson, John Sorensen, Erik Wroblewski