Thanks to a donation from the Roots Community Fund and Trillium Mutual, Perth County EMS will be receiving a valuable new training tool.
The $5,000 grant will be used to purchase a patient simulator mannequin which mimics symptoms of medical distress. The mannequin responds realistically to treatment with variable blood pressure and heart rate.
Chris Keyser, a platoon commander with Perth County EMS, says he's thrilled about the new equipment.
“The simulation mannequins that are on the market now are leaps and bounds with technology from the ones that we currently use, so they will actually recognize different medications, some of them do different models, different features," he says. "We'll be able to actually do certain bodily functions and pupillary functions, vital sign changes so what we'll be able to do is work towards purchasing one of those for our new training facility.”
The new EMS facility has been a controversial subject at Perth County council recently. A last minute meeting was called back in May to confirm a construction bid for the project after council had balked at the price tag.
Staff expect to break ground for the new building in August with a tentative completion date set for early in 2016.
Stratford facilities manager Sandy McLean presented a project status report Thursday at council.
“We're in the pre-design phase which means that we're just doing the final touches on the drawings which will then go for construction permit approval in a months time to establish what the building will actually look like,” she says.
Staff expect to see shovels in the ground at the Douro Street site in Stratford as early as August.
