Page 117 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2018

One of AMR’s brightest moments was in
the wake of Hurricane Katrina. “During this time, we immediately sent 60 additional AMR ambulances to evacuate five hospitals,” said Julia Clarke, Director Government Relations. “We were also able to evacuate four skilled nursing facilities before landfall, all four of which were severely damaged or destroyed
by the storm. Just two weeks after Katrina,
we directed over 300 mutual aid ambulances transferring more than 1,000 patients to various hospitals out of the area, and responded to over 1,000 local emergencies and calls on the coast.”
Because of their work, AMR was later awarded a national disaster management contract. Many of the practices learned from their experiences here in Mississippi have gone on to influence how the United States responds to and manages medical disasters. AMR leaders also helped develop the state’s first emergency dispatch standards, ultimately leading to better 911 service in Mississippi.
Being first responders to any medical emergency is all about preparation, which is part of what sets AMR apart. “We continually look for new and better equipment to help us fulfill our mission of saving lives,” Clarke said. “Our specially-equipped response vehicles, like MedCarts, ATVs and even bike medics
Mobile Medic and fire department personnel train together using the Jaws of Life in the 1970s.
help us gain access to patients faster and more efficiently.”
Each of AMR’s response vehicles is equipped with LifePak 15 cardiac monitor/defibrillators. This equipment ensures that patients receive the most advanced care and diagnostic technology available. “The LifePak 15 not only detects critical changes in a patient’s cardiac rhythms, it also transmits that data directly
to area emergency rooms so hospitals can act quickly and have surgical or cardiac teams immediately available to begin definitive
care when the ambulance arrives with the patient,” Cirillo said. “When someone suffers a heart attack, heart muscle is lost every minute that blood flow is not restored to the heart. AMR works with area hospitals so our patients’ chances of surviving a heart attack are improved and the risk of permanent loss of
heart muscle or disability is reduced.” “In short, AMR helps patients get better
care faster — care that helps give them
a better chance of a full and healthy recovery,” Cirillo concluded. For their team, that’s what being a first responder is all about.
AMBUS
Mobile Medic, now AMR, began serving the coast in 1974.
AMR Medic Charles Wise and Long Beach FD care for a car accident patient.
AMR and Harrison County Fire Services personnel extricate and care for a car crash patient.
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
July 2018 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 117