Armstrong EMT Jennifer Bowman handed out eggs at the Gerry McCarthy Community Egg Hunt.

Armstrong Ambulance joined the community in an Easter celebration over the weekend in Brighton.

Armstrong opened the doors to one of its ambulances to the public on Saturday, April 20, at the 36th annual Gerry McCarthy Community Egg Hunt at the Sisters of St. Joseph in Boston.

At the event, hundreds of area kids aged 2-10 gathered to collect Easter eggs and explore an ambulance, as well as vehicles from the Boston Police and Fire Departments.

EMTs Remy Cortorreal and Jennifer Bowman handed out eggs and candy to children in attendance, and also welcomed them into the ambulance, where they used stethoscopes to listen to their hearts and lungs.

Armstrong EMT Remy Cortorreal checks a child’s heart and lungs during the touch-a-truck portion of an Easter egg hunt in Brighton.

Armstrong Ambulance is pleased to join Recovery Centers of America to provide hands-only CPR lessons to RCA patients. Beginning last month, Armstrong staff are visiting RCA’s Danvers location and working with patients suffering from addiction to teach them how to perform lifesaving CPR prior to being discharged from treatment.

The lessons, which were organized and are taught by Armstrong Educational Coordinator Larry LeDoux, provide RCA patients with a basic understanding of how to perform CPR, including the proper technique and rhythm to ensure the best chances at success. LeDoux teaches students the steps, including calling 911 first and foremost, and then administering chest compressions to the beat of a familiar song with an appropriate amount of beats per minute. Some examples include “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees or “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce.
“These lessons provide RCA’s patients with a valuable skill that they may some day need to help a loved one or friend in need,” LeDoux said. “This is something tangible and practical that patients can be proud of upon being discharged.”

According to the American Heart Association, approximately 90 percent of those who undergo sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die. If performed immediately, CPR can double or triple a victim’s chances of survival.

“During the drug and alcohol epidemic that exists today, so many of our patients are in situations where friends and others around them are overdosing and dying,” Danvers Recovery Centers of America CEO Laura Ames said. “Narcan is not always available and this CPR training by Armstrong Ambulance provides our patients with a valuable lifesaving skill to help others suffering from an addiction who are in need of help.”

Armstrong Ambulance representatives attended a college fair held by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families Wednesday.

Armstrong Ambulance representatives attended a college fair held by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families Wednesday.

The Wednesday, April 17 fair was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Westborough. Students and foster parents attended the fair to meet with schools and organizations and learn about academic and career opportunities for young people following high school.

Last year, almost every public college in the state was represented at the fair, among other post-secondary groups and private colleges.

Armstrong Ambulance Basic Life Support Training Coordinator Larry LeDoux and HR Generalist Michael McCusker attended the fair, where they informed teens about the available paths to pursue a career in emergency services. They spoke with students about the opportunities and education available to become chair car driver, EMT, or paramedic.

“Working in emergency services is incredibly rewarding, and crucial for the vitality and safety of every community,” McCusker said. “It was a great opportunity for us to share that with students, and inform them about the opportunities and programs available to them to pursue a career in this field, helping people and making a difference every day.”

From left: Armstrong Ambulance CEO Rich Raymond (holding Willie), St. Elizabeth’s EMS Manager Jeff Scafidi, Dr. Sush Prusty and Armstrong Director of Clinical Integration Ben Podsiadlo.

Several members of the Armstrong Ambulance team attended a recent heart health event in Boston, where one member presented to fellow attendees and another was presented with an award.

The ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Boot Camp, held Saturday, March 23, at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Boston featured an in-depth look at the issues surrounding STEMI, which is one of the most severe forms of heart attack.

The Boot Camp was led by Dr. Sush Prusty, and included a presentation by Armstrong Director of Clinical Integration Ben Podsiadlo. During his talk, Podsiadlo discussed the three core concepts of the Boot Camp, including the checklist mindset, EKG, and clinical pattern recognition and team debriefing when managing patients with STEMI.

The event emphasized the key pillars of addressing these forms of heart attacks, and included representatives from the EMS, nursing and allied health professions.

“This bootcamp addressed a critical health issue that our first responders, as well as emergency medical practitioners need to be prepared to collaborate on in order to save patient lives,” Armstrong CEO Rich Raymond said. “Ben has helped Armstrong to emerge as a leader on this issue, and I was glad to see him engage with so many of our peers to both learn from them and share his knowledge.”

Podsiadlo and Raymond were joined at the Boot Camp by Armstrong’s resident therapy dog, Willie Blue Armstrong, who was honored by the event organizers as the Mascot of the Year.

Armstrong Ambulance Service reports that Armstrong EMS personnel safely treated and transported a newborn baby boy and his mother to the hospital after the baby was delivered by his father in the back of the family’s minivan early Monday morning.

At approximately 1:35 a.m., Saugus Police dispatchers received a 911 call from a frantic man who told them that he was driving to the hospital and his wife was giving birth in their minivan.

The baby had to be delivered in the van and was unresponsive and not breathing because the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. A Saugus Police dispatcher stayed on the phone with the father and had him remove the umbilical cord from around the baby’s neck and told him how to administer CPR.

The baby began breathing and started crying.
A short time later, crews from Armstrong Ambulance arrived and provided emergency medical treatment and transported the mother and the baby aboard the ambulance, while a Saugus firefighter drove.

The two were treated by the Armstrong Ambulance EMS team and safely transported to the hospital where they were healthy and doing fine. This is an example of excellent teamwork by Saugus 9-1-1 Dispatch, Police, Fire and Armstrong Ambulance personnel.

“Usually we like to transport expecting mothers to the hospital before the baby is born, but we are very happy that the baby and mom are both healthy,” said Richard Raymond, Armstrong Ambulance CEO.

Armstrong EMT Melissa Pierce and Paramedic Wayne Gilbert speak about their actions after responding, treating and transporting a newborn baby delivered in the back of a minivan in Saugus. Also pictured is Interim Chief Ronald Giorgetti of the Saugus Police Department.

Here is a link from WCVB recapping the story: https://www.wcvb.com/article/saugus-dispatcher-credited-with-saving-newborn/25992532