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Peters Township Fire Department gets Advanced Life Support license

By Suzanne Elliott 2 min read
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The Peters Township Volunteer Fire Department is now an advanced life support squad, a designation that allows firefighters to administer life-saving medication – such as insulin – in a life-or-death situation.

“This designation (from the state Department of Health) means we can do everything that an ambulance can do except transport a patient,” said Dan Coyle, Peters fire chief.

With this state certification, Peters firefighters have been trained to use vital medical equipment such as defibrillation equipment on heart attack victims, or help someone with breathing issues, or even start an IV, saving precious seconds until an ambulance can pick the person up and take him to a hospital. And with more than 19 square miles in the township and a population in excess of 22,000, having the fire department certified to deliver medication and perform life-saving measures is critical, Coyle said.

“The ambulance (VFW Post 764) is by the township building,” Coyle said. “If something happens at Donaldson’s Crossroads, we can be there in a minute. We’re backing up the existing service.”

Five of the department’s vehicles are now equipped and certified as ALS response units, meaning a fire truck could show up at a medical emergency in the township, said Michael McLaughlin, the fire department’s deputy chief.

Peters is only one of eight of the state’s 2,400 fire departments to have ALS certification, McLaughlin said. The Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department in the Mon Valley is also licensed to be an advanced life support squad, McLaughlin said.

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