Ambulance Tasmania is rolling out five new mechanical CPR devices that deliver consistent, automated chest compressions to patients in cardiac arrest.
The LUCAS devices are portable and maintain blood flow to the brain and vital organs, freeing paramedics to focus on other life-saving tasks.
Two will be based in the south at Hobart and Glenorchy, one in the north at Launceston and two in the north-west at Burnie and Devonport.
All five will be deployed to Intensive Care Paramedics.
Ambulance Tasmania chief executive Nicole Ashworth said the devices are an important investment in cardiac care and workforce capability.
“Providing CPR for even a short time can be physically demanding,” she said.
“Research shows that fatigue can start to impact performance after just two minutes of performing manual CPR.”
Ashworth said the mechanical devices provide compressions at a fixed rate and depth, ensuring high-quality CPR is continuously maintained.
“These devices are particularly valuable for single responding Intensive Care Paramedics, enabling them to continue delivering life-saving treatment while uninterrupted CPR is maintained,” she said.
Ambulance Tasmania already operates three LUCAS devices within its Critical Care and Retrieval service.
One was used during the recent Franklin River rescue operation.
Ashworth said the organisation plans to keep expanding use of the devices across its fleet.
Intensive Care Paramedics have been training with specialist education staff from manufacturer Stryker to ensure they are confident with the equipment before it enters service.
The new devices will be introduced over the coming months once training is complete.
