New Equipment Purchased in Fire Department Budget Helps Save a Life

Windham Fire Chief Tom McPherson announced to the Board of Selectmen this week that new CPR equipment purchased when the voters approved the town budget in March helped save a young woman's life last month.

McPherson told the board that on Friday, June 12 at 6:42 a.m., five firefighters and medics responded to Telo Road for a report of an unconscious 24-year-old woman.

The girl's parents were doing early CPR on scene, and the emergency officials immediately employed the use of one of their cardiopulmonary resuscitation chest compression units.

"This unit is 70 percent more effective in chest compressions than a human being," McPherson told the board. "It does chest compressions based on the American Heart Association guidelines.

While the woman was in the ambulance, WFD personnel were able to restore her heartbeat. By the time they were leaving her bedside in the hospital, she was conscious and communicating with hospital officials.

"The machine definitely played a role in having a good outcome," McPherson said.

He thanked the board and the residents for supporting the budget process, as well as the girl's parents and those who responded to the call from his own department.

Selectman Ross McLeod noted that the successful call is just another good reason to 911, given that emergency aid is brought to folks faster.