Because of the rise in medical-related alarms and in an effort to better serve the citizens of the Falcon Fire Protection District, the FFPD will be initiating a new medical program, “File of Life.”The purpose of this program is to provide citizens of the community with a standardized form for documenting vital information that may be needed during a medical emergency. This form gives fire department emergency personnel the information needed to perform life-saving treatment when the patient is unable to inform fire department emergency medical technicians of their medical condition.The ability for EMTs to access this information is vital as they decide on appropriate treatment. For example, diabetics are aware that if their blood sugar levels drop below a certain level they will eventually go into a diabetic coma and be unable to inform emergency personnel of their medical history. Or what about a medical emergency that requires rapid transport by helicopter. When time is of the essence, there is no time to write down vital information that the hospital may need. It is faster and easier to present a document that is already prepared to the crew on the helicopter. In both of these scenarios, time is the key element that could make the difference between life and death.When this document is available, the outcome could improve substantially. Other helpful directives include “do not resuscitate orders,” advanced directives and medication lists.If you or anyone you care for has an extensive medical history, please contact Falcon Fire Department Station 1 at 7030 N. Meridian Road (719-495-4050) to obtain this free packet. We’ll be glad to answer any questions about the program as well.
