Save Rates above national average in Bossier City when it comes to cardiac arrest

BOSSIER CITY, LA (KSLA) - If you have a heart attack, the odds of survival are in your favor in Bossier City. The city is saving lives at a rate well above the national average.

According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (SCAF), there are roughly 350,000 resuscitation attempts outside hospitals each year. Of those attempts nationwide, only 10 percent will survive. 
The survival rate in Bossier City, much greater.

"For somebody that is at home and has a cardiac arrest the survival rate from out of hospital to hospital is around 31%," said Bossier Fire Chief of EMS, Jeff Watson.

For the first quarter of 2018, Bossier City responded to 27 Cardiac Arrest calls. Of those calls, 8 lives were saved before they reached the hospital.

"We think the service that we provide, our people that are out there doing the work with the equipment that we were allowed to utilize, it makes a difference and we're seeing those numbers rise because we think of what we're getting from the city and the support we get from the city to be able to provide the service that we provide."

Bossier's Chief of Emergency Medical Services, Jeff Watson noted the key is staying ahead of the trends and funding for state of the art devices.

"We use an impedance threshold device, we use mechanical CPR, all the latest things that we think are the best to improve survival and that's what we want to do and that's what we want to give to our citizens."

While the equipment comes with a hefty price tag, Chief Watson notes you can't put a number on saving a life.

"We want the community to know when they call 911 and they're in need that we are going to be there and we are going to provide the best service that we can to everyone in Bossier City."

Chief said when you pair top of the line equipment with a team of well-trained responders,  there's a greater chance for success.

"From our communications people communicating early CPR, early defibrillation, our people getting there doing what we consider is the best CPR possible we're allowed to do mechanical CPR and transport it takes a lot of different people to make this happen."

Chief Watson said it important for the entire community to learn CPR.

According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, the chances of survival for victims decrease by 10% every minute without CPR.

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