Paramedics

Meet the Staff

Spencer Armstrong, Paramedic
Joseph Klukow, Paramedic
Ethan, Curry, EMT

 

History
On September 21, 1972, the Forest City Volunteer Ambulance Service was established and began providing its service on January 15, 1973. Early in 1995, Paramedic Level Service began with 3 full-time Paramedics. Today, with 4 full-time Paramedics and 4 PRN (As needed/ Fill-in) Paramedics the City of Forest City Paramedics provide 24/7 Paramedic Level service for the Forest City Volunteer Ambulance Service. The Paramedics are also members of the Forest City Volunteer Ambulance Service and work closely with the volunteers in providing this excellent care. They cover the cities of Forest City, Leland, Fertile, and Hanlontown and parts of Winnebago, Hancock and Worth County. The Paramedics also provide Paramedic Intercepts (Tiers) with surrounding ambulance services where the Paramedics meet the ambulance and provide the Paramedic Level Care to their patients.

 

Committed to Excellence
The Forest City Paramedics are committed to providing the highest level of Paramedic level care to our patients. We are committed to providing our patients with the most up-to-date care and equipment.

Our Paramedics were one of the first in the state allowed to utilize the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device for Congestive Heart Failure patients and patients with fluid buildup in their lungs. Today this device is now being utilized by many services and utilized as an integral part of treatment for CHF patients.

With upgrades to our monitors several years ago to allow us to perform 12 lead EKGs, we became the first service in North Iowa to perform regular 12 lead EKGs in the field. With the recent addition of the Welch Allyn PIC 50 monitor, we can now perform 12 Lead EKGs in the field and transmit them to the ER. This advancement has allowed the ER Staff and Mercy Cardiologist to begin to evaluate our patients prior to arrival in the ER and prepare needed treatment prior to the patient’s arrival allowing for quicker treatments and better patient outcomes.

In May of 2009, we also added a new piece of equipment, the Zoll Auto Pulse. This machine performs the chest compressions when CPR is needed at a higher quality than manual chest compressions. National studies have shown an increase in successful resuscitations when this device is utilized.

In May of 2009, a Masimo RAD 57 device was added. This device is the only portable device that allows us to continually measure the carbon monoxide levels in a patient’s system with the use of a finger probe placed on a patient’s finger. The only way prior to this device to measure a patient’s carbon monoxide levels were to wait until we get to the ER and have them perform blood tests.

We continue to look and evaluate new treatment techniques and devices and ensure that our patients are getting the best possible emergency medical care available.

CPR and First Aid Training
CPR and First Aid classes are available throughout the year. If you would like to schedule a class please call (641) 585-4634.