September 24, 2024, Beaver County, AB – The residents of the Beaver County region have a new life-saving tool available to them thanks in part to a grant from Claystone Waste Ltd.: the LUCAS 3 Chest Compression System.

On September 24, Claystone CEO Corey Popick, along with Village of Ryley Mayor Lyndie Knockleby and Councillors Kim Murphy and Stephanie Dennis, received a demonstration of the new device, which takes the place of people performing CPR.

“It was fascinating hearing the EMS personnel describe the uses and benefits of the LUCAS 3,” said Popick. “Performing CPR can be physically demanding, especially for smaller ambulance crews, and having this device replace manual compressions can literally be the difference between life and death.”

The LUCAS 3 provides consistent and continuous chest compressions to the patient, including on scene, during transportation, and even during treatment. The device replaces the need for emergency personnel to perform the procedure manually, which requires switching off every two minutes to ensure high quality chest compressions. For smaller crews, this can be challenging, especially when trying to transport a patient over a long distance to a hospital. The device also frees up hands to perform other medical interventions.

“You’ve probably seen CPR being done in movies and tv shows, and usually someone yells ‘clear’ when they are about to use a defibrillator on the patient,” said Popick. “The medical team has to stop the compressions and step back because it is dangerous to shock anyone other than the patient. With the LUCAS 3, the patient can receive the treatment without any interruption of the CPR as the device isn’t impacted by the electric shock.”

Crystal Stevenson of the Beaver Ambulance Society indicated LUCAS 3 will replace the LUCAS 2 currently on the ambulance units but can only do one at a time due to the cost. The total cost of the LUCAS 3 was approximately $20,000, of which Claystone contributed $9,000.

The first LUCAS 3 will go to the unit that serves the Viking region as they have a smaller crew and a longer travel distance. For now, the other ambulances will continue to use the older LUCAS 2 devices, which are still functional, but at 10 – 12 years old, are starting to age out. Stevenson indicated that the society will be looking at grant funding, reserves, and other resources to purchase the next unit.

“I would like to thank Crystal and the EMS personnel for taking the time to demonstrate the LUCAS 3 for us,” said Popick. “When you sign off on a grant like this, you have an idea what it is for, but the impact of it really hits you when you see it in action. I am grateful that the Beaver Ambulance Society put forward their application for a grant as this device will have an important role in our community and we at Claystone are proud to support our first responders.”