By LOIS KINDLE
The Sun City Center Emergency Squad recently acquired two portable Raizer II electronic devices that feature quick, snap-together assembly and easily lift fallen patients from the floor to an upright position within two minutes.
“The chair has definitely exceeded our expectations,” said Cathy Seale, the squad’s assistant chief of education and emergency medical technician on Team 8. “It helps our ambulance teams safely lift patients weighing up to 330 pounds off the floor.
“We’ve also used it for patients who are too weak, severely arthritic or have any type of leg or shoulder issues and can’t assist with being lifted,” she continued. “People who are weak are dead weight for us to lift, and the chair makes it possible for us to get them off the floor safely. Once they’re upright, we’re able to take their vitals to determine next steps.”
The lift chair isn’t used for patients who have hip, neck or certain back issues.
Seale and other crew members who’ve utilized the Raizer II have received positive feedback from patients assisted by it.
“They feel safer and more relaxed because the chair enables us to lift them at a slower pace so they don’t experience a sudden rush of blood to the head,” Seale said.
Debbie Jasmer, a longtime paramedic, EMT and driver on Team 5, agrees.
“The patients love it,” she said. “I’ve probably used the chair more than 20 times now, and I hear them literally say ‘Wow’ and ‘This is amazing.’”
LOIS KINDLE PHOTOS
SCC Emergency Squad ambulance crew volunteers are seen here practicing the operation of a new Raizer II portable, electronic lift chair at the squad’s training center after assembling it around the fallen patient on the floor. From left are EMT Cathy Seale, EMR Punky Fedora and EMT Deb Spitzer, of Teams 8, 1 and 2, respectively.
Jasmer noted they’re astonished by how gently the chair lifts them.
Back in May, after she saw a video on the chair’s safety and effectiveness, Seale invited Liftup, manufacturer of the Raizer II, to come to the squad and demonstrate its use. Its reps, who used squad members as “patients” and were thoroughly impressed with the squad’s mission and level of volunteer commitment, left a sample chair for complementary use and testing for up to six months to determine whether it was a fit.
Practicing operation of the Raizer II lift chair, Dorothy DeCoux, EMR and Team 8 captain, left, checks one of the alerts on the side of the chair that lets ambulance crew members know if it needs to be reseated. Meanwhile the patient, EMT Jim Sutherland, sits strapped safley in the chair, while EMT Kathleen Sullivan, of Team 1, looks on.
Since then, the Raizer II has repeatedly proven its value.
“I find I can use it with 75% of the patients who fall,” said Jasmer. “I like how much easier it is on the patients, giving them time to stabilize once we get them up. It’s also easier and safer for crew members.
Once the patient is seated upright and their vitals checked, ambulance crew members can assist with standing. Many times, transport to the hospital is unwarranted. Seen here during a training session are EMT Cathy Seale, EMR Punky Fedora and EMT Deb Spitler.
“Another plus is we used to have to call Hillsborough County Fire Rescue for a lift assist with patients weighing more than 250 pounds,” Jasmer continued, “and they’ve always been happy to help. But now, many times we don’t need to make these calls, which frees [Fire Rescue teams] for more serious, advanced life support calls.”
The chair is one more tool for many of the squad’s crew members–whose average age is 73—to use for lifting patients, and it’s becoming the tool of choice for many of them, Seale said. It’s easy and quick to assemble, disassemble and clean; has intuitive sounds and LED indicators to ensure correct assembly, has a neck support and seat belt, and is battery-or cord-operated. A single charge can handle 80 lifts.
The Sun City Emergency Squad is always working to enhance its services to the community its volunteers love – the residents of Kings Point and all of Sun City Center.