T Farid at North Haven Fire Dept. (Left to right): Asma Farid, Tariq Farid, North Haven Fire Commissioner Peter Criscuolo, Jr. and North Haven Fire Chief Paul Januszewski.
Recognizing that early care often means the difference between life and death when a person suffers cardiac arrest, Edible Arrangements founder and philanthropist Tariq Farid recently donated a LUCAS Chest Compression System to the North Haven Fire Department.
“While my company enjoys tremendous success in Connecticut, I am fortunate to call North Haven my home. I feel a responsibility to give back and help. This equipment will help save lives in our community,” said Tariq Farid, who in 2015 donated the life-saving Jaws of Life equipment to the town.
Valued at $16,000, the Lucas Device – an automatic CPR machine – provides a consistent chest compression – both in terms of rate and depth – while allowing paramedics to do other lifesaving work on the person. The device also allows the chest to recoil, which lets blood back into the heart. Performing manual CPR, especially after five minutes of continuous chest compressions, fatigue can be an issue, which can lead to the compressions not being deep enough or consistent enough.
“We operate 24-hours, seven days a week. This device, which doesn’t take a break, is here to protect our community,” said North Haven Fire Chief Paul Januszewski, who noted that the department responds to about 4,500 calls for help from residents, businesses, and visitors a year, over 50 percent of which are medical incidents including cardiac emergencies.
The device works by snapping into a baseboard that’s positioned under the patient’s chest. A suction-like plunger on the end of a piston then delivers either the 30 chest compressions recommended by the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association or continuous compressions to revive patients who have been intubated.
“The machine’s a little more efficient than what we can do as an individual,” added Peter Criscuolo, a member of the North Haven Fire Commission.
The ability to leave the compressions to a machine that will never tire can be a game-changer for local first responders, he added. The device can also be left on the patient during transport to the hospital to continue attempts to restart circulation. The fewer interruptions, the greater the chance it is to revive the patient.
“This an important piece of life-saving equipment that will benefit our community. We are very grateful for this donation and Mr. Farid’s generosity to our community,” said Criscuolo.