CIPF Donates Fluid Warmer
Earlier this year, CIPF funded a need for the tactical paramedic team that assists IMPD SWAT with operations. The need was for a fluid warmer. The Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) unit consists of paramedics from both Indianapolis EMS and Indianapolis Fire Department. The team assists IMPD SWAT on high-risk operations, about 500 operations per year. The TEMS unit has protocols in place to bring blood directly to these scenes but discovered a need for a fluid warmer to give warm blood to injured officers and citizens in the field. Infusing room temperature IV fluids or refrigerated blood into a trauma victim can actually accelerate the stages of shock. This fluid warmer works in seconds and can provide 100.4-degree fluids to patients on demand. TEMS team member, Shane Hardwick, shared how critical having a fluid warmer is to their operation and a few photos of the new fluid warmer.
This new fluid warmer will be used in combination with another item donated by CIPF, thermal blankets. Both items will help to prevent hypothermia from blood loss in injured officers and/or civilians who may be injured during these high-risk operations. These two lifesaving pieces of equipment can be used to help treat patients while en route to the hospital.
