Firefighters Use New Tool to Lift Injured Patient

PRESS RELEASE

The Woodstock Fire Department responded to a call where a 500 lb. man slid out of his chair and needed lift assistance. As this was the second call from the same patient in two days, the responders knew they would need to take a 5-man team. Arriving on scene, they learned the patient had previously injured his arm.

This injury combined with his comorbidities created a uniquely difficult situation for Paramedic Donald Grant and his team. They couldn’t lay him down for very long otherwise his weight would shift up on his diaphragm and close off his airway. This ruled out traditional methods of lifting by rolling the patient onto a soft stretcher or backboard. They also couldn’t pick him up using an extremity lift technique because of the patient’s injured arm. Grant recalled thinking “how the heck are we going to get his person out and not injure ourselves in the process?” That’s when he remembered the department had just equipped their engines with the Binder Lift.

With traditional methods of lifting Grant and his team would have struggled to lift the patient just two and a half feet to his chair, however, it was easy with the Binder Lift because they were able to harness their collective strength without putting pressure on the patient’s injured extremity. They placed one provider behind the patient, one on either side, and one on each leg. Once the patient was lifted, the responder in the back was able to easily step to the side so they could set the patient in his chair. Grant said, “It was as simple as, once we got behind him and got it strapped on, everybody had a place we could grab, and not affect that injured right arm.”

For a department that goes out 5-6 times a shift to do lifts assists, the Binder Lift has helped in making sure the team is lifting safely and quickly. According to Grant, the device can be retrieved easily, the patient is secure and comfortable while being lifted, and it’s easy to clean.

For more information visit www.binderlift.com. 

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