EMS Week Being Observed This Week

EMS Week is being observed this week. Members of the Litchfield Rescue Squad are visiting school children this week, showing them what they do, and perhaps encouraging them to someday become first responders.

Captain Mike Massingham has been on the Litchfield Rescue Squad for 30 years and his daughter, Elizabeth, is now a 3rd generation of the Massingham family to be a Rescue Squad member, having joined the Squad just two weeks ago. Mike says they are now fully staffed with 30 members, but people are welcome to fill out applications at Litchfield City Hall.

Massingham says there are special themes for each day of this week and one of them is “Save a Life” and “Stop the Bleed” day on Thursday. He says they are trying to get the word out to by-standers about the important role they can play in saving someone’s life by stopping uncontrolled bleeding until EMS personnel arrive on the scene.

Massingham says the Litchfield Rescue Squad responds to lift assists, car accidents and everything in between. Assistant Chief Jess Jensrud, who’s been on the Squad for 27 years, says there are usually a minimum of 4 members who respond to medical calls and at least 6 who will go out to car accidents, and everyone responds for things like storm watching. She says they try to promote 1st aid, CPR and AED classes to get the public educated about life-saving efforts.

Jensrud says your efforts could help prevent someone from dying until first responders arrive and when you call 911, the dispatchers can tell you what to do. She says the Rescue Squad does some type of open house every other year – so that will happen next year, as this year, they are visiting with children at schools and daycare centers.