Medical Rescue Team South Authority (MRTSA), paramedics and emergency medical technicians along with the police officers of Baldwin Township, Castle Shannon, Dormont, Green Tree, Mt. Lebanon and Whitehall have proven that early recognition and defibrillation of cardiac arrest victims saves lives.
In 2000, Medical Rescue Team South Authority personnel and the community police departments experienced a resuscitation rate for the residents in the six South Hills communities of 27 percent with a discharge to home survival rate of 12 percent. This is an outstanding survival rate based on the fact that the American Heart Association reports a 5 percent survival rate nationwide.
Dr. Vincent Mosesso, a former Paramedic with MRTSA, initiated the Automatic External Defibrillation (AED) program in 1996 with the police departments in the communities that Medical Rescue Team South serves.
Following each officer's initial AED training, the skills are reviewed quarterly by the paramedic staff of MRTSA. Each police vehicle has been supplied with an AED.
Education of the communities' residents through CPR and early recognition programs has also contributed to the success rate of saving individuals lives. This early recognition and CPR, along with the well-trained staff of MRTSA has proven to benefit those persons in need of resuscitation. Baldwin Township, Castle Shannon, Dormont, Green Tree, Mt. Lebanon and Whitehall police officers have added to this success with their promptness and expertise in responding to medical requests for assistance. The extensive training these officers receive and ability to apply their knowledge and skills to the patient's medical condition is one of exceptional performance on their part. These officers are also able to update the EMS responding units via radio as to the patient's condition and take the appropriate medical action as needed until the EMS unit arrives.
Medical Rescue Team South paramedics and EMTs are reviewed continuously on their knowledge and skill ability through hands-on skills training and medical run reviews conducted by Dr. Frank Gaudio, the medical director for MRTSA. With this training and medical knowledge, paramedics and emergency medical technicians are able to provide the best medical care to the residents of and the visitors to the six communities MRTSA serves. Along with their respectful and caring attitudes for those they serve, MRTSA reports that seven individuals are currently experiencing a normal life due to the efforts of the staff and the police officers of the communities they serve.
