Lifeguard Ambulance Service earns advanced licensing, enhancing EMS service in Lauderdale County
LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Lifeguard Ambulance Service has announced that Lifeguard Lauderdale County has received the Alabama State Critical Care certification, the highest level of EMS certification in Alabama.
'By earning the State Critical Care certificate, our first responders are able to treat higher acuity conditions in the field, such as severe cardiac events and traumatic injuries,'said Patrick Sartain, operations manager for Lifeguard. 'Enhancing our capabilities will allow us the opportunity for increased specialized care and positive patient outcomes.'
Equitable and quality healthcare has become a major concern as rural populations increase across the nation. The majority of residents living in Lauderdale County will now have increased access to care.
'We pride ourselves on setting the standard for excellent EMS care, and now our teams will be able to fully maximize the advanced technology and skillsets they have,' said Josh Spencer, regional director for GMR. 'This increase in service will allow for a stronger 911 EMS response and a streamlined transport process with our partner hospitals.'
The rollout of the enhanced service began earlier this month, with Lifeguard able to deploy critical care crews and assets immediately upon receiving the certification. Lifeguard has served the communities of Lauderdale County since 2022, providing inter-facility transportation and Advanced Life Support 911 services.
Lifeguard is one of 14 ground EMS agencies in the state and the first in Lauderdale County to receive the certification.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Madison City school leaders and parents react to phones being banned during the school day
MADISON, Ala (WHNT) — The Focus Act will ban the use of cell phones during the school day starting this fall, and while that rule is the same for every school in the state, the guidelines and consequences in place will vary per school system. 'They're not to be even be on that person,' Madison City School Superintendent Ed Nichols said. 'The law talks about placing those in their cars or their lockers, or another designated area. For Madison, it will be their backpack or their purse to meet the law.' Madison City Schools asking for feedback on school rezoning Of course, there are a few exceptions for some students to access their phones. Some of these are for emergencies and individualized healthcare plans. Shari Moore is the mother of three Madison City Schools students. Her son, Clark, is heading into the fifth grade and happens to fall under one of these exceptions. 'He does have type one diabetes,' she said. He has a couple of devices that read his blood sugar.' Keller EMS becomes first ambulance service in Shoals to offer blood transfusions in the field She said they used to be in constant communication with Clark about managing his sugar, but they learned this was actually doing more harm than good. 'What we found out is that it was actually more of a hindrance for him in the learning environment,' she said. 'I wouldn't have thought that going in, but we did put that into practice, and it really was a distraction for him, for his classmates, and for his teacher.' Despite her son falling under the exception, she said she supports the Focus Act, saying it encourages a better learning environment and social skills outside of the classroom as well. 'From what my daughter has told me during lunch, everybody's on their phone,' she said. 'You should be learning those social skills. We are sending you to school to learn those as well as education.' Nichols said he supports the effort of enhancing learning in the classroom, but he wants to make sure the enforcement of the law doesn't take away from the education. 'I don't want teachers and administrators spending time dealing with a new law and all the intricacies of it, and that literally takes them away from focusing on instruction,' he said. 'I'm a little concerned that the reach of it was a little farther, maybe, than it needed to be, but it's the law and we're going to follow it.' The law says school systems must come up with punishments for policy violations by July 1st. Nichols said they are still working on this proposal, but they are thinking it will fall under a 'class two offense,' which will likely result in a suspension or loss of other privileges on campus. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Decatur Police use radio transmitting bracelet to locate lost or missing individuals
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — The Decatur Police Department wants to remind the community of a resource they offer, known as Project Lifesaver. It's a search and rescue program targeted for individuals who have cognitive disorders such as Autism and Alzheimer's that may be prone to wander or get lost. Opening statements begin in trial of Decatur chiropractor charged with attempted murder of wife Decatur Police said the bracelet works through radio frequencies. 'The bracelets have radio transmitters in them, so in the event they get separated from their family, they transmit a radio frequency, and that just really closes in on the amount of time it takes to find them,' Irene Cardenas Martinez said. Martinez is the Public Information Liaison for the Decatur Police Department. When a client signs up for the program, they are given a radio frequency tracking number. That number sits inside the bracelet and inside their computer system. To qualify, they say an individual must: Have a caregiver with them at least 75% of the time. Wear the bracelet at all times. Never drive a vehicle at any time. If an individual is lost, they can enter that number into the Project Lifesaver device, and it tells them where they are located. DPD said there is no cost to enroll in the bracelet department. For more information to see if you or a loved one qualifies, you can call (256) 341-4600 or visit the Police Department's front desk. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
VR Headset offers new way for Des Moines lifeguards to train
DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines Parks and Recreation has a VR headset that lifeguards at its public pools are now using to train. Ian Knutsen, a Recreation Superintendent with Des Moines Parks and Recreation, said that the VR headset allows lifeguards to simulate real-life emergencies. 'Our VR headset is a really new tool that we've been utilizing. It uses virtual reality that shows actual like real-life scenarios at different areas. So water parks, lap lanes, and it shows a swimmer in distress. So that way our guards can see and react to what would be an act of drowning,' Knutsen said. Four-day school week 'went fantastic' says Saydel Superintendent The VR headset uses a program developed by the Red Cross to help develop the scanning skill, which involves watching the pool for swimmers exhibiting the signs of drowning. Nick Shelton, a Recreation Supervisor with Des Moines Parks and Recreation, said that scanning is the most important skill lifeguards can have. 'That's the most important skill for a lifeguard because we really want to focus on preventative lifeguarding, not, you know, reactive lifeguard. We want to get there before the actual drowning happens, not after,' Shelton said. Des Moines Parks and Recreation will open Ashworth, Nahas, Northwest, and Teachout Aquatic Center this Saturday, June 7th. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.