AND ONLINE. WELL, BIRMINGHAM鈥橲 CRIME COMMISSION PANEL WANTS TO SEE THE CITY鈥橲 FIRE DEPARTMENT EXPAND ITS PRE-HOSPITAL WHOLE BLOOD PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM HELPS FIRST RESPONDERS TO GET THE BLOOD INTO THE VEINS OF TRAUMA VICTIMS ON SCENE BEFORE THEY MAKE IT TO THE HOSPITAL. YEAH. NOW, TO CONTINUE WITH THIS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT NEEDS TO CREATE A NEW POSITION TO HELP MORE PEOPLE SURVIVE. 米兰体育 13. MAGDALA LOUISSAINT TELLS US ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND WHY IT鈥橲 IMPORTANT TO EXPAND IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE BIRMINGHAM CRIME COMMISSION PANEL WANTS TO SEE MORE EMS SUPERVISORS ON SCENE, TRANSFERRING BLOOD INTO A TRAUMA VICTIM TO PREVENT THEIR DEATH. THE PANEL MAKES THIS RECOMMENDATION, HOPING THIS WILL HELP IN THE CITY鈥橲 FIGHT AGAINST CRIME. WE WANT TO EXPAND IT BECAUSE IT IS A VALUABLE ASSET TO THE CITY AND DOES HELP REDUCE THE DEATHS FROM GUNSHOT, VIOLENCE OR ANY OTHER VIOLENCE IN THE CITY. CAPTAIN JONATHAN DANZER SAYS THE DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY WORKING TO EXPAND ITS CURRENT PRE-HOSPITAL WHOLE BLOOD PROGRAM. RIGHT NOW, THEY ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON WORKING OUT OF FIRE STATION, ONE GOING TO SCENES ADMINISTERING BLOOD WHEN NEEDED. THAT鈥橲 WHAT WE鈥橰E TRYING TO DOUBLE. OUR RESOURCES. AND SO IT DIMINISHES THAT THOSE TIMES WHERE THEY鈥橵E COMING ALL THE WAY ACROSS TOWN AND CAN WE CAN GET IT THERE QUICKER. DOCTOR WILL FERGUSON IS THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. HE HELPED START THE PROGRAM IN 2023. HE SAYS SINCE THEN, THEY鈥橵E SAVED 91 PEOPLE WHO WERE EITHER SHOT IN A CAR ACCIDENT OR EXPERIENCED SOMETHING ELSE TRAUMATIC. WE鈥橵E SEEN PEOPLE THAT WERE PETREY ARREST ALMOST DYING IN FRONT OF YOU, ALTERED, UNRESPONSIVE. YOU SPIKE A UNIT OF WHOLE BLOOD. YOU GET THAT IN THEM. IN 3 TO 5 MINUTES, THEY WAKE UP. THEY START CALLING YOU NAMES. THAT鈥橲 APPROPRIATE. THAT鈥橲 SAVING LIVES. DANZER SAYS THE DEPARTMENT WOULD ULTIMATELY HAVE TO CREATE A NEW POSITION TO KEEP SAVING LIVES ACROSS THE CITY. THEN PLACE THIS PERSON AT ANOTHER FIRE STATION WHERE HELP IS NEEDED. WE LOOK AT A MAP, LOOK AT WHERE ALL THE GUNSHOT VICTIMS ARE, THE MAJORITY OF THEM. WE START TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION BASED OFF THE DATA. THE DEPARTMENT IS IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT ITS BUDGET. RIGHT NOW, THE GOAL IS TO HAVE A LIEUTENANT BECOME AN EMS SUPERVISOR. AND THEN THEY鈥橪L BACKFILL THAT LIEUTENANT鈥橲 POSITION. THE CHIEF WILL HAVE TO PRESENT HIS FINDINGS TO THE MAYOR AT SOME POINT IN A FEW MONTHS.
Crime commission recommends Birmingham Fire and Rescue expand blood program to save more gunshot victims
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Updated: 10:19 PM CST Feb 17, 2025
In the near future, Birmingham's Crime Commission panel wants to see more EMS supervisors on the scene transferring blood to trauma victims to prevent death.The panel makes this recommendation, hoping this will help the city fight against crime.鈥淲e want to expand it because it is a valuable asset to the city and does help reduce the deaths from gunshot violence or any other violence,鈥� Capt. Jonathan Danzer, with the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Services Department, said.Danzer says the department is already working to expand its current pre-hospital whole blood program. Right now, they only have one person, working out of Fire Station One going to scenes and administering blood when needed."That's why we're trying to double our resources, so it diminishes them coming all the way across town and get there quicker,鈥� Danzer said.Dr. Will Ferguson is the medical director at the fire department. He helped start the program in 2023. He says since then, they've saved 91 people who were either shot, in a car accident or experienced something else traumatic.鈥淲e've seen people that were Perrier rest almost dying in front of you, alternate unresponsive, just receive a unit of whole blood, and you start getting that in them. In three to five minutes, they wake up, they start calling you names. That's appropriate. That's saving lives,鈥� Ferguson said.Danzer says the department would ultimately have to create a new position to keep saving lives across the city and then place this person at another fire station where help is needed.鈥淲e鈥檇 look at a map where all the gunshot victims are, a majority of them, and start making a decision based on the data,鈥� Danzer said.Danzer says the department is in the process of looking at its budget right now. The goal is to move a lieutenant into the EMS supervisor position, and then they'll backfill the lieutenant's position. He said, in a few months, the chief will have to present his findings to the mayor at some point.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In the near future, Birmingham's Crime Commission panel wants to see more EMS supervisors on the scene transferring blood to trauma victims to prevent death.
The panel makes this recommendation, hoping this will help the city fight against crime.
鈥淲e want to expand it because it is a valuable asset to the city and does help reduce the deaths from gunshot violence or any other violence,鈥� Capt. Jonathan Danzer, with the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Services Department, said.
Danzer says the department is already working to expand its current pre-hospital whole blood program. Right now, they only have one person, working out of Fire Station One going to scenes and administering blood when needed.
"That's why we're trying to double our resources, so it diminishes them coming all the way across town and get there quicker,鈥� Danzer said.
Dr. Will Ferguson is the medical director at the fire department. He helped start the program in 2023. He says since then, they've saved 91 people who were either shot, in a car accident or experienced something else traumatic.
鈥淲e've seen people that were Perrier rest almost dying in front of you, alternate unresponsive, just receive a unit of whole blood, and you start getting that in them. In three to five minutes, they wake up, they start calling you names. That's appropriate. That's saving lives,鈥� Ferguson said.
Danzer says the department would ultimately have to create a new position to keep saving lives across the city and then place this person at another fire station where help is needed.
鈥淲e鈥檇 look at a map where all the gunshot victims are, a majority of them, and start making a decision based on the data,鈥� Danzer said.
Danzer says the department is in the process of looking at its budget right now. The goal is to move a lieutenant into the EMS supervisor position, and then they'll backfill the lieutenant's position.
He said, in a few months, the chief will have to present his findings to the mayor at some point.
