OVIEDO, Fla. — Paramedics and firefighters are using new technology to help save lives while also ensuring their own safety.

The Oviedo Fire Department recently invested in new equipment to improve their ability to provide life-saving care to cardiac arrest patients.

It includes an intubation kit known as a video laryngoscope and a machine for conducting continuous chest compressions.

According firefighter Thomas Trotter, the video laryngoscope is a tool that helps secure an airway to provide oxygen to patients experiencing cardiac arrest.

The video camera on the device helps crews easily navigate the tube, improving their ability to provide oxygen quickly and efficiently.

Trotter emphasized the importance of providing oxygen quickly to cardiac arrest patients, stating that "we don't know how long they've been down or how long they haven't been breathing for, good oxygen is very important."

"It can take no more than about 30 seconds to get a very secured airway so we can get fresh oxygen to the patient, which is very important to the brain," he added.

The department also invested in a machine for conducting continuous chest compressions during CPR, freeing up a crew member to tend to other duties during an emergency.

The purchase of the CPR compression device was made in 2021 with the help of an EMS grant from the state for $35,000.

$9,000 of the department's own money went toward the laryngoscope last November.

“It is the mission of the Oviedo Fire Department to leverage the latest technology to provide the highest quality care for our residents,” said Oviedo Fire Chief Michael Woodward.

“These video laryngoscopes are a valuable tool for our firefighter/paramedics that aid in increasing on-scene successful intubations, contributing to increased survivability for our patients.”