SUGARCREEK, Ohio — Sugarcreek Fire and EMS is now the first in the state to offer a pre-hospital blood transfusion program.
Now, first responders carry cooler bags filled with plasma and red blood cells and backpacks with a hand infuser to calls. In under two minutes, responders can empty one bag of blood and then get patients moving on to area hospitals and trauma centers.
"The latest literature shows that if we can get blood products to those patients within 15 and 20 minutes from their injury, their mortality rate drops 40%," Cody Shetler, a captain and paramedic with Sugarcreek, said. "So, getting those blood products on board sooner requires fewer blood products in the hospital and decreases mortality overall."
Carrying blood to a call is up to the discretion of the provider, but shootings, stabbings, farm and industrial accidents, and home births are just a few times when grabbing blood is a must. Sugarcreek Fire and EMS is also sharing its blood supply and equipment with other area first responders.
Blood is just the latest addition to Sugarcreek Fire and EMS. News 5 talked with the team in December 2024 when it added hospital-grade equipment to its trucks. These upgrades are a way to remedy the 20-to-60-minute ride to area hospitals.
Watch News 5's previous coverage of the advanced equipment
RELATED: Sugarcreek EMS adds advanced equipment to save lives in rural areas
"It's always been what's best for the community," Chief John Meek said. "We recognize the transport times and the community that we have and how far we are to the nearest medical treatment."
The program has been a year in the making. The department started gathering support soon after the state passed a law permitting this type of program. Donations from the public and local grants fund the program to keep costs low for the community.
The program began on April 17, and while blood has been brought to a few calls since, the department has yet to use its new equipment. Still, the department knows it will make a difference someday.
"The hope is to never use it," Meek said. "Unfortunately, we know that is not going to be the case. Hopefully, when we do use it, it's a good outcome, and it's well worth it."
