Cody, WY—The Kensington Fire Rescue department began field testing the Binder Lift this spring, and their timing couldn’t have been any better. Because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, fire and EMS departments across the world are implementing new policies and protocols intended to reduce the risk of exposure of the virus to field providers. Arguably the best way to reduce risk of exposure is to limit the number of providers that have direct patient contact whenever possible. The Binder Lift helped Kensington Fire Rescue members do just that.
After being dispatched to a patient who had fallen from a horse, Chief Jonathan True and four other members responded. Once arriving on scene, True and one other EMS provider approached the patient while the other members maintained their distance. The patient was alert and sitting on the ground. After conducting an initial assessment, True cleared C-spine and determined it was best to transport the patient in a position of comfort. The patient would not tolerate laying down because it caused too much pain, so a soft stretcher, scoop stretcher, or backboard would be of little help. The Binder Lift turned out to be the perfect option to help them transport the patient without causing any further pain for the patient, or unnecessary risk of exposure for the responding crews.
Getting the patient onto the stretcher is often the most difficult part of a call for EMS providers. This becomes even more difficult when carrying devices won’t work. In this case, the patient needed to stay in a seated position, and they needed to avoid compressing or stretching her spine due to her pain. They applied the Binder Lift which helped them safely lift her onto the stretcher. They used the Binder Lift as a type of soft splint to help provide comfort and stability for the patient all the way to the hospital. “If we didn’t have the Binder Lift, I would have had to re-tone or call mutual aid to help pick her up safely”, says True. The Binder Lift helped True and his crew easily lift the patient without undue movement, while also keeping the number of providers having direct patient contact to a minimum.
