Emergency Response Unit First Of Its Kind In Deer Creek

Residents in Deer Creek will notice a faster response time from an EMSA paramedic. The idea to start this has been in the works for about a year, but it is finally in full swing. 

It’s called the Emergency Response Unit, or ERU for short. Their goal is to provide life-saving treatment as quick as possible to residents in the area.

“In the past, when people move to areas like this, they sacrifice some things like police and fire, in this case we are bringing it back together,” said John Graham, EMSA Chief of Staff.

EMSA wanted to bridge the gap with the Emergency Response Unit. The ERU is embedded with the Deer Creek Fire Department. So, any call that Deer Creek Fire will respond to, the ERU goes too.

“Recently our response time has been about five minutes,” said Ryan Howards, ERU paramedic.

The ERU also is able to team up with Miller EMS and Guthrie Fire and EMS. Once they are on the scene of a call, the paramedic’s job is to do a patient assessment with the tools they have stocked in the unit, which are similar to things you would find in an ambulance.

“The biggest staple we have is our life pack monitor, it allows is to take vital signs and run EKG’s,” said Howard.

The unit is not able to transport patients. But the unit at least allows a paramedic to arrive on scene and start assessing the patient while an ambulance is on the way, if it’s needed.

So far, the program has been up and running for a few months and EMSA is pleased with the results. Not only are the pleased, but the residents in the area are as well.

“They have more comfort that the response is going to be that much shorter in their time of need,” said Howard.