Press release:

On Friday, Oct. 18th, Mercy Flight will be partnering with the City of Batavia Fire Department for Pit Crew CPR training.

“Pit Crew CPR is a team-oriented approach to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that has delivered outstanding results for sudden cardiac arrest victims," said Denise Cuillo, Mercy Flight’s director of Education and CQI. "By working together as a structured team to provide the highest quality CPR, we can greatly improve the victim’s chance of survival.

"A noticeable change to our approach that the community will see is that all care must be provided immediately, at the scene. In these crucial first moments, there is nothing that an ER can do that we cannot, and any delay in those treatments will greatly reduce the victim’s chance of survival. We cannot provide the quality of care and the structured teamwork necessary in a moving ambulance.”

With the implementation of Pit Crew CPR, bystanders may notice that emergency response crews are on-scene longer than they are used to seeing. While training is starting with the City of Batavia Fire Department, further application of this program will include training with volunteer fire agencies throughout Genesee County.

Training will take place at the City of Batavia Fire Department, 18 Evans St., Batavia, from 2 to 6 p.m. tomorrow. Each training is expected to last approximately 90 minutes. This event is not open to the public.

If you wish to receive more information about the implementation of this program, please contact Denise Cuillo (dcuillo@mercyflight.org; 716.626.5808, ext.1320).

About Mercy Flight

Mercy Flight Inc., d/b/a Mercy Flight of Western New York and Mercy EMS, is an independent, nonprofit provider of medical transport services. It began in 1981 as the first medically dedicated air ambulance service in New York State.

Today, the charitable organization operates four helicopter bases staffed by Pilots, Flight Paramedics and Flight Nurses in Buffalo (headquarters), Olean, Springville, and Batavia. Long-distance-air medical transports are conducted using a Learjet 31 and the same critical care medical teams that staff the helicopters. Flight physicians also join the team as needed based on the condition of the patient.

Mercy Flight’s ground ambulance division, Mercy Flight EMS, provides service for Genesee County, Niagara County, and the Town of Concord and Village of Springville.

Together, the organization’s employees, now more than 200 strong, support the mission of being “A BEACON OF HOPE...WHEN MINUTES MATTER.” For more information about Mercy Flight, sponsoring a patient mission at a donation of $1,420 or for details on upcoming events please visit www.mercyflight.org.