A device that has caught the eye of emergency responders has been adopted by the Vilas County Sheriff's Department.
Joe Hanson, a part-time Eagle River resident, invented the CPR RsQ Assist device and has donated one to the Sheriff's Department. Several other of the devices have been purchased for the county jail. The device is placed over the victim's heart and helps the person perform CPR without the traditional hands-on method says Hanson. The circular device enables the person doing CPR to simply press down on the device, taking a large amount of weight off their hands. He says it also assists in other ways.
"....there's also a voice module on the top with a red button on top. When you push the red button which activates the system, it immediately tells you to call 9-1-1, remain calm. You should do at least 100 chest compressions for at least two minutes..."
The first two minutes are said by experts to be critical to a person's survival. He says the average response time by first responders is 4 minutes. Hanson says the device has been purchased by a number of emergency response units.
