The Russell Berrie Foundation, a visionary philanthropic organization based in Teaneck, NJ, recently donated a LUCAS 3 Chest Compression System to Bergen Hatzalah’s lifesaving operations. Bergen Hatzalah is the Bergen County, New Jersey- based division of the Chevra Hatzalah.

The “LUCAS” is an automated device which will help Bergen Hatzalah’s members to better serve patients who are suffering from cardiac arrest. It delivers high-quality, guidelines-consistent, compressions in the field, during transport, and in the hospital. It was designed to deliver its life sustaining compressions uninterrupted and at a consistent rate.

The American Heart Association estimates that over 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals each year. CardioPulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Immediate CPR can double or triple the chances of a patient’s survival, and quality consistent manual compressions are many times forced to pause due to patient movement and transport during an emergency response.

“When every second matters, our responders stand ready to arrive directly at a patient’s side to provide the lifesaving treatments before an ambulance arrives,” said Bergen Hatzalah Chief Steven Kirschner. “We’re extremely grateful to The Russell Berrie Foundation for their generous investment in Bergen Hatzalah’s operations within our community, and for adding such a valuable lifesaving tool to our emergency response arsenal.”

The Russell Berrie Foundation-sponsored LUCAS 3 joins three other such devices currently used in Bergen Hatzalah’s response to emergencies.

Bergen Hatzalah can be reached in times of emergency via 201-367-2222 or 212-230-1000.

Founded in 2021, Bergen Hatzalah Emergency Medical Services is an independent 501(c)3 affiliated with the Chevra Hatzalah. Bergen Hatzalah is an all-volunteer first response squad. The group provides a rapid response and stabilizing service for those who call them for medical emergencies. For more information or to get involved, please visit www.bergenhatzalah.org

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)