By John-Henry Doucette
The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The city’s Emergency Medical Services Department has been awarded $73,000 from the federal government to help buy advanced equipment to train fire fighters and volunteer and professional medics.
About $18,000 in matching funds also will be used for the gear, said EMS Division Chief Bruce Nedelka, a department spokesman, on Thursday .
The money will be used to replace existing equipment and provide higher technical training.
Some of the equipment will incorporate video technology for training paramedics on how to insert a tube into patients to help them breathe.
Other equipment will teach paramedics how to use a system that lets rescue officials transmit electrocardiogram information to an emergency room doctor or cardiologist.
The Homeland Security money comes from a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program, which delivered $693,000 to four Virginia communities, including the Beach and Newport News.
This is the first time this particular funding was made available to EMS agencies that are not part of a fire department.
The money will be used to replace existing equipment and provide training