Lake Geneva firefighters and paramedics now using ultrasound technology to save lives during cardiac arrest

Every second matters for paramedics when they are trying to resuscitate someone. Lake Geneva is now using prehospital ultrasound machines to find heartbeats faster during emergencies.

The Lake Geneva Fire Department started using ultrasound machines this week to detect heart movement during cardiac arrest.

Paramedic Jason McDaniel said the new technology can make a massive difference in detecting a pulse before and during CPR.

"When I saw how it worked, my mind was blown," McDaniel said. "You see all of the cool toys and technology when you go to the hospital but to now have it in the back of your ambulance is really astounding."

The fire department said the ultrasound technology helped save someone's life during the first 24 hours the machines were in service.

"They deployed it very quickly and were able to quickly identify that the heart was in fact moving and that CPR could be discontinued," said Division Chief Dennis Detkowski. "We're very proud of the fact we deployed this and immediately saved lives with it."

The machine works similar to a pregnancy ultrasound but is instead used over a patient's heart.

McDaniel is optimistic for how much ultrasound technology can help paramedics save lives in the years ahead.

"There's so many avenues that we're going to use it for down the road with further background and a further understanding of it," McDaniel said. "It's going to be a very, very utilized tool."