ATLANTA — An emergency medical service company representative says that over the last eight months, blood carried aboard its ambulances has saved 13 lives by buying patients time.
“So this is what we call the cooler,” Rob Bozicevich said. It’s a box full of life. “We carry two units of plasma and two units of red blood cells.”
Bozicevich is with MetroAtlanta Ambulance, which is among the only 2% of emergency medical services in Georgia — and the nation — that carry blood onboard ambulances.
“There is a true need for ambulances to get blood products onto their vehicles,” Lori Russell of LifeSouth told Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen Friday.
LifeSouth is a nonprofit supplier that provides blood to eight EMS agencies across five metro area counties.
Blood from LifeSouth donation drives, including one held recently in Gilmer County, stays local.
Some of it given to MetroAtlanta Ambulance, where Bozicevich says over the last eight months, they’ve used the blood to save 13 lives.
“If we don’t give them blood products in the field and give them an extra 10, 15, or 20 minutes, they don’t make it,” Bozicevich said.
Learn more about LifeSouth here.
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