Hibbard-Merrill family donates automated CPR device to Dover-Foxcroft Fire Department

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Dover-Foxcroft Fire Department now has an automated CPR device in both of its ambulances thanks to the generosity of the Hibbard-Merrill Family.

Funding for a second LUCAS device was provided by Jane Hibbard-Merrill and Charlie Merrill in memory of Gary M. Hibbard, as recognized in a plaque on the piece of equipment.

“It’s a mechanical CPR device so it’s used in conjunction with regular compressions and manual CPR,” Stryker Account Manager Andrew Delaney said at the fire station on Feb. 19. “It’s used to reduce hands off time and just keep compressions going while you’re transporting or while you’re waiting for more people to get on scene.”

The LUCAS device has a cost of over $20,000, Fire Chief Brian Gaudet said.

The department now has a pair of ambulances with one vehicle, which was purchased with ARPA funds, having had a LUCAS device.

“As we got a second ambulance because of the call volume and risk of our other truck from being broke down or multiple calls at once we wanted to make sure we had a fail safe to protect the community,” Gaudet said.

Hibbard-Merrill and Merrill reached out and asked if there was anything they could do to help the program and discussions led to them learning about the need for a second LUCAS device. They agreed to donate the funds to make the purchase with the device being received by the fire department last month.

“We went through the original training session for our first one,” Gaudet said.

“Unfortunately we have had to use these devices a couple of times in the past year,” he added.

The department thanks the Hibbard-Merrill family for “huge contribution to the community and to the department and it helps relieve tax burden by not having to purchase it all on our own,” Gaudet said.