LITTLE GEMS

Stipends.
Ugly word, from the GSR standpoint.  If the public’s money is being spent, it needs a better descriptor.  How about ‘bonus for assistance or special services’?  The public’s money is being spent, in this case by the school districts, and the intent of such payments should be ‘down slope,’ not up to the top with administrators getting the lion’s share?  The investigation into stipends paid over the last four years continues. Peter Wilson is an honorable man…as was Caesar, back in the day, and that needs to be supported.

 The Lake Geneva Fire Department recently implemented prehospital handheld ultrasound machines for advanced cardiac arrest care.
This technology allows paramedics to perform focused heart scans during resuscitation, making it easier to quickly assess cardiac activity and identify reversible causes of cardiac arrest in the field. Crews can better tailor treatments, confirm the effectiveness of chest compressions, and support real-time decision-making before and during transport. While this technology does not replace high-quality CPR and early defibrillation, it enhances them by giving providers a clearer picture of what is happening inside the chest when every second counts.

This gives them an advantage by instantly spotting life-threatening conditions like a collapsed lung or fluid buildup around the heart. Knowing the exact cause of cardiac arrest allows the crew to perform targeted, life-saving procedures immediately rather than waiting until the patient reaches the hospital. The ultrasound can see if the heart muscle is still faintly twitching or contracting, even if a pulse cannot be felt. The team has undergone specialized training to safely integrate ultrasound into cardiac arrest care while maintaining uninterrupted, high-quality chest compressions. Lake Geneva is setting the bar with their innovative technology and the care they provide for the community.