Sturgeon food workers trained in first aid

Food service workers trained in first aid

Sturgeon fire chief shows restaurant staffs how to use choking rescue device

Story & photo by Andrea Iglar

Food workers are on the front line of first aid.

Craig Delaney, chief of the Sturgeon Volunteer Fire Department in South Fayette, trained local restaurant employees in May how to use LifeVac, a choking rescue device.

“They’re the front line,” Delaney said. “They’ll be the first ones to know if someone’s choking.”

Craig Delaney, chief of the Sturgeon Volunteer Fire Department in South Fayette, shows server Hope Caleffe how to use the LifeVac choking rescue device at Valentour's Family Restaurant.

The suction action of the device can help dislodge food from the throat or windpipe when other options are ineffective or unavailable, he said.

Delaney donated the LifeVac and provided free training to the two eateries in his fire district—Valentour’s Family Restaurant & Pub and Hunner’s Pizza & Restaurant.

“It’s nice that he’s taking a proactive approach for the community,” Valentour’s coowner John Tummino said.

When someone is choking, the first step is to call 911, but bystanders can help until medics arrive, Delaney said.

“If these folks are able to start first aid, it’s important,” he said.

The fire chief told restaurant workers that if they think someone has an airway blockage, first ask the person if they are choking and say you can help.

Next, firmly hit the choking person between the shoulder blades several times.

If that doesn’t work, perform the Heimlich maneuver, or abdominal thrusts, if trained to do so. The technique involves applying sudden, sharp pressure to the abdomen, just below the rib cage.

As a final resort, use LifeVac until medics arrive.

At Hunner's Restaurant, owner Shelly Freshwater, left, and Amanda Ewing prepare to practice using the LifeVac.

The fire chief outlined the steps to use LifeVac.

First, fetch the device and twist together two parts—the suction device and a mask.

The kit comes with a standard mask size and a smaller one for infants.

Next, lie the choking person flat if possible and place the mask over the nose and mouth.

Holding the mask firmly in place, push down the plunger, pull up swiftly and repeat until the device draws the food or other obstruction from the airway.

“It’s place, push, pull,” Delaney said.

Amanda Ewing, a Hunner’s employee, said she was considering buying a LifeVac to help her children in case of choking.

“Now I know how to use it, and I can help my customers too,” she said.

LifeVac

Choking is the fourth top cause of accidental death, according to the National Safety Council.

LifeVac was invented and produced in the U.S.

The company website, lifevac.net, reported in June that the device has saved more than 1,000 lives.