Welsh Ambulance Service takes delivery of revolutionary EasyFix

The Welsh Ambulance Service has become one of the first in the country to use our new pioneering EasyFix vacuum mattress.
The Trust has recently taken delivery of 250 mattresses which have been developed for emergency services and search and rescue teams.

EasyFix is ideal for immobilising patients who have suffered trauma to the spine, pelvis or limbs, and uses a new V-shaped body design to optimise the vacuum mattress capabilities whilst a ground-breaking X-shape restraint system immobilises the upper body and/or hips and pelvis, creating a versatile solution for transporting patients.

Richard Lee, Head of Clinical Services for the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, said: “We have added a vacuum mattress to the standard equipment list on all 250 of our emergency ambulances across Wales. This additional equipment will allow us to improve our management of spinal injuries both at the incident scene and during longer transfers to specialist trauma facilities."

Ferno has used advanced technological developments to deliver a superior immobilisation solution for those in the field; a unique chamber design and body shape, with built-in rigid upper supports, holds the patient in the correct position more securely than other vacuum mattress designs and a reinforced base plate offers more protection and support to the patient’s upper back, neck and head.

Jon Ellis, managing director of Ferno (UK), said: “The innovation which has gone into developing the EasyFix mattress takes patient immobilisation to a new level. Immobilisation is delivered exactly where and when it is needed, allowing patients to be transported safely and securely while minimising their discomfort.

“In addition, to support our ethos of taking the weight off our customers and making their lives easier, we have put a great deal of thought into its user-friendliness and how we can minimise the risk of injury to users when lifting and carrying. However sophisticated an immobilisation technique may be, it also needs to be quick and easy to use. As a result, the strap mechanisms are easily adjustable and the suction devices fit directly on to the vacuum mattress valve so there is no time wasted attaching adaptors. The mattress comes with 10 ergonomically designed handles to give smooth handling and it folds up easily, taking up 20% less space than other vacuum mattress designs, to offer easy storage.”

 Other benefits of the EasyFix vacuum mattress include: 

• Double layered material helps maintain vacuum longer creating a highly durable and effective product.
• High carrying capacity, with a load limit of 250kg.
• X-ray and MRI translucent meaning there is no need to move the patient to another device for diagnosis.
• Manufactured from polyester fibre and PVC coated vinyl means it is easy to clean and maintain.

 

Twins row to glory

An update from our friends in Australia - Alan's daughters Miller and Tyler took first place in the 'Head of the River' race and in doing so, became the first girls' team in the history of the event to claim a hat-trick of wins.
Our colleague, Alan Ferris, a national sales manager and director at Ferno Australia, cheered on his daughters' team St Margaret's 1st VIII from the river bank at Lake Kawana.
Alan said: "This was truly a highlight of our parenting career and a great experience for our daughters."
Read our previous blog for more details and you can read about the 16-year-old twins here in an article which appeared in their local newspaper.

Wishing a stroke of luck to rowing twins in Oz

Our colleague, Alan Ferris, a national sales manager and director at Ferno Australia, is keeping everything crossed for his twin daughters Miller and Tyler who hope to row to victory on Saturday.
Miller and Tyler, 16, are rowing captains for St Margaret's Anglican School, Brisbane, and hope to see their team become the first ever to win three 'Head of the River' regattas in the Senior 1st VIII in Australia.
Alan and his daughters have put together this motivational video and posted it on YouTube ahead of the race this weekend.
Proud dad Alan said the anticipation and tension had been growing for the past few months and both team members and their supporters are hoping for an evening of celebrations on Saturday night.
Everybody here at Ferno UK sends their best wishes and luck to Miller and Tyler's team. We are sure Alan will have a great day cheering on his girls!

Ferno on the field: Rangers v Dunfermline

Many thanks to Scott Campbell, our Business Development Manager development manager North of the Border, who added this picture to our on-going Ferno on the Field series.
The picture shows Rangers’ former Greece Under-21 Internationalist, Anestis Argryiou, getting carried off the pitch by British Red Cross staff at last night's Rangers vs Dunfermline Under-20 Scottish Premier Football game played at Dumbartons' Bet Butler Stadium.
Argryiou was taken off the field in one of trusty basket stretchers. Scott was also keen to point out that his team won five-nil.

FIFA introduces medical bag for all football grounds

Those of you that follow our blog will be well aware of Ferno’s place on sports fields across the country. Because Ferno is active on the Field we can proudly say that we help to reduce the chances of sports stars having a fatal accident.
But as always, there are risks that come with both amateur and professional sports – as seen last year when Fabrice Muamba collapsed during a game, and was effectively dead for an hour following a cardiac arrest.
A year on, FIFA have warned that football pitches should have emergency equipment to treat players who are struck down on the pitch.
The governing body has introduced an emergency medical bag which can be used across the world at all levels to ensure there’s less danger of serious injuries and death. The bags were sent out in June to all 209 member associations of FIFA in preparation for the new season.
From this, some experts want to push the bags further by making sure that every football field has an emergency medical bag which can be used whenever medical emergencies arise.
Others think that FIFA have set the standard which should be followed by every other sport, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Here at Ferno we agree with anything that would improve the safety of atheletes and we’ll always be waiting on the side-line to help those who need our services.

Football focus: A tale of two tribes...

Ferno is a family of two tribes – well maybe three if you count Leeds United – but in the main Ferno football fans follow two teams: Huddersfield Town or Bradford City.
There is a lot of good natured banter today and the City contingent have been rather quiet after Huddersfield’s Terriers beat Bradford in the first round of the Capital One Cup.
Those who follow football will remember Bradford City’s odyssey in last season’s competition captured the imagination and earned them national prominence. But Huddersfield has made sure there will be no sequel to the fairytale.
Premier League sides may have proved little impediment to Bradford's progress last season, but this time they took their leave of the Capital One Cup at the first hurdle against Championship opposition.
Where Arsenal, Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic all failed, Huddersfield found a way to inflict on their Yorkshire rivals a first League Cup tie defeat in two years outside Wembley.
James Vaughan got back into the groove to fire the Terriers into the second round of the Capital One Cup and 90th-minute long-range strike by Nahki Wells left the home fans sweating through stoppage time, when Bradford forced two corners.

Welcome to Paul Riordan and David Bente

We were delighted to welcome some visitors to our Cleckheaton headquarters in the UK when colleagues from the US came to look around our facilities yesterday.
Travelling to the UK from Ferno Washington were Paul Riordan, Senior Vice President & CFO and Dave Bente, Global Human Resources, who had an opportunity to meet some of the UK team and look at some of the recent innovations we have made here.
Pictured, left to right, are Alan Clark, Ferno UK’s Operations Director; our Finance Director Margaret Merkle; Paul Riordan and Dave Bente from Ferno Washington and our UK Managing Director Jon Ellis.

On The Spot: Nicolae Pirlea

On The Spot gives us an opportunity to get to know something about our colleagues and will feature irregularly over the next couple of month. Today it is Service Technician Nicolae Pirlea.

What was your first job?
Foreman at Rascala Shipyards in my home town Mangalia, although I start there as an apprentice.

In less than 200 words describe your job at Ferno
Interesting, challenging. I need more time to asses myself in relation with my new job at Ferno.

What would be your ideal day out of the office?
Fishing or reading.

Name one person you would like to have dinner with and why?
Jeremy Clark from the BBC’s Top Gear, because in spite of the fact he plays the most annoying character on TV ever I do suspect he is very intelligent and would have a lot of interesting things to discuss.

What was your best subject at school?
Physics.

What would you do if you won the national lottery?
I’ll make sure everyone I care for is financially secure . Then I’ll go travelling with my wife.

What is your favorite garment and why?
A jacket my wife gave it to me. I like the quality of the fabric, its texture and the way feel wearing it.

What was your worst mistake and why?
Thinking of me being the measure of all things. It is obvious why.

What is your favorite time of day and why?
The evening. I love the after dinner feeling of everything being in its place  and as it should be.

Top five favorite songs of all time?
John Lennon:  Imagine
Bob Marley: Don’t Worry Be Happy
Robbie Williams: Feel
Edith Piaf: Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
Chris Rea: The Road To Hell

Ferno on the field: Derby v Blackburn

Just one week into the football season and Ferno has made its debut on the field at the 1-1 draw between Derby and Blackburn at the Ram’s homeground.
Leon Best's 89th-minute volley earned Blackburn a deserved opening-day point at Derby. Rams debutant Johnny Russell had fired them into the lead from the penalty spot late in the first half after a handball by Blackburn new boy Alex Marrow.
Derby have never lost an opening-day fixture under manager Nigel Clough, the Championship's longest-serving manager having been at the helm since January 2009.
They were under pressure early on though with Blackburn dominant and Spaniard Ruben Rochina a constant threat just behind lone striker Jordan Rhodes.
Sadly Rochina was stretchered off with a dislocated shoulder and Russell fired the hosts into the lead from the penalty spot after Marrow had inexplicably handled a hopeful ball into the area.
Medical staff used an Ferno York II trolley alongside an A108A Pole Stretcher to take Rochina off the field. If you spot Ferno of the field this season be sure to drop us a line and we will add it to our gallery.

Bradford pupils set new world record

Some local news just in. Our managing director Jon Ellis tells us that his two daughters Caitlin May, 14, and Freya Jane Ellis, 12, took part in a new world record challenge along with other pupils at the Appleton Academy in Wyke.
Pupils at the school created a new world record yesterday when 322 of them played plastic cups at the same time.
Appleton Academy in Wyke rocked to the sound of The Cup Song as students set a new mark for the most people involved in a percussion ensemble.
Emma Bourke, head of performing arts, said the record attempt will now be sent to the Guinness Book of World Records for verification, but that the two witnesses were satisfied the school had met all the criteria.
There is a video of the event online here.