Hamilton County EMS to get mobile blood storage units

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Hamilton County EMS will soon have a faster method to provide life saving care.

The Hamilton County Commission approved the purchase of autonomous portable refrigeration units.

These allow for blood to be stored on emergency vehicles to be used for blood transfusions, which has not been the case until now.

Hamilton County E-S director Wade Batson says this will fill a gap in their services.

“There’s only one or two other ground transport agencies in the state that do whole blood transfusions, there’s several air medical places. But we’re excited to have this because we run into situations where we can’t use air medical, they’re not flying through the weather, things like that. So this is a pretty big benefit to the citizens in order to give them blood,” said Batson.

Any blood not used in emergency care will be donated to local blood banks.