Delmont to purchase choking prevention devices for borough, police

Delmont officials will equip their borough staff and police department with a device designed to save choking victims.

Borough council voted unanimously to approve the purchase of LifeVacs. The device, created in 2016, uses a tight-fitting mask and suction to dislodge an item stuck in a person’s throat.

LifeVacs have been used to save more than 1,600 choking victims, according to the company.

“People say you should use the Heimlich (maneuver), but if a person is laying on the ground, that can be difficult, or the person receiving the Heimlich can get hurt,” Delmont Police Chief T.J. Klobucar said. “But this is something we can place into all of our vehicles.”

Prices for LifeVac kits range from $70 to $179. Klobucar said the borough’s fire department is negotiating the price to purchase a larger number of kits, and estimated the total cost would be about $500.

“Every two years we do a CPR and first aid training, and we can incorporate this into that,” Klobucar said.

In the LifeVac video below, Dr. Keith Johnson demonstrates its use.

“I think it will be a good tool to have,” Klobucar said.

Donations

The borough will be making some additional new equipment purchases, thanks to two sizable anonymous donations of $10,000 to both the police department and the borough itself.

The donation to the borough was earmarked specifically for the borough’s road department to make new equipment purchases.

“(Public works head) Billy (Heaps) must be plowing someone’s street really well,” Councilman Stan Cheyne joked.

The borough donation will be used to make a principal-only payment on a loan for a new public works truck.

Klobucar thanked the donors.

“It’s great, it really helps us out and it’s nice to know that people in the borough support the police department,” he said.