ILLINOIS AMBULANCES TO GET DEFIBRILLATORS

CAIRO, Ill. -- Four Southern Illinois ambulance services will receive new defibrillators as part of a state effort to provide health-care equipment in medically underserved counties.

Getting the equipment are Cairo Independent Ambulance Service in Cairo, Johnson County Ambulance Service in Vienna, Pulaski County Ambulance Service in Mound City, and Union County Ambulance Service in Jonesboro.

The defibrillators will be used on cardiac victims. They were purchased with federal funds provided to the Illinois Department of Transportation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Illinois Department of Public Health solicited applications from ambulance service companies and recommended those to receive the equipment. The recommendations were based on community need, local hospital support, geographic location and defibrillation training of the ambulance crews.