Kern County EMTs' AI ECG flags heart attack, speeds patient to cath lab

Key Takeaways

1. Kern County deployed 100 five-lead, AI-enabled ECGs to EMT crews on Feb. 1.
2. Hall Ambulance EMTs used the device to confirm a heart attack during a home call.
3. The county bought the units for $1,800 each and distributed them to EMS agencies.
4. Officials say Kern is first in California to place this tech with EMT/basic life support crews.

How the call unfolded

Jonathan Martin and Joshua Ovalle walked into a Kern County home to find a man weak and dizzy, asking to sit. The Hall Ambulance EMTs thought possible heart attack, so they pulled out their new hand-held electrocardiogram, or ECG. Five leads went on, two in specific chest spots, and the unit processed a 12‑lead equivalent using its onboard software.

The read came back positive for a heart attack. Early, and decisive. That early call meant the receiving hospital prepared the cath lab before the patient arrived, county officials said.

What changed for Kern crews

Kern County Public Health Director Brynn Carrigan said the county announced the ECG acquisition in December, then implemented the devices across the emergency medical services system on Feb. 1. Speaking at a March 16 news conference, she credited the new hardware for getting the recent patient to definitive care without delay and said he survived.

County EMS Medical Director and Public Health Officer Dr. Kristopher Lyon said Kern is the first county in California, and possibly beyond, to put this diagnostic tool in the hands of EMTs on basic life support units. Paramedics have long run 12‑lead ECGs, he noted, but EMTs did not have that capability.

Hall Ambulance President and CEO Jonathan Surface put it plainly: "Time is muscle." Every minute saved on the front end is a better chance at a good outcome.

What the county bought

EMS program manager Jeff Fariss said the county purchased 100 devices at $1,800 each and distributed them to Hall Ambulance along with county and city fire agencies. Asked why public funds covered equipment that also went to a private ambulance provider, Fariss said it would have been an unfunded mandate otherwise. He said the county had a funding stream that allowed him to require use and also supply the units.

The device uses five physical leads but generates a 12‑lead analysis through software. For EMTs, that closes a long‑standing gap between suspicion and confirmation in the field, which is the part that moves the patient straight to the right door.

A bottle of hand sanitizer sat by the mic during the announcement.

Why this matters here

Kern County readers will see this on the ground. Hall rigs and fire crews countywide now have the same pocket‑sized ECG that confirmed the recent heart attack, which means fewer hallway delays and faster trips to cath labs in Bakersfield. The county’s bet is simple: earlier identification, fewer bad outcomes.

"We’re on fire for this," Fariss said. "This thing is saving lives."

Central Valley AI is produced by the CVAI Newsdesk team and developed by Kaweah Tech, a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.

Source

https://www.ems1.com/artificial-intelligence/calif-emts-use-ai-ecg-to-catch-heart-attack-early