Lee Soo-jung, a fire lieutenant at the Dongducheon Fire Station (Image courtesy of Lee Soo-jung)
DONGDUCHEON, Dec. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – A South Korean firefighter with two decades of experience has developed a specialized stretcher attachment designed to safely transport children in ambulances.
Lee Soo-jung, a fire lieutenant at the Dongducheon Fire Station, identified a critical gap in emergency medical transport safety. “While child car seats are mandatory in regular vehicles, ambulances paradoxically lack similar safety equipment for young patients,” Lee explained.
Currently, ambulances use stretchers with restraints designed for adult patients. For children and infants, however, there are no dedicated securing devices. As a result, most young patients are typically held by either their guardians or emergency medical technicians during transport.
This practice, equivalent to riding without a seatbelt, puts young patients at risk of severe injury in the event of an ambulance accident. Additionally, emergency responders often struggle to manage children who become agitated due to pain or fever during transport.
Lee’s invention addresses these challenges with a straightforward solution: an attachment for the main stretcher featuring specialized belts designed to secure pediatric patients. The device includes a temperature-controlled pad on the backboard to manage the patient’s body temperature, along with a front-mounted electronic monitoring system for real-time observation.
“The majority of pediatric patients present with symptoms like high fever or seizures,” Lee noted. “This device incorporates emergency responders’ expertise to ensure proper care and safe transport to hospitals.”
The innovation earned Lee a silver award and the Fire Commissioner’s Award at the 2024 Public Safety Invention Challenge. She is currently in discussions with child safety equipment manufacturers about developing the product for widespread use.
As both an emergency medical technician and a mother of two, Lee finds special significance in her invention. “This creation is particularly meaningful to me, both as a 119 emergency responder and as a mother,” she said, adding that she will continue her research and efforts to protect public safety and lives.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
