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Odessa Fire Company in the State of Delaware and Masimo (NASDAQ:MASI), the inventor of Masimo rainbow Pulse CO-Oximetry(TM), Masimo rainbow Acoustic Monitoring(TM), and Masimo SET® Measure-Through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, today jointly announced that 150 Masimo Rad-57® Pulse CO-Oximeters will be distributed to every fire district in the state of Delaware during a statewide training event at the main fire station (304 Main Street in Odessa) on August 6-7, 2010 (see also Inorganic Carbon Compounds).
Delaware is the first state in the country to place this lifesaving technology in every fire response district. The Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeters, which noninvasively measure the amount of carbon monoxide (CO) in the bloodstream, were purchased to enhance the response capabilities of Delaware's first responders and protect the health and safety of the public and emergency response personnel from the dangers of undetected CO poisoning. Dave Aber, EMS Supervisor at the Odessa Fire Company, stated, "With 150 Rad-57s hitting the streets with our first responders, we're potentially the first state in the nation to become fully compliant with new NFPA 1584 national standards for Firefighter Rehabilitation and Medical Monitoring."
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, toxic gas that is impossible to see, taste or smell. Also known as the "silent killer", CO can kill before you are aware you are being poisoned. The leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the U.S., CO kills nearly 500 each year and sends another 20,000 people to hospital emergency rooms for treatment each year and, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), cases of CO poisoning are on the rise--climbing 36% between 2001 and 2006. (1)
An 18-year EMS veteran, Aber says that the Rad-57 is the best tool they have in the fight against this rise in CO poisoning, "Rad-57 is the fastest, easiest, most accurate way for us to determine at the scene of an emergency call if a person is CO poisoned. By simply placing a noninvasive finger sensor on the patient and pressing a button, we can measure CO and oxygen saturation levels in the blood within seconds. In emergencies, when seconds can mean a lifesaving difference, Rad-57 takes the guesswork out and provides us with the certainty we need to immediately identify who is CO poisoned and how severely, so we can initiate the right treatment at the right time."
Funding for the Rad-57s was made possible through a $420,000 federal grant awarded to the Odessa Fire Company by the Assistance to Firefighter Grant program through the Department of Homeland Security. "It's great news," stated Delaware Congressman Mike Castle. "The sacrifices made by the volunteer firefighters across the state can never be repaid, but we should always work together to support first responders."
Masimo Founder and CEO, Joe Kiani, stated, "This statewide initiative to equip every fire district with our Rad-57s arms Delaware first responders with the technology they need to protect themselves and the public from the devastating short- and long-term effects of CO poisoning. Together, the Odessa Fire Company and the state of Delaware have shown outstanding public safety leadership at a time when it's needed most--as CO poisoning statistics continue to mount."
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