Fire Dept. Gets New CO Testing DeviceA new piece of equipment has been put into service that will aid local firefighters as well as residents.
While it's not as expensive or flashy as a new fire engine, its potential for saving lives is just as great, said Warsaw Fire Marshal Michael D. Wilson.
The new acquisition is called the Masimo Rad-57, and is a hand-held monitoring device that measures heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and also detects unsafe levels of carbon monoxide. The unit is a bit smaller than a standard-size brick.
"When personnel are on the scene of a fire, the leading cause of death for firefighters is heart attacks and heart related events," Wilson said. "From the time the siren goes off, from that point, heart rate escalates. You're going from relaxation to an emergency response point, and the adrenalin rush is certainly there."
Along with the firefighter's protective clothing and helmet, called turn-out gear, each individual also carries an air pack (or tank), that provides about 20 minutes of air.
"Everything that's burning inside a house fire today is made from petroleum-based products," Wilson said. "Smoke from a home fire contains what are called smoke byproducts. You have foam-based items, plastics, chipped wood and veneers ... all of this gives off carbon monoxide. Electronics give off dangerous byproducts as well."
When firefighters use up the oxygen in their tank, they are then removed from the fire scene and sent to an on-site monitoring station, known as a rehab program, and checked out by para-medics. It is then that heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen and carbon monoxide levels are measured.
Oxygen saturation rate of blood should be 95-97 percent (even as high as 99 percent) to be healthy. An exposure level to carbon monoxide that's considered healthy is 0-4 percent. An individual with a reading of around 12 percent will be put on oxygen. An even higher reading will indicate carbon monoxide poisoning and hospitalization is required.
In 2008, the last year for which figures are available, there were 114 firefighter deaths nationwide. Fifty of these were cardiac events.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is something that any homeowner can also experience without knowing it. Improperly maintained heating and air systems, water heaters, chimneys and vent piping can cause CO poisoning. While there are CO home detection units available to the public, Wilson said that by having first responders with the ability to measure physical exposure on site, lives can be saved because dangerous levels can be detected immediately.
So far, the Warsaw Fire Department has the only Masimo Rad-57 unit in the county. The cost of the device is $4,300, and was paid for out of the Warsaw and Wayne Fire Territory equipment fund. The department does plan to eventually obtain more units.
"We want our guys to go home as healthy as they came in here today," Wilson said.
