By Alan M. Petrillo
Decontaminating the inside of ambulances can be performed during routine maintenance, at the end of a shift, or after particular patient procedures such as when Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGPs) have been performed in the rig.
Emergency medical services (EMS) providers are using an array of decon equipment solutions to be sure their rigs are free of all types of contamination.
Jeff Hicks, OEM channel manager for Task Force Tips (TFT), says his company’s CrewProtect™ 100 apparatus decon System cleans the air in full size fire rigs and ambulances, removing cancer-causing particulates; volatile organic compounds (VOCs); and aerosols carrying viruses like CoV-2, bacteria, and mold. Hicks points out the system can be installed horizontally or vertically in any interior location using provided mounting brackets.
“CrewProtect uses a cartridge that will last six months,” Hicks says. “At five months, an indicator light comes on showing the amount of life left. The cartridges capture, encapsulate, and neutralize the airborne particles and turn them into harmless items. That means used cartridges are safe to be discarded as normal trash.”
Hicks notes that TFT also makes the CrewProtect 20 apparatus decon system, which he says is ideal for chiefs’ vehicles, wildland trucks, and tiller cabs. “CrewProtect cleans contaminants in the air and neutralizes odors but does not clean surfaces,” he says. “However, it cleans the air before contaminants can lodge on surfaces, because its chief aim is to get the contaminants out of the air before they can be inhaled. The system operates as long as the vehicle is running.”
Scott Hacker, vice president of sales and marketing for Toxic Suppression, says his company makes the Sentinel Purifier, an air and hard surface sanitizer that’s designed to operate while the vehicle is occupied. “The Sentinel Purifier uses needlepoint bipolar ionization (NPBI) from GPS air that neutralizes VOCs and pathogens, including four different efficacy tests vs. SARS-CoV-2,” Hacker says.
1 Task Force Tips makes the CrewProtect™ 100 apparatus decon system that is often fitted in ambulance patient modules. (Photos 1-2 courtesy of Task Force Tips.)
2 TFT’s CrewProtect uses a multi-stage cartridge system that has four filters: a preliminary filter, a molecular filter, an antimicrobial filter, and a HEPA filter.
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Posted: Nov 23, 2022
Toyne—Algona (IA) Fire Department pumper. Spartan Metro Star cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Waterous CSU 1,250-gpm pump; UPF Poly 1,000-gallon water tank; 25-gallon foam cell; FoamPro 2001 Class A foam system; Akron Hi-Riser monitor; seating for eight; FRC LED 900-Q65 scene lights. Dealer: Tat Thygesen, Toyne Inc., Breda, IA.
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Posted: Nov 23, 2022
A man is in the hospital after he collided into a Martin County (FL) Fire Rescue truck on I-95, cw34.com reported. The crew on the truck was helping crash victims when the second crash happened.
Martin County Fire Rescue said first responders were working on the highway’s shoulder near mile marker 90 at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.
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Posted: Nov 23, 2022
The city of Oskaloosa is set to buy a new fire truck in the coming year, Oskaloosa.com reported.
The Oskaloosa City Council approved a resolution to enter into a contract to buy a new pumper truck for the Oskaloosa Fire Department at its regular meeting Monday night. The current pumper truck used by the department has been in service for over 22 years, according to the Oskaloosa Fire Department, while it only has a life expectancy of 20 years. Given the truck’s long service, the department has determined that it is in need of a new pumper truck.
Originally, the city’s Capital Improvement Plan allotted $690,000 for the purchase of a new fire truck in fiscal year 2024. However, rising inflation has changed matters, the report said.
Rising inflation now places the purchase price of a new fire truck at $800,000. The department has, however, found a demonstration pumper truck available for purchase, the report said. The truck is available for immediate delivery and at a price below the allotted budget for fiscal year 2024.
Demo trucks can be bought at a greatly-reduced price, which is why the city will be able to purchase this truck for an amount not to exceed $600,000, the report said.
The council unanimously approved the resolution and will move forward with the purchase.
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