April 2005 EMS Wire Service

Medtronic Warns Users of Possible AED Flaw

Medtronic has notified customers of a possible flaw in its Lifepak 12 defibrillator/ monitors with Adaptiv biphasic technology.

The written alert came in January, after it was discovered that some of the AEDs had reset their energy levels following routine maintenance or software reinstallations/ upgrades. In some cases where the Lifepaks were upgraded for pulse-oximetry monitoring, wireless data transfer or noninvasive pacing, they reset to deliver a default energy level of 125 joules, rather than to the level selected by the user. The result, according to the letter, could be “inappropriate energy delivery and failure of the device to escalate energy when configured to do so.”

Medtronic has received two reports, the letter said, of default-level (125j) shocks being administered when Lifepaks were being used in manual mode by providers who had selected different energy levels. The problem may not be apparent to the user, the company said, unless he/she is looking at the energy display reading while delivering the shock.

Instructions for fixing the problem are given in the letter, which is available at www.medtronicphysiocontrol.com/urgent-medical_device_notification.pdf.

For questions, call the company at 877/873-7630.

—www.MERGINET.com

Bush Budget Cuts FIRE Grants, Adds to DHS

President George W. Bush’s proposed budget for fiscal 2006 cuts $215 million in funding from the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE Act) grant program, but gives 13.5% more money to immigration and customs enforcement.

Among its allocations, the budget includes the establishment of a Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, aimed at stopping efforts to assemble, import or transport illicit nuclear devices or radiological material, and proposes a Targeted Infrastructure Protection program, by which grants would help state and local officials identify and protect critical infrastructure.

The budget includes $3.6 billion for first responder grants, training and equipment via the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness; $20 million for FEMA to assist state and local disaster planning efforts; and $20.5 million for the continued growth of the Office of Interoperability and Compatibility.

—Department of Homeland Security; International Association of Fire Fighters

NIMS Center Offers Self-Assessment Tool

FEMA and the NIMS Integration Center have developed an online assessment system that allows state and local users to evaluate their emergency preparedness and response capabilities.

The National Incident Management Compliance Assessment Support Tool (NIMCAST) will also help users identify what they need to do to meet NIMS requirements.

NIMCAST is a permission-based system, but anyone can visit it and access a demo assessment that reflects primary NIMS categories. The entire tool can also be downloaded in “read-only” format. Go to www.fema.gov/nimcast.

—NIMS Integration Center

Nextel OKs FCC Order; Rebanding to Begin

Reconfiguration of the 800 MHz radio band can begin immediately following Nex-tel’s acceptance in February of an official FCC order designed to eliminate interference on the public-safety frequencies.

The FCC decided last year to reconfigure the 800 spectrum to separate incompatible commercial and public-safety technologies, the proximity of which was causing interference in emergency responders’ communications. These users will now be grouped together, and apart from each other.

Nextel agreed to cover the costs of channel and software changes, equipment replacement and other retuning costs in exchange for additional spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band.

—IAFC

MD Judge: ADA Applies to Evacuation Plans

A Maryland judge determined that the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requires emergency evacuation plans to accommodate persons with disabilities. The decision by Judge John Debelius III means that malls, theaters and other private venues must now account for the handicapped in their evacuation procedures.

The case stemmed from the 2003 fire-alarm evacuation of a Maryland mall. A wheelchair-bound shopper was required to exit a Marshalls store into an underground area, only to find that elevators were not working, and the only exits involved stairs. Abandoned there by employees, she spent approximately an hour alone underground as the mall was emptied. The fire alarm turned out to be false.

—Hogan & Hartson, LLP

Asthma Screenings to be Conducted in May

In recognition of National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) will conduct its ninth annual Nationwide Asthma Screening program next month.

Throughout May, free screenings will be conducted at more than 300 locations across the U.S. to determine if symptoms such as chronic coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath mean a sufferer has asthma. They will also offer an opportunity for diagnosed sufferers to consult with allergists about keeping their symptoms controlled.

Asthma affects more than 20 million Americans, including more than six million children. The ACAAI program, supported by AstraZeneca, has screened more than 80,000 people to date.

—ACAAI

NC Medics Fired After Mistaken Death Call

A North Carolina man pronounced dead by paramedics after being hit by a car in January was later found to be alive.

The medics’ call in the case of Larry Green was backed by the local medical examiner, who responded to the scene and allegedly discounted at least two instances—one noticed by providers on scene, another by a paramedic at the morgue—in which Green was thought to have moved.

Green was zipped into a body bag and placed in a refrigerated drawer at the morgue. He was discovered alive only after an investigating state trooper asked to see his body. At press time in mid- February, Green was still in intensive care. Two medics were fired, and two sent for additional training.

—New York Post