February 2005 Industry News

In response to the recent Access Cardiosystems AED recall and company closure, Medtronic Emergency Response Systems is offering the following LIFEPAK AED Solutions to all Access customers: From now through January 30, 2005, previous Access customers can trade in their Access AEDs and purchase LIFEPAK Express AEDs for $1,000 each or LIFEPAK 500 AEDs for $1,500. To meet urgent needs, LIFEPAK product orders can be expedited. Former Access customers will also be allowed to delay payment for Medtronic products until April 15, 2005, or products can be leased (based on credit approval). Contact your local Medtronic sales representative or call 800/442-1142, ext. 5013, or 800/732-3086 after regular Pacific Time business hours. For more, visit www.aedhelp.com/accessaeds…The state of Michigan has adopted new EMS rules and regulations recognizing ambulance accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) and “other organizations approved by the department as having equivalent expertise and competency in the accreditation of life support agencies” (See MI R 325.22127 Life support agency; life support vehicle; inspection; contractor requirements. Rule 127.) CAAS Accreditation is already recognized in the licensure process in IA, NC, MO and TX; other states report they are giving the matter serious consideration. In many local areas of the country, CAAS accreditation is required in order to operate or bid on ambulance service contracts. See www.caas.org for the complete text…ZOLL Medical Corp­oration has completed an expedited shipment of 518 ZOLL AED Plus automated external defibrillators to support U.S. troop efforts in the rebuilding of Iraq. Forty-five units were delivered to the Al Tadji Army Base. The remaining units, delivered to the Republican Presidential Compound in Baghdad, are being deployed as part of the Iraq Reconstruction Program. “ZOLL has been supplying products to the U.S. Military since 1995, and our products are used throughout all service branches,” said Richard A. Packer, president and CEO of ZOLL. The AED Plus was designed for conditions that are currently found in Iraq. It can be used in temperatures up to 122°F and stored in temperatures up to 158º…ZOLL Data Systems (formerly Pinpoint Technologies), announced a partnership with ISERA to add innovative resource management features to its industry-leading RescueNet Dispatch product for a fully optimized CAD solution. ISERA’s suite of tools is built on the concepts of operations research and industrial engineering…ZOLL Data Systems has also introduced DispatchPRO, a new package of CAD options for RescueNet Dispatch. DispatchPRO features new mapping technology to help organizations with routing and vehicle planning, and also includes crew scheduling and resource planning features that can optimize scheduling processes. “EMS organizations will be able to leverage a state-of-the-art CAD system with crew scheduling and resource planning in a seamless application,” said ZOLL President Vane Clayton. Scheduling is a crucial process within an EMS organization, and company officials say there is a tremendous opportunity to improve scheduling and optimize staffing levels to meet demand and service level goals with these new features.