By Karen Gibbins
Firefighter
Greenfield Fire Company

GREENFIELD, N.Y. — On 16 January 2007, in the midst of a brutal winter storm where over 1600 homes lost power, I was at the firehouse coordinating field teams to go door to door checking on our large population of elderly residents and answering phone calls from those who had received our note (if they weren't home when we stopped by, we asked that they call the station so we would know if they were OK).  Among those in the field teams were my husband, Gary Gibbins (Assistant Chief and EMT) and my sons Jason (Captain and EMT) and Joshua (Lieutenant). 

At ~1730, a 911 call for a Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Illness/ Man Down was relayed to us from one of the houses we had previously visited. Gary & Jason responded immediately in the chief's vehicle with our rescue truck and Pumper following

Upon entering the house they found a 76 year old male conscious but very confused. He was not complaining of anything, but was answering all questions inappropriately.  The patient’s wife said she had just got home and found him disoriented. Gary noticed that the propane stove was on and went to shut it off.  Prior to their arrival, the patient’s wife had opened all the doors and windows. Jason went immediately to the patient where he administered 12 liters per minute of oxygen via NRB and then took the patient's vitals.  In the meantime, Gary went for the RAD-57 to measure the carboxyhemoglobin level in the patient.  The RAD-57 read a level of 42%.  Immediately Jason increased the oxygen to 15 liters. Gary informed the crew on the incoming ambulance of the reading.  While still en route, the ambulance called for a helicopter to fly the patient out.

Upon their arrival, EMS continued giving the patient oxygen and packaged him up for the short trip to the waiting helicopter.  The patient was flown to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY (the most appropriate hospital for severe carbon monoxide poisonings).  The patient went to the hyperbaric chamber and was now reported to be recovering well.
 
We knew that the patient was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, but with the RAD-57, we were quickly able to identify just how high the level of CO was in the patient’s blood and use that value to select the most appropriate form of transport and destination for the patient and his condition, potentially saving his life.

Greenfield Center Volunteer Fire Co. #1 is 1 of 4 departments that make up Greenfield Fire District, located approximately 1 hour north of Albany, NY.  Greenfield Center Fire Company has 40 members and operates 2 engines, 1 heavy rescue, 1 medical vehicle and 1 brush truck.  Our coverage area is mostly rural.  We are usually first on scene with EMS calls as the nearest ambulance is anywhere from 5- 20 minutes away, depending on which end of the district the call is in.