The Calhan Fire Protection District received funding to purchase two capnography/oximetry devices costing $2,140 each. This equipment is vital to accurately monitor the carbon dioxide levels in the blood and assist in the proper placement of the endotracheal tube. It will be a great service to patients who have been given medications that may cause respiratory depression and patients with respiratory distress.EMS Captain Ginger Flynn said, “It is important to us to provide the same level of care that is required of the contracted ambulance company. With the purchase and integration of the capnography/oximetry devices in the assessment and treatment of patients, we will be able monitor the patient’s respiratory effort with a greater degree of accuracy.”The ESA is pleased to make the awards, said ESA Chairman Jim Reid. “The ESA Board has a commitment to providing the best services to El Paso County residents as it relates to emergency medical and fire service,” Reid added.The Emergency Services Agency is an 11-member volunteer board made up of an elected official from El Paso County, the city of Colorado Springs and the city of Fountain, as well as representatives from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado Springs Fire Department, the El Paso County Fire Chief’s Forum, Memorial Health System and Penrose St. Francis Health Services, the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment and other related professionals and citizens of the community.
