International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Advocates Screening Fire Fighters for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Using Pulse C...( Union believes many cardiac arrests...)

Union believes many cardiac arrests experienced by fire fighters may be

attributable to CO exposure

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Masimo (Nasdaq: MASI), the inventor of Pulse CO-Oximetry and Read-Through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, today announced that the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has issued education materials to more than 3,000 local union presidents in the United States and Canada calling for routine carbon monoxide (CO) screening using a Pulse CO-Oximeter for all fire fighters potentially exposed to CO. The IAFF, representing more than 287,000 full-time, professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel who protect 85 percent of the nation's population, is the primary advocate for providing fire fighters and paramedics with the tools they need to perform their jobs, including implementation of new training programs and equipment.

In a letter to all local union presidents in North America, the IAFF highlighted the need for a new protocol whereby any fire fighter potentially exposed to CO and presenting with headache, nausea, shortness of breath, or gastrointestinal symptoms should be assessed using a Pulse CO-Oximeter. IAFF General President Harold A. Schaitberger acknowledged the prevalence, severity and frequency of the detrimental effects of CO. "We believe that many of the cardiac arrests fire fighters are experiencing may well be attributable to CO exposure," President Schaitberger said.

Because CO is present in every fire and its symptoms are nonspecific and easy to miss, the dangers of acute and prolonged CO poisoning are more pronounced for fire fighters. According to the IAFF, the risk of prolonged CO exposure during
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