St. Louis, MO (December 5, 2012) – The Med Sled®, an emergency evacuation device manufactured by ARC Products, LLC, was used to safely evacuate patients from NYU Langone Medical Center during Hurricane Sandy. The Med Sled® evacuation sled enabled hospital staff to efficiently evacuate patients from the 18-story hospital using a tethered braking device, which allowed hospital staff to safely move non-ambulatory patients down the stairwells.
“In disaster situations like Sandy, you need evacuation devices that transport as many people as possible to safety using the least amount of staff,” says Clifford Adkins, founder and CEO of the Med Sled®. “If a hospital finds itself in a position where they have to evacuate, it is critical to have equipment that is intuitive and easy to use, as well as safe for both the staff and the patient.”
One of the greatest obstacles in evacuating patients from a hospital is the fact that the average weight of a non-ambulatory patient weighs between 255 and 265 pounds. Alternative evacuation devices, such as wheeled and carry devices, introduce other obstacles to the evacuation process. These include the safety of the patient and staff, the ability to easily move through and over debris-filled hallways and stairways, and the ability to move the patient horizontally or vertically when needed. The Med Sled® evacuation sled is a non-lift device that allows health care providers to evacuate their sickest and most fragile patients safely and quickly under all conditions.
“During NYU Langone’s recent evacuation, the Med Sled® was used to evacuate our most critical non-ambulatory patients,” says Kristin Stevens, Director of Emergency Management at NYU Langone Medical Center. “Like any hospital in the midst of an evacuation, our main concern was patient and staff safety. Our Med Sleds and planning were pivotal to our successful overall evacuation strategy during Hurricane Sandy.”
There are over 40,000 Med Sled® evacuation devices currently in use in over 2,500 facilities, including 18 of the top 20 hospitals in the country. Med Sled® offers a full line of evacuation equipment that can move the smallest NICU patient (2.5lbs) to the largest bariatric patient (600+lbs). Med Sled® representatives work with hospitals, nursing homes, schools and manufacturers to assist in their emergency evacuation planning, including conducting Equipment Needs Assessments, evacuation protocol review, employee training and drill support.
“It is critical to prepare your facility for the worst case scenario,” says Stevens. “There are many lessons we have learned from catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina, the Joplin tornado and now superstorm Sandy. Our job as emergency preparedness professionals is to apply these lessons to our plans.”
“We care deeply and passionately about evacuation and how our product can help save lives,” says Adkins. “Our goal is to continue to work with hospitals, nursing homes and educational institutions on effectively and efficiently implementing emergency preparedness plans that incorporate the lessons learned from past disasters and best practices in the industry.”