Ambulances get decontamination devices - even kills toxic mold

By Patrick Peterson, August 4, 2009
Florida Today

As swine flu deaths top 350 across the nation, Brevard County's non-emergency ambulance service has implemented a new procedure to sterilize the ambulances that often carry infected patients.

Coastal Health Systems' 20 ambulances will be treated with a $60,000 Zimek Micro-Mist decontamination device that emits a vapor so fine that it permeates scratches in metal and kill germs in tiny crevasses. The company plans to disinfect its 20 ambulances at least every two weeks.

"It's like a complete fogging in there, but it's absolutely dry," Coastal Health Systems President and CEO Bill McCarthy said. The super-fine mist particles are so small they do not make surfaces wet.

"It just surrounds everything," McCarthy said. "It's bizarre, but it works like a charm."

Orlando's public bus system, Lynx, bought a similar system in May and plans to clean its 270 busses once a month.

And Brevard County officials have begun to discuss decontamination options in preparation for possible outbreaks and pandemics, according to Dr. Heidar Heshmati, director of the Brevard County Health Department.

He said Coastal's extra effort to eliminate germs is wise.

"Any cleaning or disinfecting of the surface and handrails, and air purification, it helps a lot," Heshmati said. "Of course, it does not eliminate germs, but it is part of the general hygiene."

During a Zimek treatment that lasts about 25 minutes, the machine generates the non-toxic, non-corrosive mist from about a cup of powerful disinfectant that the company advertises kills 99.99 percent of contaminants, including staphylococcus, flu virus, norovirus and toxic mold. The germ killer in the mist is ammonium chloride in several forms.

"As these bugs get more difficult to manage, and there's the possibility of real pandemic, it seems this is a prudent thing to do," McCarthy said. "If there is a problem, we're able to respond to it."

There have been 28 reported cases of swine flu in Brevard, and Orlando has had more than 30 cases. Florida' Department of Health last week reported more than 3,300 confirmed cases of H1N1 (swine) influenza have surfaced in the state.

The outbreak is expected to worsen when the traditional flu season approaches.

Coastal's ambulances do not answer emergency calls, but the non-profit company regularly transports infectious patients on a scheduled basis from nursing homes and hospitals. Coastal's ambulance director, Joe Goodwin, said the company will decontaminate each ambulance every two weeks or immediately after an infectious patient has been transported.

"It's protecting our employees, and it's protecting the patients we transport," Goodwin said.

The mist is injected for 13 minutes and allowed to permeate the ambulance for 10 minutes. After airing out the ambulance, the vehicle is returned to service.

"It's not a hardship on us by any means," Goodwin said. "Once the truck airs out, it just has a nice, clean smell to it.

"The employees are actually excited about having it," he said.

(source article)