The fire department serves a vital role in every city and town in the United States. They are constantly on call ready to report for almost any emergency possible. A fire fighter is usually not there to just fight fires, but they are also among the first emergency response personnel on the scene of accidents. A fire fighter in the United States also serves the responsibilities of an EMT in many communities. Being an emergency responder, it is absolutely critical to have certain medical devices at your side at any given time. Portability is very important for any medical device.
A recent addition to the tool box of fire fighters is a finger pulse oximeter, which is also known as a pulse ox by some in the industry. New pulse oximeters have made great advances in technology which have made it possible for them to shrink to unbelievable sizes. A pulse oximeter is now easily placed into one's pocket or medical pouch. The software which runs an oximeter is also very advanced. It provides readings of both blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate within seconds with exceptional accuracy. Accuracy and speed of readings make them even more vital to a fire fighter. When at a scene of an accident, a fire fighter must be able to access the condition of an individual within minutes. This speed in the individual's assessment makes their first aid even more efficient. Efficiency is a very important factor to a fire fighter, because it correlates directly to speed and accuracy.
Fire departments throughout the United States have become very familiar with finger pulse oximeters, and have made them part of their tools.