# Oxygen tank for the rig



## emtbuff (Jun 15, 2005)

Hey all I am hopping by the time I get done posting this all over the place I will feel better right now I am a little upset to mad.   
Our new director decided that the O2 for the rigs needed to be turned off you know that large tank that no one ever really pays attention to or at least until it runs empty.  I know are is located under the bench seat so in order to turn it on you have to either go through the little side door and go by feeling which is located below the seat or you have to lift up the seat and turn it on.  I know when I found out that it had been turned off I was working a code  Lots of fun.  Know I am trying to gather some info from other squads on how common it is to have to turn that one along with your buttons on the wall to allow  the O2 to work.  Any thing would be good.  Thanks all in advance I am interested in seeing what you all say.


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## KEVD18 (Jun 15, 2005)

i dont use the main much. i carry at least two d-tanks on the rig. theyre easire to refill than the m tanks.

but to answer your question, when i check the rig out in the morning, i open the valve on the main tank. when i clean the truck out at the end ofshift, turn it off an bleed it. its there if i need it, but i dont unless its a long transport time


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## TTLWHKR (Jun 15, 2005)

I used the on board all the time... to fill my D tanks. I carry a yoke in my day bag, and when the d cylinder is low, or empty, I fill it. That way there is no paperwork, and we regularly change the on board. Other wise it stays off b/c the prepiped oxygen system leaks after 'someone' backed into a piece of rebar.


can't type..... been up all night, too hot to sleep.


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## vtemti (Jun 15, 2005)

Your electronic button on the action wall should be hooked to a solenoid that is attached to your tank. When working properly, the button on the wall should be doing the same effect as manually turning off or on the valve. If this decision is based on tanks leaking out, then the problem may be a defective solenoid. There should also be a manual bypass switch located in the same area. Make sure that it is in the off (not bypassed) position. 

Otherwise, turning your tanks on or off manually is just another step that is not necessary if everything is working properly.


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## emt/fr (Jun 15, 2005)

In our Medtech rig the main tank is located behind the drivers side door in the box. It has a little door that you can open from inside the patient compartment to turn it on. It also has a electric lift that lowers and raises the tank to and from the floor so it's a cinch to change, pretty slick setup.


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## SafetyPro2 (Jun 16, 2005)

We leave ours on. On the primary rig, the tank is only accessible through the exterior compartment behind the driver where the driver's turnout gear and BA are stored, so if its off, there's no way to use it on a call. The secondary rig has it under the curbside door gear shelves, so you could theoretically turn it on from inside, but it'd be a pain.

We check the gauge as part of the shift checkout to make sure there's at least 500 pounds. If its below that, we're supposed to swap it out. We have a cascade system (for filling the portable cylinders) with a number of spare cylinders in the station, so we'll just swap with one of those.


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## ffemt8978 (Jun 16, 2005)

We shut ours off after every run.  When we arrive on scene, the driver is supposed to turn on the box O2 as he gets out of the rig.  If he forgets, we're able to reach through a little hole and turn them on from inside of the box.


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## MMiz (Jun 16, 2005)

On the BLS rigs our O2 tank stands upright insider our rig in a cabinet in the back.  It has a small clear plastic window that you can open/close while sitting on the bench.

Most people turn it on at the start of a shift, and off and the end.  Others turn it on for a call when needed, and off when we're done.  I tend to leave it on.

For us it's easy to do from inside the rig though, your situation seems a bit different.


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## Jon (Jun 17, 2005)

Any Horton   I've been in has the solenoid.... My other vollie squad has the "human version" - plexiglass window into o2 cabinet.

any transport company I've ever seen has the "the tank is off unless in use" policy - too many bozo's leaving them on at 0.5 lpm, then no o2 left..., or the rigs are crap and have leaky o2 systems.

anything with a factory-installed solenoid will have a manual release valve inside, usually behind the action wall switch panel.

As Alex and others said.. I like the D cylinder... (except I worked for one transport Co. that liked "E" cylinders... pains... don't fit anywhere) Unless I'm doing a 15 minute or longer ride, I usually never get them on the onboard unless A: they are high-flow B: I'm empty in the portable or C: I put the o2 on in the rig. This also has the advantage that you can't forget to unhook grandma's N/C, causing her to remain attached to the rig when the strecher comes out    


Perhaps you should have your boss get in your rig and explain how you can activate the o2 from the airway chair, in your seatbelt (because we all wear them all the time, right?  ) so you can treat your patient having sudden onset resp. distress.

If there is a solenoid, perhaps you can make sure the solonoid works properly, then comprimise with the boss... turn the tank off/on at begining / end of your shift, and use the solenoid valve during your shift.

Jon


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## shorthairedpunk (Jun 17, 2005)

We turn ours off because we had systems that leaked, now its second nature to turn it on for O2, no big deal, even in a code. Its just something that will take time


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## PArescueEMT (Jun 18, 2005)

I have found that all trucks have a leak... soloniod or no... that will drain the system. the way that i would handle this is turn the bypass to ON, and just go the old fashioned way. I also do the turn on at the beginning of the shift, and off at the end. I have found that this is the easiest way of doing that.

So you now have my 2 cents. Good luck, and hope you get some help from this.

Zak


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## CodeSurfer (Jun 18, 2005)

The oxygen in our rig has a nice digital readout in the drivers compartment so we dont even have to get out to check it. We leave it on for the whole shift, and I think since our box runs 24 hours it never gets turned off.


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## Jon (Jun 18, 2005)

> _Originally posted by CodeSurfer_@Jun 18 2005, 01:07 AM
> * The oxygen in our rig has a nice digital readout in the drivers compartment so we dont even have to get out to check it. We leave it on for the whole shift, and I think since our box runs 24 hours it never gets turned off. *


 That is becuase you probalby have a Horton. And Hortons are nice ambulances....


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## CodeSurfer (Jun 18, 2005)

I'm not sure, I'll have to look tomorrow morning.  I know we have two different kinds.


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## TTLWHKR (Jun 19, 2005)

Wouldn't it be neat if you could take like an iron tube, a/ a hole on one end; and a small hole on the other end. Have something at one end that is heavy and drops, slide an O2 cylinder in, get away and snap off the cylinder head?

Send it shooting out like a missle (some place where it couldn't hit anything or anyone). That would be a great idea to send into one of those freaky TV shows.


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## rescuemedic7306 (Jun 19, 2005)

> _Originally posted by TTLWHKR_@Jun 19 2005, 04:29 PM
> *Wouldn't it be neat if you could take like an iron tube, a/ a hole on one end; and a small hole on the other end. Have something at one end that is heavy and drops, slide an O2 cylinder in, get away and snap off the cylinder head?
> 
> Send it shooting out like a missle (some place where it couldn't hit anything or anyone). That would be a great idea to send into one of those freaky TV shows.*


That's exactly what the IRA did....except they filled the cylinders with Ammonium nitrate explosive compound first, tapped an impact detonator into one end, small explosive charge at the other end at the bottom of a steel pipe, electric current from a 9v battery, et voila! your very own home made mortar with built in shrapnel from the the cylinder casing...............v. effective, and v. nasty.... h34r:


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## CodeSurfer (Jun 20, 2005)

What a guy thing to say.


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## TTLWHKR (Jun 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by CodeSurfer_@Jun 20 2005, 12:15 AM
> * What a guy thing to say.  *


 They shot water mellons out of cannons on "mail call". Why not O2 cylinders? It'd be a neat training film.

 :blink:


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## Jon (Jun 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by rescuemedic7306+Jun 19 2005, 09:33 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>*QUOTE* (rescuemedic7306 @ Jun 19 2005, 09:33 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-TTLWHKR_@Jun 19 2005, 04:29 PM
> *Wouldn't it be neat if you could take like an iron tube, a/ a hole on one end; and a small hole on the other end. Have something at one end that is heavy and drops, slide an O2 cylinder in, get away and snap off the cylinder head?
> 
> Send it shooting out like a missle (some place where it couldn't hit anything or anyone). That would be a great idea to send into one of those freaky TV shows.*


That's exactly what the IRA did....except they filled the cylinders with Ammonium nitrate explosive compound first, tapped an impact detonator into one end, small explosive charge at the other end at the bottom of a steel pipe, electric current from a 9v battery, et voila! your very own home made mortar with built in shrapnel from the the cylinder casing...............v. effective, and v. nasty.... h34r: [/b][/quote]
 Umm.. are you sure you aren't related to Luno???


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## Jon (Jun 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by TTLWHKR+Jun 20 2005, 12:31 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>*QUOTE* (TTLWHKR @ Jun 20 2005, 12:31 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-CodeSurfer_@Jun 20 2005, 12:15 AM
> * What a guy thing to say.  *


They shot water mellons out of cannons on "mail call". Why not O2 cylinders? It'd be a neat training film.

 :blink: [/b][/quote]
 It is out there somewhere... I've seen a few different ones...


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## TTLWHKR (Jun 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by MedicStudentJon+Jun 20 2005, 07:10 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>*QUOTE* (MedicStudentJon @ Jun 20 2005, 07:10 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
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It is out there somewhere... I've seen a few different ones... [/b][/quote]
 The one w/ the railroad propane tanker bouncing across the Deleware River was interesting.


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## PArescueEMT (Jun 21, 2005)

> _Originally posted by TTLWHKR+Jun 20 2005, 10:10 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>*QUOTE* (TTLWHKR @ Jun 20 2005, 10:10 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
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The one w/ the railroad propane tanker bouncing across the Deleware River was interesting. [/b][/quote]
  :blink:  :huh:  :blink: 

i never saw that one


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## TTLWHKR (Jun 21, 2005)

> _Originally posted by PArescueEMT+Jun 21 2005, 03:21 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>*QUOTE* (PArescueEMT @ Jun 21 2005, 03:21 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
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:blink:  :huh:  :blink: 

i never saw that one [/b][/quote]
 Summer 1992. IST Class.


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## CodeSurfer (Jun 22, 2005)

> _Originally posted by TTLWHKR+Jun 21 2005, 12:06 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>*QUOTE* (TTLWHKR @ Jun 21 2005, 12:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
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Summer 1992. IST Class. [/b][/quote]
 Oh yeah... Well in high school we used compressed air to launch bottle rockets!


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## PArescueEMT (Jun 23, 2005)

> _Originally posted by TTLWHKR+Jun 21 2005, 01:06 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>*QUOTE* (TTLWHKR @ Jun 21 2005, 01:06 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
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Summer 1992. IST Class. [/b][/quote]
 i took IST in August of 2000 and no luck there.    <_<


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