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OLATHE, Kan. — The Olathe Fire Station is the first EMS departments in the country to begin remotely monitoring coronavirus patients.

The department has teamed up with a global tech company, Masimo SafetyNet.

“There have been some hospital systems using it, but we are the first EMS agency,” Olathe Fire Department Medical Director Dr. Jake Ruthstrom said. “It’s very humbling. We appreciate the partnership, and we are excited to use it.” 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some consider this device groundbreaking. As hospitals scramble to find rooms for patients, this new tool is meant to save space.

“It helps keep people out of the clinic and the hospital for ongoing followup because they have an extra source of security as far as how they are doing, how their symptoms are doing, how they are breathing,” Olathe Fire Department nurse practitioner Whitney Venegoni said.

The device is wireless and disposable. It requires a small Band-Aid around your finger. A mobile app syncs the tracking of oxygen, heart and respiratory rates from afar.

“It allows our crews to follow up remotely as opposed to going in and being close and potentially expose themselves to the virus,” Dr. Ruthstrom said. “We feel we can get a lot of benefit from this particular device. Came at a really good time.”

Fire officials started using the technology this week. It’s free for patients.

The department has 30 devices. So far, they have three patients.