Choking is the fourth leading cause of accidental death with one child is lost to choking every five days and a total of 5000 people a year.
But there is a device that has the potential to help lessen those chances — the LifeVac — and now Collier County Sheriff Office units will all have one of the life-savers. Collier Sheriff Kevin Rambosk displayed the LifeVac at a special media briefing Thursday and said the Sheriff's Office is adding 500 LifeVac choking rescue devices, enough to equip every CCSO patrol vehicle.
The donation was made possible by The Cassata Foundation and LifeVac inventor and CEO Arthur Lih. Foundation trustees Rosario S. Cassata and his wife Carolyn Cassata are Collier County residents. Lih lives in Southwest Florida as well.
"We're really looking forward to adding this absolutely fantastic tool to help us with choking. So today, we're here to accept the donation of 500 LifeVac choking rescue devices, and they will be distributed throughout all of Collier County into all of our marked units," Rambosk said. "Four hundred of those are to be donated by the Cassata Foundation and the trustees, Rosario and his wife Carolyn."
When Lih found out that the Cassatas had donated 400 LifeVacs he got involved as well and contributed another 100. CCSO purchased additional units to ensure that every marked CCSO vehicle will now be equipped with the hand-held suction device designed to help clear a blocked airway during a choking emergency.
"This is another terrific example of our community stepping up to help save lives," Rambosk said.
The device uses non-invasive suction and a one-way valve system that mimics a forceful cough to help remove objects obstructing a choking person’s airways. The procedure is as simple as placing a mask over a person’s nose and mouth, pushing down on the LifeVac handle and pulling back rapidly.
Youth Relations Cpl. Mario Nodarse, responding to a choking incident at Naples Classical Academy where he is assigned, saw just how effective the use of the LifeVac was to save a child’s life in January.
“We had an incident in the school at a small child swaddle basically a soft Bottle cap," the 10-year-experienced deputy said. "I can tell you with the device, a simple device, it's simple to use, and it was effective. I mean, we were able, within minutes, to extract the bottle cap for the child.”
The donation of the devices was something a bit different for the Cassata Foundation.
"We generally like to support local families and local children who may be in need, both financially, physically and mentally," said Rosario Cassata, president and trustee of the Foundation. "This year, we decided to do something a little bit different, and it was about saving lives."
After exploring if the Sheriff's Office would like the devices — they did — Cassata met with Lih and became familiar with his invention, the Foundation decided to make the donation.
"It does make sense to have these in the patrol cars the first responders, because they're the people that go out there, and whatever the urgency may be, they have a tool to be able to save somebody's lives," Cassata said.
The LifeVac is the latest life-saving device added to the Sheriff's Office. In the past 12 months, CCSO deputies have saved 76 lives using automated external defibrillators (AEDs), Narcan, QuickClot and other tools made possible by community support.
Rambosk emphasized the importance of equipping deputies with both training and tools, noting they are often the first on scene in an emergency. All CCSO deputies receive advanced medical training beyond basic First Aid, including tactical emergency casualty care.
"It is imperative that our deputies receive medical training and have access to the best life-saving tools available," he said.
Choking kills approximately 5,500 people annually in the U.S., with children and seniors most at risk, according to the National Safety Council. When someone is choking, time is of the essence. Brain damage is possible if the airway hasn't been cleared by the four-minute mark.
Sheriff Rambosk encourages everyone to get trained in how to save someone from choking through the American Red Cross or American Heart Association. But sometimes there are times when standard methods don't produce results. That's why choking rescue devices like LifeVac save lives.
More about the LifeVac
• How does LifeVac work?
LifeVac is a simple airway clearance device that can be used on adults and children, requires only seconds to use, and can be administered by anyone in a choking emergency. Our patented design utilizes non-invasive suction and a one-way valve system to remove food, phlegm, or a foreign object that is lodged in a person's throat or windpipe, causing an airway obstruction. To operate this life saving device, it is as easy as placing the mask over the victim's nose and mouth, pushing down on the LifeVac handle, and pulling it back up rapidly.
• Can LifeVac potentially push the obstruction further down or injure a victim by accident?
No. LifeVac uses a one-way valve system which means that when applied, LifeVac vents air OUTSIDE the unit and does not push air into the victim. The rescue device simply uses a short burst of suction, with minimal air volume, to mimic a forceful cough. When the plunger is pushed down, the bellows compress and air escapes out the sides of the valve and not into the victim's airway; when the plunger is pulled back, negative pressure is generated, and it suctions out the lodged material.
• Can LifeVac be used on yourself?
Yes. LifeVac can be self-administered. It is especially helpful for those that live alone as it is difficult to self-Heimlich.
• Can LifeVac be used on someone in a wheelchair?
Yes. LifeVac is especially useful for individuals in a wheelchair as other lifesaving protocols for choking can be extremely challenging to perform effectively.
• Is LifeVac approved by the FDA?
In the United States, LifeVac is registered with and fully regulated by the FDA as a Class 2 Suction Apparatus and is exempt from pre-market clearance. Furthermore, it is the only non-invasive airway clearance device to be peer reviewed by the medical industry.
• At what age can the pediatric mask be used?
There is no definitive age for a pediatric mask to be used. Per our mask manufacturer, 22 pounds is the recommended minimum weight for the pediatric mask to fit properly over the mouth and nose to provide a good seal and allow LifeVac to be as effective as possible. However, LifeVac has been used successfully under that weight at the discretion of a parent and after all other choking rescue procedures were performed and had failed.
• Can LifeVac be used before the Heimlich?
LifeVac is an additional rescue option that is intended to be used after all choking rescue procedures have failed. However, when other BLS methods are impossible to perform, it can be a critical, life-saving tool for infants, elderly, disabled, frail and obese people for whom the Abdominal Thrust Maneuver is not recommended.
• Can LifeVac be used multiple times?
The LifeVac device is a one-time-use rescue device. Thus, if the apparatus is used in a choking emergency, the unit should not be used again for sanitary reasons. If you have used your LifeVac device to save a life, please contact us through our website to fill out a "Life Saved" report and we will gladly replace your unit free of charge. The LifeVac unit can be used multiple times if the obstruction is not dislodged on the first application.
• Is LifeVac most effective when used standing or sitting?
LifeVac can be used in any position: standing, sitting, or prone. In fact, we have documented lives saved in each of these positions.
• Is LifeVac used by hospitals, fire departments, police departments, and on ambulances?
LifeVac is an additional rescue tool that has been used around the world by all the above to save lives when Basic Life Saving protocols have failed.
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