On Friday, July 25 at 6:50 p.m., MED-ACT crews along with the Lenexa Fire Department were called to the Kitty City Kansas Rescue located at 12800 Santa Fe Trail Drive in Lenexa, KS on reports of an unknown type of medical problem.

When the ambulance crew arrived, they found a 23-year-old male patient inside the business unresponsive. MED-ACT crews carry a carbon monoxide detector as part of our equipment to be alerted to possible dangerous environments.

The CO alarm went off immediately upon entering the building alerting the crew to a problem. The ambulance crew was able to remove the patient, treating him outside in fresh air.

Crews were aware that a kitten rescue was in the shared building and called for additional support to help evacuate the kittens from the building and help mitigate the CO issue.

MED-ACT reminds everyone to be cautious when using equipment that produces CO gas. CO is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas that can be a silent killer.

• Install CO alarms on every floor of your house, in a central location outside of sleeping areas.
• Use portable generators and other equipment outdoors in well ventilated areas away from doors, windows and vents.
• Check vents on appliances such as dryers, furnaces and stoves to be sure they are free from debris.

With proper equipment and staff that are well trained to respond to this emergency, it did have a positive outcome. The patient was treated and released from a local hospital.