Fire Department

The crash that took out an electrical pole and stripped electrical service from a wide swath of Madison’s north side Tuesday night posed a potential health emergency for at least one resident whose oxygen supply was impacted by the power outage.

Medic 3 and Engine Company 8 were called to a home off of Dakota Drive to assist a man whose oxygen saturation machine was no longer working, and his supply of supplemental oxygen was running low. The man was not in distress, but with electrical service restoration estimated to take another hour or so, he and his wife were concerned that his oxygen supply may become depleted.

Paramedics retrieved a fresh bottle of oxygen from the home and re-established a flow of supplemental oxygen as prescribed. A back-up bottle of oxygen was also brought in to ensure there was enough oxygen to sustain the man until he’d be able to turn on his oxygen saturation machine again.

A neighbor loaned the family a flashlight, a relative came over to assist, and the resident assured paramedics he would be able to replace his oxygen bottles on his own, if needed, until the power is restored.