NFPA Journal - January/February 2020 - 12

Dispatches

LIGHTS OUT

THE RECENT WILDFIRE-DRIVEN POWER SHUTOFFS
IN CALIFORNIA RAISE QUESTIONS OVER RESILIENT
POWER SUPPLIES AND PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON
ELECTRICALLY POWERED HOME MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
By Rich Bielen
ast fall, the utility Pacific Gas &
Electric (PG&E) cut electricity to
millions of customers in Northern California, part of a series of
planned shutdowns designed to
reduce the risk of wildfires. Seasonal high winds
can damage power lines and spark fires-electrical
transmission lines belonging to PG&E were blamed
for the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest fire in California's history-and utilities are increasingly
taking the extreme step of turning off the power
when conditions are at their most hazardous.
But hitting the off switch to so many people
carries significant risk, especially for people
dependent on durable medical equipment, or
DME. This is the term used for medical equipment that patients use in their homes to maintain
optimal health-oxygen concentrators, continuous
positive airway pressure machines, ventilators,
intravenous infusion pumps, suction pumps,
electric beds, and more. Almost all of it runs on
electricity, and patients could be at grave risk if

HOME HEALTH
Bringing medical
equipment into the
home is becoming
an increasingly
popular trend in
the United States.
Almost all of this
equipment runs on
electricity, putting
patients at risk if
they don't have
alternate power
sources in their
homes.

12 | NFPA JOURNAL * J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0

The future belongs to DME
In recent years, the health care industry has
experienced a profound shift, where a greater
emphasis is placed on controlling patient health
rather than reacting to crises, and where the delivery of care has moved from hospitals and doctors'
offices to patients' homes.
DME fits squarely into this trend. It makes
sense for health care organizations looking to
reduce overhead and operational responsibilities.
It appeals to insurers, who end
NFPA.ORG/
DISPATCHES up paying less in premiums. And
it can be an enormous benefit for
Read a
patients hoping to save money on
report by the
Clean Energy
medical expenses. Some studies
Group on
resilient power show that patient healing is also
and solutions
enhanced while being treated or
to protect
recovering in familiar surroundmedically
ings. Considering these benefits,
vulnerable
households.
it's safe to say that DME's role as
an integral component in modern health care will
only continue to grow.
That's why ensuring the safety of patients
reliant on DME needs to be a priority among
emergency managers and for anyone responsible
for policy planning. Power loss can stem from a
natural disaster, power grid issues, or intentional

GETT Y IMAGES

H E A LT H C A R E P E R S P E C T I V E

there are no alternate power plans in place.
That discussion came to a head in October following the death of a 67-year-old California man who
was dependent on an electrically powered oxygen
machine. The man suffered from pulmonary
disease and congestive heart failure, and died
minutes after PG&E, responding to high winds
and the threat of wildfire, cut power to the area
that included his daughter's home, where he was
living. The man's family maintained that his death
was the result of the power outage, but an autopsy
gave the cause of death as artery atherosclerosis, and the county coroner did not hold PG&E
responsible.
Regardless, the incident highlighted the potential risks faced by elderly or disabled people
who rely on DME. According to the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response,
approximately 2.5 million people covered under
Medicare in the United States use some form
of DME. (The number of DME users covered by
other programs such as Medicaid, private-pay
insurance, and Veterans Administration programs
is unknown.) Some DME may be equipped with
backup battery power, but that source typically
only lasts a few hours.

http://www.NFPA.ORG/dispatches http://www.NFPA.ORG/dispatches

NFPA Journal - January/February 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - January/February 2020