Power Outage Preparedness

Preparing Yourself In Case of a Power Outage

An oxygen concentrator is a helpful option for those who use oxygen therapy but comes with one notable downside, they require electricity to work. And in the case of a power outage, this could make a method of convenience suddenly turn life-threatening.

When emergencies happen, power outages can be sudden and last for hours or even days. This is why VA Medical Centers require an emergency generator and supplemental oxygen tanks as part of your home oxygen therapy.

Regardless of the nature of the emergency or the type of oxygen delivery you use, it’s best to be prepared, and Mid-Cities Medical encourages our patients to practice good back-up oxygen safety habits, including:

electricity outage

Keep your emergency back-up tanks marked with their red Emergency Back-up Collars.

Do not use your emergency back-up tanks for non-emergency use. It is important that when you NEED your emergency back-up tanks, they are completely full and ready for use.

Call our office to report power outages when they occur. Your oxygen back-up is based on 3x our general response time, which could be as little as a few hours’ worth of oxygen. Do not wait until you are almost out of oxygen to contact Mid-Cities Medical in case of an emergency.

Knowing your concentrator’s battery life is as important as knowing your back-up oxygen tank times. If your battery-based product does not hold a full charge or discharges quickly, please contact our office for a replacement.

If you use oxygen therapy in your home, you should have an emergency back-up system. If you do not, please call our office immediately. Do not wait until an emergency occurs to contact Mid-Cities Medical at 888-450-6676 (TX) or 833-986-4267 (AZ & CA).

The importance of having an emergency generator and supplemental oxygen tanks as part of your home oxygen therapy was sadly demonstrated recently by the death of Judith Greet during Hurricane Beryl.

Though Ms. Greet was not a Mid-Cities Medical patient, we are saddened by her story, especially because it might have been avoided by an emergency back-up system.

the texas tribune

More than 98,000 Texas electricity customers remain without power a week after Beryl

By Pooja Salhotra, Alejandra Martinez, Emily Foxhall and Jess Huff

July 8, 2024

In Galveston County, John Florence, an investigator with the county’s Medical Examiner confirmed that 71 year-old Judith Greet died at Crystal Beach, a community in the Bolivar Peninsula. Greet was on oxygen for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung disease that blocks airflow and makes it difficult to breathe. When the hurricane knocked out power in her RV home, Greet’s oxygen machine ran out of battery and she died.  read more ➤

Important emergency preparation steps all Mid-Cities Medical patients should follow:

    1. Review all available safety components.
    2. Create and have an evacuation plan for your residence.
    3. Take as much oxygen and ventilation equipment with you, should you need to evacuate.
    4. Contact Mid-Cities Medical for emergency assistance and setup. You will need to provide us with your evacuation address and contact details.
      • Texas – 1 (888) 450-6676
      • CA & AZ – 1 (833) 986-4267

    If you have any oxygen or ventilation preparation questions during these ongoing events, or need emergency assistance, please contact our offices:

VISN 17 – Texas

Mid-Cities Medical – 1 (888) 450-6676

North Texas serviced from Grand Prairie, TX
Central Texas serviced from Woodway, TX & Austin, TX
South Texas serviced from San Antonio, TX
Valley Coastal Bend service from Corpus Christi & Mercedes, TX

VISN 22 – Arizona

Mid-Cities Medical – 1 (833) 986-4267

Phoenix serviced from Gilbert, AZ
Prescott serviced by Calox from Prescott, AZ
Show Low serviced from Show Low, AZ
Tucson serviced from Tucson, AZ

VISN 22 – Southern California

Mid-Cities Medical – 1 (833) 986-4267

Loma Linda serviced from Redland, CA
San Diego serviced from San Diego, CA

CalOx Inc. – 1 (866) 519-2414

Los Angeles serviced from Los Angeles, CA
Long Beach serviced from Los Angeles, CA