2010 Press Releases / News
2009-11-16 PUBLIC SAFETY EXPERTS, FIRST RESPONDERS CALL FOR MORE COMPREHENSIVE ATTACK ON H1N1 PANDEMIC FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Michael McKeon (212) 681-1380 or (917) 270-8652 NEW YORK, NY – National public safety experts and first responders today applauded President Obama’s decision to raise the alarm last month over the dangerous H1N1 influenza pandemic in his declaration of a national emergency last week, but suggested vaccines alone will not stop H1N1. They urge for a more comprehensive approach in order to defeat the deadly virus. For example, while health officials are including additional measures in their response to H1N1, their approach lacks the investment in new technology needed to correctly decontaminate hospitals, ambulances, senior care centers, off-site emergency enclosures and correctional facilities, which would proactively eliminate infectious pathogens and prevent the spread of disease-causing bacteria. “We must start telling people the truth. Vaccinations are only part of the solution to the H1N1 threat. Real prevention will require a more comprehensive approach with a much more serious emphasis on decontamination,” said former Orange County, Florida Sheriff and past President of the Major County Sheriffs Association Kevin Beary. For most liquid disinfectants utilized in a hospital setting, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends a minimum of 5-10 minutes of wet contact time in order to effectively kill the bacteria and viruses listed on the disinfectant’s label. However, more often than not, these disinfectants are not being given adequate exposure time to work, killing few bacteria and viruses and only spreading the contamination through the spray-and-wipe process. In response, hospitals, first responders, and correctional facilities among others, have been embracing the proven decontamination results provided by Zimek Technologies as a means of securing effective pandemic preparedness. Zimek’s Micro-Mist™ Decontamination Systems decontaminate a broad range of indoor environments and infiltrate otherwise inaccessible surfaces, leading the nation as the prime solution to indoor decontamination and infection control. Kenneth MacLean, Fire Chief of the Sudbury Massachusetts Fire Department, said, “In a pandemic where an ambulance would be used to transport a great number of patients who were gravely ill, quick and thorough decontamination of the vehicle between runs is crucial. This is an instance where vaccines and hand-washing would not be effective. Without decontamination, the virus would spread like wildfire.” Leading institutions around the nation have begun to embrace the use of Zimek’s new rapid decontamination technology instead of the failed spray-and-wipe method, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Veterans Administration, Central Florida LYNX Transportation Authority, Disney Environmental Services, Sudbury Massachusetts Fire Department, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department, and the MONOC Hospital Service Corporation in New Jersey. Zimek’s Micro-Mist™ is singularly capable of infiltrating and destroying hotbeds of pathogens that would otherwise be unreachable due to surface tension. Micro-Mist™ has the unique, added capacity to inhibit the regrowth of pathogens between routine periodic Micro-Mist™ treatments, providing a thorough and long-lasting method of decontamination. “There is a disinfection deception with the spray-and-wipe strategy, which is largely ineffective and provides a false sense of security to combating a serious and complicated life-threatening virus such as H1N1,” said Kurt Grosman, CEO of Zimek Technologies. “Zimek complements vaccines and other virus-control methods, resulting in a comprehensive approach that is not only effective in combating infectious bacteria and viruses of such a massive scale, but also in preventing further outbreaks and the spread of infections. Zimek offers a way for our nation to protect itself from the array of ever-present threats that are posed by pathogenic infection.” Zimek Technologies, LLC ("Zimek") and Zimek Technologies IP, LLC ("Zimek IP") are independent Florida limited liability companies that are exclusively managed by Zimek Technologies Management Company, a Florida corporation. Zimek’s mission is to vastly improve public health and provide a sensible and highly effective solution to the innumerable infection control problems that exist within all indoor environments. Zimek is the leader in facilitating the critically needed implementation of a new and better paradigm in indoor infection control through the Zimek Micro-Mist™ Decontamination Systems. For more information, contact Michael McKeon of Mercury Public Affairs at 212-681-1380. Back to Headlines |
