<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/FastTrack.jpg" alt="FastTrack" align="right"borders="0"/>
The International Hot Rod Association has joined with Fast Track Medical Response Systems, LLC in implementing a new program that will greatly enhance the medical services provided to competitors, teammates and employees at Knoll Gas Nitro Jam National Events in 2008. IHRA is the first drag racing sanctioning body to implement the Fast Track Medical Response System.
Fast Track Medical Response Systems, LLC is a company that has introduced computer chip technology into the medical response arena in the auto racing community. The system consists of a computer chip worn in a small and comfortable bracelet. The chip, which has information loaded on it by the user via the internet, will provide an immediate medical history of a patient for first responders. This concept has been enthusiastically embraced and tested by the circle track community.
The concept is simple and the implementation of the program is almost effortless. The user will be asked to complete an online form containing pertinent information and the person's medical history. This information will be 'burned' into a tiny chip and the chip will then be inserted into a light, compact wrist band which will be worn by the driver, crew, official, etc. Should anyone wearing such a bracelet need medical attention, a quick scan of the bracelet will instantly provide first responders with information that will allow them to provide better care. Should the patient need hospital treatment, that information will be provided directly to the medical staff at the receiving hospital.
This concept, when presented to professional race teams during the 2007season, received overwhelming support. To launch the program IHRA will be making this available to all professional and sportsman drivers participating at Knoll Gas Nitro Jam National Events in 2008. Once the program is established it will be offered to Summit Pro Am participants as well as IHRA member tracks for weekly use.
"We were thrilled with the reaction from everyone we talked with," said Anthony Bartley, President of Fast Track Medical Response Systems, LLC. "My partner, Robert Stirk and I have spent many years working with the racing community and have spent endless hours developing this concept. We feel that having emergency contact and medical history information at their fingertips will greatly enhance the ability of medical personnel to provide treatment from the time the first emergency crew arrives on the scene until the patient is in a medical facility. This kind of information can be invaluable in cases ranging from known allergies to potentially serious medical conditions. It is our hope that this product will be made available to all types of race tracks through their respective sanctioning body," Bartley concluded.
"Our plan is to get this program up and running via the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam series this season, then create a way to offer this program to all IHRA member tracks," said IHRA vice president of racing operations Skooter Peaco. "The scanner is the key to making the system work, so we are going to just have scanners at Knoll Gas Nitro Jam events only for this season. Once we get the program moving and our medical staff has some real world experience using the system we will open this program up to Summit Pro Am events and all IHRA member tracks. Our long term goal would be for the purchaser of the bracelet to always be racing at a track that has the scanner and system in place."
To sign up for the program, users can go to:
Fast Track Medical Response Systems - Member: login
Users will then register for the program by providing some basic information, emergency contact information, as well as medical information that the IHRA medical staff or receiving hospital will access should the need arise. The cost of the bracelet and initial programming is $39.95. After that the annual fee is$39.95. There is no other cost to update the bracelet should any of the information change. Should the user information change, the user will simply update his information via the website and update their bracelet via the IHRA scanner at the next Knoll Gas Nitro Jam event they attend.
"I remember trying to keep all this information on file in the tower several years ago," Peaco said. "With the HIPAA Laws now in place, it is impossible for us to move all that information around securely, let alone trying to keep it up to date. I have seen racers and officials get injured and our medical staff would have benefited from having this information at their disposal. Most of he advancements our sport has embraced have come from 'racer ingenuity.' Since Fast Track was founded by racers solving a problem they personally encountered, I expect this system to be very successful. Safety is always our primary concern and I know that the IHRA trauma doctors love the concept and feel like they now have another tool to provide on site care. All we need the participants to do is register and make wearing the bracelet required safety gear. No different from wearing their helmet. This bracelet won't do anyone any good if it is left in the trailer."
The Fast Track Medical Response System will make its official debut at the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by NAPA Auto Parts April 4-6, 2008 at San Antonio Raceway.
About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The $19.5 million Knoll Gas Nitro Jam(tm) Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA's Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 70 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation's entertainment-filled "Thunder Jam" shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Street Warriorz. More information can be found at NitroJam.com <http://www.nitrojam.com/> .
About Fast Track Medical Response Systems
Fast Track Medical Response Systems, LLC is a Somers, Connecticut based company. More information on their service along with a complete explanation on how their system works may be obtained by visiting their web site at Fast Track Medical Response Systems <http://www.fasttrackmrs.com/>
Telephone contact may be made by calling 860-818-2716.
Modified 2/8/08.
IHRA and Fast Track Medical Response Systems Introduce Medical Bracelet to Drag Racing
The International Hot Rod Association has joined with Fast Track Medical Response Systems, LLC in implementing a new program that will greatly enhance the medical services provided to competitors, teammates and employees at Knoll Gas Nitro Jam National Events in 2008. IHRA is the first drag racing sanctioning body to implement the Fast Track Medical Response System.
Fast Track Medical Response Systems, LLC is a company that has introduced computer chip technology into the medical response arena in the auto racing community. The system consists of a computer chip worn in a small and comfortable bracelet. The chip, which has information loaded on it by the user via the internet, will provide an immediate medical history of a patient for first responders. This concept has been enthusiastically embraced and tested by the circle track community.
The concept is simple and the implementation of the program is almost effortless. The user will be asked to complete an online form containing pertinent information and the person's medical history. This information will be 'burned' into a tiny chip and the chip will then be inserted into a light, compact wrist band which will be worn by the driver, crew, official, etc. Should anyone wearing such a bracelet need medical attention, a quick scan of the bracelet will instantly provide first responders with information that will allow them to provide better care. Should the patient need hospital treatment, that information will be provided directly to the medical staff at the receiving hospital.
This concept, when presented to professional race teams during the 2007season, received overwhelming support. To launch the program IHRA will be making this available to all professional and sportsman drivers participating at Knoll Gas Nitro Jam National Events in 2008. Once the program is established it will be offered to Summit Pro Am participants as well as IHRA member tracks for weekly use.
"We were thrilled with the reaction from everyone we talked with," said Anthony Bartley, President of Fast Track Medical Response Systems, LLC. "My partner, Robert Stirk and I have spent many years working with the racing community and have spent endless hours developing this concept. We feel that having emergency contact and medical history information at their fingertips will greatly enhance the ability of medical personnel to provide treatment from the time the first emergency crew arrives on the scene until the patient is in a medical facility. This kind of information can be invaluable in cases ranging from known allergies to potentially serious medical conditions. It is our hope that this product will be made available to all types of race tracks through their respective sanctioning body," Bartley concluded.
"Our plan is to get this program up and running via the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam series this season, then create a way to offer this program to all IHRA member tracks," said IHRA vice president of racing operations Skooter Peaco. "The scanner is the key to making the system work, so we are going to just have scanners at Knoll Gas Nitro Jam events only for this season. Once we get the program moving and our medical staff has some real world experience using the system we will open this program up to Summit Pro Am events and all IHRA member tracks. Our long term goal would be for the purchaser of the bracelet to always be racing at a track that has the scanner and system in place."
To sign up for the program, users can go to:
Fast Track Medical Response Systems - Member: login
Users will then register for the program by providing some basic information, emergency contact information, as well as medical information that the IHRA medical staff or receiving hospital will access should the need arise. The cost of the bracelet and initial programming is $39.95. After that the annual fee is$39.95. There is no other cost to update the bracelet should any of the information change. Should the user information change, the user will simply update his information via the website and update their bracelet via the IHRA scanner at the next Knoll Gas Nitro Jam event they attend.
"I remember trying to keep all this information on file in the tower several years ago," Peaco said. "With the HIPAA Laws now in place, it is impossible for us to move all that information around securely, let alone trying to keep it up to date. I have seen racers and officials get injured and our medical staff would have benefited from having this information at their disposal. Most of he advancements our sport has embraced have come from 'racer ingenuity.' Since Fast Track was founded by racers solving a problem they personally encountered, I expect this system to be very successful. Safety is always our primary concern and I know that the IHRA trauma doctors love the concept and feel like they now have another tool to provide on site care. All we need the participants to do is register and make wearing the bracelet required safety gear. No different from wearing their helmet. This bracelet won't do anyone any good if it is left in the trailer."
The Fast Track Medical Response System will make its official debut at the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals presented by NAPA Auto Parts April 4-6, 2008 at San Antonio Raceway.
About IHRA
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), a division of Live Nation, promotes professional, semi-professional and local level racing opportunities for drivers at all levels. The $19.5 million Knoll Gas Nitro Jam(tm) Drag Racing Series is an 11-event North American professional drag racing circuit. In 2007, the series will be comprised of eight events in major cities throughout the United States and three in Canada. The Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am Championship presented by Mr. Gasket consists of competition at national events and 40 events in six regional divisions, while IHRA's Summit SuperSeries is conducted nearly every weekend at over 70 IHRA-sanctioned tracks. Providing a safe environment to develop future stars, IHRA offers the Junior Dragster Racing Series for youths ages 8-17. Stand-alone events include Live Nation's entertainment-filled "Thunder Jam" shows and the street legal racing and lifestyle event series Street Warriorz. More information can be found at NitroJam.com <http://www.nitrojam.com/> .
About Fast Track Medical Response Systems
Fast Track Medical Response Systems, LLC is a Somers, Connecticut based company. More information on their service along with a complete explanation on how their system works may be obtained by visiting their web site at Fast Track Medical Response Systems <http://www.fasttrackmrs.com/>
Telephone contact may be made by calling 860-818-2716.
Modified 2/8/08.
