An Iowa fire chief believes a cheap fuse could have saved a person on oxygen from dying in a recent fire.
Nevada Fire Chief Ray Reynolds is now part of a nationwide group trying the get thermal fuses on every oxygen supply tube, KCCI reported.
When the fire runs down the tube and reaches the fuse, it prevents oxygen from feeding the fire and extinguishes it, he explained.
The chief says oxygen equipment-related fire deaths could be reduced by 12 percent.
"If Medicare would adopt this fuse as a reimbursable safety piece of equipment, we could save Medicare $500 million," Reynolds added.