Cleveland EMS Deploys Portable Ventilators to Ambulances

As of Nov. 17, 2025, Cleveland EMS has deployed automated, battery-powered portable ventilators to all 25 of its frontline vehicles. The units were received in March 2025, and the training to use them was conducted through the spring/summer of last year. The $540,000 that paid for them came from Cleveland City Council last fall through a general obligation bond.

“Our goal in deploying these portable ventilators is to provide ICU-level care for EMS patients in respiratory distress and post-ROSC (cardiac arrest) patients,” said Cleveland EMS Commissioner Orlando Wheeler. “While prehospital care does not replace hospital intensive care units, portable ventilators allow EMS crews to deliver more consistent respiratory support during transport. With all the technology and new innovations that we’ve been utilizing here in the division, this is more like a mobile intensive care unit than it is anything else. When people think of critical care, what we do is take the hospital environment and bring it right to you.”

“We wanted to increase the chances of a full recovery while shortening emergency room stays and inpatient admissions,” he added. “Moving to this equipment just made sense for the overall treatment plan for these individuals suffering from respiratory illnesses such as COPD, asthma, and post-cardiac arrest.”

Cleveland EMS’ portable ventilator deployment replaces the manual bag-valve-mask method, which involves guesswork on the part of EMTs and paramedics. Under-ventilation using the manual method can cause hypoxia in EMS patients. Over-ventilation can result in lung trauma, while inhibiting blood flow to the heart.

Moving to automated ventilation mitigates these risks. As well, Cleveland EMS’ automated ventilator allows crews to distinguish between asthmatics who need BiPAP, and heart patients who need CPAP.

When it came time to buy these units, Cleveland EMS chose Zoll Z Vent portable ventilators. “These are rugged, durable units built to military specs,” said Sergeant Rob Moyers, an Education and Training Sergeant with Cleveland EMS. "We demoed quite a few types of ventilators. This one fit the way that we work out there. It's very tough and easy to use."

Besides its toughness, the Zoll Z Vent is a natural choice for Cleveland EMS. “That’s because we already use Zoll cardiac monitors,” Moyers told EMS World.

Since the units were deployed in November 2025, Cleveland EMS has seen good results. “There was a BiPAP use within the first couple hours of deployment and our crew had a great outcome,” said Moyers. “It's been used in cardiac arrest as well, and it’s been very easy for them to use. It frees more hands to do other stuff, and overall we've had a lot of great feedback from the field.”

The only downside to deploying automated ventilators is that there is very little existing literature on prehospital ventilator use, he noted. This is why Moyers advised EMS agencies considering this move to contact people who are already using this technology for advice.

“Once you have experience, you become the go-to for other departments,” he said. “So reach out to somebody who has experience using this in a prehospital setting, including Cleveland EMS.”