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The rapid spread of COVID-19 created an urgent need for medical equipment of all kinds. One priority is ensuring there are enough beds for patients who need care. This necessity gave PioneerIWS, a family-owned steel fabricator in Dalton, Ohio, an idea. The company assembled a team of more than a dozen Northeastern Ohio manufacturers, including Miller Weldmaster, Seaman Corp., Snyder Manufacturing and Arise Tents, to produce field hospital cots.
PioneerIWS kept the design simple so the cots could be produced quickly and in high volume. Each cot measures 82 inches long by 30 inches wide and 18 inches high. A removable IV pole and folding legs enable the cots to collapse down to four inches in height for easy shipping and stacking. The cot has an adjustable head and shoulder area and comes with a 1½-inch thick vinyl cushion that is removable and easy to clean. While lightweight at 52 pounds, it is rated for a 400-pound capacity.
Production moved so quickly that just two weeks after development began, the first 1,000 field hospital cots were delivered to Long Island, N.Y. The following week, 1,000 cots were sent to Columbus, Ohio.
Subsequently, PioneerIWS received requests for more than 2,000 field hospital cots from six different states, so the company retooled their manufacturing facility to be able to produce more than 100 cots per hour. For information, visit www.pioneeriws.com.