North American Rescue · Needle Decompression ARS® for Needle Decompression North American Rescue's ARS® (Air Release System) is the CoTCCC-recommended needle/catheter unit for prehospital needle decompression. A capless flash chamber gives visual confirmation of pleural entry with no cap to strip off first, and the catheter travels in a rugged protective tube with a textured twist-top and pocket clip that opens glove-on, one-handed. Two gauges, both 3.25 in. CoTCCC-recommended14 Ga. And 10 Ga.3.25 in. catheterSterile, single-use A decompression needle lives in a pocket for years and gets used once, in the worst three minutes of somebody's day. The tube, the clip and the capless hub are not packaging — they are the part that has to work first. What's Included One needle/catheter unit per package, in the gauge you select. The unit is identical in both gauges — only the gauge, the lumen, the part number and the NSN change. Tap a gauge. VIEW ▾14 Ga. — 14 gauge × 3.25 in. — ZZ-0056 1× ARS® needle/catheter assembly, 14 gauge × 3.25 in. (8.25 cm), with capless flash chamber for visual confirmation of pleural entry · SKU ZZ-0056 · NSN 6515-01-541-0635 · CoTCCC-recommended Rugged protective tube with textured twist-top and retention/pocket clip — one-handed, glove-on access; protects the catheter through carry Sterile, single use; individually packaged No chest seal, securing dressing, sharps container or instruction card is included VIEW ▾10 Ga. — 10 gauge × 3.25 in. — ZZ-0298 1× ARS® needle/catheter assembly, 10 gauge × 3.25 in. (8.25 cm), with capless flash chamber — same length and same protective tube as the 14 Ga., with a roughly 60% larger lumen and a thicker catheter wall · SKU ZZ-0298 · NSN 6515-01-673-1701 · CoTCCC-recommended Rugged protective tube with textured twist-top and retention/pocket clip — one-handed, glove-on access; protects the catheter through carry Sterile, single use; individually packaged No chest seal, securing dressing, sharps container or instruction card is included ▾Specifications ARS® Needle Decompression — specifications Specification Detail Manufacturer North American Rescue (NAR) Device type Needle/catheter unit for needle decompression SKU — 14 Ga. ZZ-0056 NSN — 14 Ga. 6515-01-541-0635 SKU — 10 Ga. ZZ-0298 NSN — 10 Ga. 6515-01-673-1701 Gauges on this listing 14 Ga. And 10 Ga., both × 3.25 in. (8.25 cm) Catheter length 3.25 in. (8.25 cm) — identical in both gauges Lumen The 10 Ga. Bore is approximately 60% larger than the 14 Ga., with a thicker catheter wall (manufacturer stated) Hub Capless flash chamber — no cap to remove before use Carry Rugged protective tube, textured twist-top, retention/pocket clip Weight 0.6 oz Sterility Sterile; single use CoTCCC status Recommended — both the 14 Ga. And the 10 Ga. Listed under CoTCCC SEL# 09MS-02-THOR Product line Standard ARS. North American Rescue also builds an Enhanced ARS with a fenestrated flexible catheter — that is a different part number and is not what ships from this listing. Distribution Controlled medical device — supplied to licensed providers and agencies The legacy listing carried a substantial amount of procedural content — insertion sites by intercostal space and landmark, a reassessment interval, gauge selection by patient body habitus, and a statement about which gauge CoTCCC recommends for which approach. None of that has been carried over. Site selection, gauge specification, technique and reassessment come from your current TCCC card, your medical director and your protocol, not from a product listing, and the guidance the legacy page described as current varies by unit and card version. What is stated here is device data. ▾Who Carries It Combat and tactical medics — 68W, SOCM, 18D and equivalent — carrying decompression capability forward. Paramedics and critical-care transport crews operating a needle-thoracostomy protocol. Physicians, PAs and agency medical directors stocking the CoTCCC-recommended device in the gauge their protocol authorizes. Provider-level training programmes teaching to the device their students will actually carry. Scope of practice. This is a controlled medical device. Needle chest decompression is an invasive procedure restricted to clinicians who are trained, credentialed and operating under medical-director authorization or standing protocol. Incorrect placement carries real risk of injury to the heart, great vessels and abdominal organs. This listing is a device description — it is not training, not medical direction, and not a procedural reference. Do not carry this device without training specific to the technique, and handle and dispose of the sharp accordingly. Genuine North American Rescue Sourced direct from the manufacturer or an authorized master distributor. Ships from MED-TAC International, Pembroke Pines, FL — clinician-founded, veteran-led, SDVOSB-certified.
