Fire Rescue: Emergency Medical Services News

By Joe Mancos | 01/11/2012

Sitting in a training class in Emmitsburg Maryland I overheard a fellow student ask another, “So, why are you here?” The answer he gave did not surprise me but it did make me think. His answer was short, to the point and honest, “Because chief told me to be here.” I asked some one else in the class the same question, and an answer I received was, “I will get a pay raise for completing this class.” We should all ask ourselves the same question when we participate in training, “Why am I here?” Read More...

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By Jason Boan | 01/11/2012

We see them everywhere — on our uniforms, our ambulances, our equipment, and for some, tattooed on their body. Do you know why we use it or what it means? What is the difference in the Rod of Asclepius and a caduceus? While very similar in appearance, each has its own meaning and history tied to it. A caduceus is a winged staff with two snakes wrapped around it. The Rod of Asclepeus is a staff with a single snake wrapped around it. Read More...

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By Jim Muldrow | 01/11/2012

“How’d you get that in here?” That is the reaction of many people when they see what looks like an ambulance parked in the middle of a classroom on South Piedmont Community College’s (SPCC) Old Charlotte Highway Campus, said Dennis Baucom, SPCC’s director of Vocational Trades. Some have looked around the corner into the next room to see if the front of the ambulance is there. “Several people have asked where the front of it was,” said SPCC Emergency Medical Services Coordinator Robby Smith. “The gas cap on the side really gives it some feel like it was driven in here.” Read More...

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Will Long MD,Brett McGary MD, Edward Jauch MD MS and Don Lundy B.S., NREMT-P | 10/14/2011

(This is part two of a two-part series on bariatric patients.) The obesity epidemic is hard to miss for those working in the health care profession; it is evident every day we work. Not only does obesity place the patient at increased risk of numerous diseases but healthcare providers face many additional challenges in evaluating and caring for these patients in the prehospital and in-hospital settings. This two part article discuss issues related to the bariatric patient and especially those issues facing prehospital professional who care for them. In part II we discuss issues related to the access, immobilization, treatment, and transport ... Read More...

Relevant Tags: EMS, patients, obese, transport, weight, obese patients, morbidly obese, body weight, bariatric patients

Bob Bartosz | 07/05/2011

Shortly after 8 a.m. on May 16, 2011, firefighters from Rocky Mount, Nashville, Coopers Fire Companies, along with Nash County EMS units responded to a Train/Vehicle Collision on the railroad tracks on Old Spring Hope Road. When the units arrived they found a mangled car that had been struck by a freight train with a male occupant trapped inside. Firefighters went to work using the jaws of life while EMS stabilized the victim. Read More...

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By Will Long MD, Brett McGary MD and Edward Jauch MD MS | 07/05/2011

(This is part one of a two-part series on bariatric patients.) The Scope of the Epidemic The obesity epidemic is hard to miss for those working in health care professions; it is evident every day we work. Not only does obesity place the patient at increased risk of numerous diseases but healthcare providers face many additional challenges in evaluating and caring for the bariatric patient. This two part article will discuss issues related to the bariatric patient and especially those prehospital professional who care for them. Read More...

Relevant Tags: EMS, patients, obese, obesity, patient, airway, increased, obese patients, bariatric patients, health care, sleep apnea

| 07/05/2011

As a supervisor, haven’t you wondered what the issues are with social networking in the workplace? Have you ever wondered about medications that get diverted and what you can do about it? How do you move from the ambulance to a supervisor position? Read More...

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By David Pease | 07/05/2011

As we move into the summer, more folks will be traveling on vacations, putting more vehicles on the road. With the onset of higher and higher gas prices, more people are looking for alternatives for better mileage and types of fuels. We will continue to see a rise in the purchases of hybrids and even total electric cars in the future. Now the question is, will this pose new challenges to us as rescuers? In some ways it will, and in other ways it will not. Can we keep up with all this changing technology, probably not as well as we would like to. Even with computer software and books available, most folks do not have the time to study and reme... Read More...

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By Bradley Dean | 07/05/2011

Lennie has been working as an EMT-Paramedic for your EMS agency for about six months when you begin to notice some strange behavior. It seems as though lately he has been having communications difficulties with just about everyone around him. When you attempt to talk to him about it, he states that he likes being “independent,” “doing things his own way” and “never has problems with his coworkers, only the boss.” Read More...

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David S Bowen, RN | 04/29/2011

In the early 1970s, Wake County had a total of two ambulances, both of which were owned by a funeral home — a common practice at the time. When an injured or sick person needed to get to the hospital, it could be a while before one of those ambulances could be on the scene. It would be even longer before any sort of medical assistance could be issued since the ambulance driver was little more than just that — someone with a driver’s license and little, if any, medical training. Further complicating matters was the fact that 911 was in its infancy and available only on a spotty basis. Simply getting word that an ambulance was needed could take... Read More...

Relevant Tags: hospital, patient, ems, wake county, pre hospital, hospital care, emergency department, car crash

Jason Boan | 04/29/2011

In the last segment we talked about how the patient assessment helps the responders as much, as if not more, than the patient. By doing a thorough assessment, lots of hazards to the responders can be identified and avoided. Now you have your patient loaded into your unit and you’re on the way to the hospital. Read More...

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Amar Patel | 04/29/2011

It is 38 degrees outside. Roads are slightly wet. You are dispatched to a motor vehicle accident in a remote area of town, at the intersection of Smith road and Country road at three in the morning. You are the only unit available with an estimated 20-minute time of arrival. It is reported that your patient is unconscious. As you drive, you mentally prepare to respond to the scene. What questions do you ask yourself? Do you go ahead and alert the helicopter? Do you alert the hospital? Do you have a mutual aid agreement? Could the person who called 911 assist? Are you able to take care of more than one critical patient? How do you prepare to b... Read More...

Relevant Tags: trauma, training, simulation, providers, patient, trauma care, simulation based, life support, ems providers, advanced trauma

David Pease | 01/11/2011

For the past two years I have had the pleasure to lead a mission trip to Guatemala to train their folks in fire and rescue tactics. Both trips included a group of highly dedicated Instructors that gave their time and money to pass along their knowledge in these skills. The other ingredient in these trips, was the equipment that was donated allowing us to do the training that we did. I would like to dedicate this column to the many folks that made this possible. Read More...

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David Pease | 01/11/2011

By the time you read this we will be in the heart of the winter. Thanksgiving and Christmas will have come and gone, and we will be starting a new year. This is always a good time to reflect on the achievements of last year and set our goals for the new year. I do hope that everyone had a great Christmas and enjoyed the company of family and friends. Although coming late, I wish all a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours. Read More...

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Bob Twomey | 01/11/2011

Low angle rescue revolutions are those revolutions that are basically performed upon slopes less than vertical. Historically, these rescues are on slopes ranging from 15 degrees up to about 67.5 degree slope or grade. Technically, they are raises or lowers performed on any slope not considered vertical, or 90 degrees, which would then be considered “high angle” rescues, falling into the vertical raise or lower category. Read More...

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