Financial
Bart Valley | 10/18/2009

Last year’s stock market decline created significant stress for investors. Unfortunately, in times like last year, we often see investors panicking and moving out of risky assets such as stocks into safer holdings like savings accounts or Treasury bills. But the truth is these safer investments have never produced the kinds of real returns that most investors need. Safe investments like savings accounts or Treasury bills might eliminate investment risk, but they introduce another problem: purchasing power risk.

EXTRICATION EDUCATION
David Pease | 07/25/2010

When you read this, summer will be upon us. We will have already suffered through several close to record-breaking heat waves. With vacations and the heat, it is just hard to get folks to train much during the summer months. The first weekend in June, we did a heavy vehicle rescue class in Lumberton through Robeson Community College, and it was hot then. We stopped several times during the practical work to make sure everyone was able to cool down and get hydrated. If you are training this summer, make sure you provide some shade for cooling your folks down, plenty of water and Gatorade, and keep an eye on folks so you can catch a problem before it occurs.

Fire
Mike McMonagle | 04/26/2010

As we all know, “emergency response” involves more than just fighting fires or tending to someone who has been injured.  That is not to say that suppressing a fully involved structure fire or resuscitating an unresponsive heart attack victim are simple feats. Rather, they are the public-facing actions that are typically prefaced by behind-the-scenes information gathering and analyzing that is oftentimes performed while en route to the call. Whether it is a paramedic accessing past medical records, or a firefighter reviewing a building layout for a facility before arrival, the information that is available will ultimately shape the means by which the emergency — whatever it may be — is approached and handled.

| 01/22/2010

Metrolina Fire and Rescue, Inc. and Anchor-Richey EVS, Inc. have teamed together to offer fire departments and rescue squads a complete line of fire and rescue apparatus - and the service to go with it.

Equipment
Ron Moore | 01/11/2010

Rescuers across this country are becoming increasingly aware that automakers are integrating new, tougher and stronger steel into their newest model vehicles so they can meet new government crash standards. The industry term ‘Boron’ is becoming more and more familiar to vehicle rescue personnel as well as our rescue tool vendors. Boron is just one of the various types of a new alloy steel family that are called ‘advanced steels.’ Boron, Martensite, Dual Phase, and TRIP steel are all examples of this new generation of steel that is challenging rescue personnel. It is 25 percent lighter in weight and eight times stronger than the steel we are currently used to in vehicles.

EMS
Michael Arntz | 10/18/2009

Are electronic medical records necessary in the healthcare? How can electronic medical records be managed more effectively? This article will address those questions.

Electronic medical records (EMRs) have received a lot of attention recently from the healthcare community. Records are a very important part of the healthcare process and using computers wisely can only benefit the patient. If the proper information is gathered at registration this patient information will be reviewed by the healthcare provider. This information can be transferred to other providers or the hospital or other clinics if needed. This definitely saves time for both the patient and the front desk personnel and the healthcare provider.

Education and Training
DAVID PEASE — REDS Team | 04/26/2010

As the hurricane and storm season approaches, we need to evaluate our capabilities to perform swiftwater rescues. Of course, one major factor is your equipment. Do you have the required equipment for the task, and is it in proper working order. The next big question — “are my rescuers properly trained to use our equipment.” Having poorly trained folks with the best equipment would be like having a half million dollar fire engine and no one knows how to flow water out of it. It could prove to be a sad and embarrassing situation. So let’s look at some ways we can prepare our department for water rescue.

FIRE
Douglas Cline | 07/25/2010

As we embark on a new decade and plunge deeper into the millennium, changes are sure to occur. The fire service will surely see many of these changes. The place that we need to make changes initially is within ourselves as instructors. We must be prepared to meet these new challenges and a new millennium with a set of fully charged batteries.The task of change is extremely hard, as we are often times nostalgic. However, we must strive to reach new levels in education and training.

Health and Wellness
Cheryl Holland | 01/11/2010

Facing the end of life is a fact of life. It will happen to all of us. As someone who works in Emergency Medical Services, you understand that reality better than most. What can be avoided is putting those you love in the position of having to make confusing, heart-wrenching decisions on your behalf. By being prepared —by making your wishes known upfront —you can save a highly emotional time from becoming impossibly difficult.

Fire
JOE MANCOS | 01/11/2010

I have been told that to be successful in any emergency field you must “think outside the box.”In this article, we are going to explore rapid assessment and prehospital treatment of severe Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). The skull has been often described as the box the brain is enclosed in. With this in mind, let us review the basic anatomy, assessment and treatment for head injuries as well as some common pitfalls when treating the head injury patient in the prehospital environment.