Future of EMS? Interesting to see how this plays out.

Rockford is one of the largest communities outside of Chicago In northern Illinois. They are considering doing away with provided EMS service and turning it over to privatization. Would a hospital based EMS system work better? Fully private service? Will have to watch this. Government studies have shown that fire incidents are down and EMS incidents have been increasing for many years. Could this be the service of the future? Has fire based EMS reached the breaking point. With The government meddling in national health care could this be the next thing? We shall see?

Rockford leaders debate privatizing ambulance service - Rockford Register Star 

ROCKFORD — The Rockford Fire Department could more aptly be called the Rockford EMS Department, going on about 18,000 emergency medical service and rescue calls versus about 400 fire calls a year.

Read full story and comments here.

Who will get the contract? Free?

Hospitals offer Rockford free EMS training - Rockford Register Star

ROCKFORD IL — The aggressive battle waged among the city’s hospitals for the for the right to train Rockford paramedics could have a victor at Monday’s City Council meeting. For the past seven years, Swedish American Health System has served as the city’s resource hospital. For just $15,000 a year, the hospital trained about a dozen new Rockford paramedics and provided the required continuing education courses for the rest of the department. When city officials declined to give the contract to OSF, the hospital joined forces with Rockford Health System to offer — free of charge to the city — medical training to the Rockford Fire Department. Full Story Here at Rockford Register Star

Firefighter Close Calls reporting a couple or EMS collisions

Firefighter Close Calls has a couple of recent incidents involving EMS Vehicles. See all at www.firefighterclosecalls.com news

EMS LODD (TN) AMBULANCE HITS TN DOT TRUCK

Two people have been killed after an ambulance slammed into the back of a TDOT vehicle on Interstate 65 near Wedgewood Avenue. Officials said the Rural/Metro ambulance was travelling in the northbound lanes when it hit the truck.
The two fatalities are the driver of the ...  [  more  ]  

N.C. Responder Killed in Ambulance Crash  www.firefighterclosecalls.com news

N.C. Responder Killed in Ambulance Crash A first responder from the Fort Bragg military base was killed this morning (Oct. 22) in an ambulance crash while responding to a call, according to WTVD-TV. According to the National EMS Memorial Service, the responder was Param...  [  more  ]  

New TV series protested by IAFC EMS section

IAFC EMS Section Protests NBC Drama

from FIRE CHIEF | Every Department, Every Leader

The International Association of Fire Chiefs EMS Section is demanding that NBC cancel or modify its new drama series, Trauma. The association objects to the show’s portrayal of EMS providers.

You can judge for yourself at the networks web site and watch it HERE or HERE .

Where am I ??? Wild Ride

 

THE SOLE SURVIVOR OF A PICKUP TRUCK CRASH was able to make a connection to 9-1-1 Saturday morning around 3:30 am.  The truck was carrying four passengers, all of whom are believed to have been drinking, when it blew through a stop sign and then crashed through a gate leading into a rock quarry.  After crashing the gate, the speeding truck went up an incline and was temporarily airborne before landing on two large boulders that had been placed as barricades to prevent vehicles from driving into the quarry.  After teetering on the boulders for a few seconds, the truck fell off and plunged approx. 170 feet to the bottom of the pit.

Tulsa World photo

Three of the four were killed immediately, but the survivor, a 19-yr.-old girl, was able to get a cellphone signal.  Unfortunately she didn’t know where she was, but the dispatcher was able to discern that she was in the north area of the city before they lost the signal.

Police, fire and EMS spent about an hour searching in vain for the wreck until 5 am when the survivor got another call through.  After 45 minutes of careful questioning, the dispatchers narrowed the location down to the rock quarry where  the rescuers eventually found her.

KOKI-TV Ch. 23 filed this video report from the crash site in the quarry:

The caller seems to be the person who was driving and she is hospitalized in critical condition.  She is expected to survive, however.

Tulsa dispatch has released four 9-1-1 tapes in which you can hear the dispatcher talking to the woman and finding out the necessary information.  She did a good job, you’ll agree.  You can listen to the tapes HERE.

The Tulsa World has more of the STORY HERE.

St Paul FD EMS Fatal "Back Over" Report: FD DRIVER DIDN'T FOLLOW "SPOTTER/BACKER" POLICY (Other Factors As Well Including Witnesses Hearing The Backup Alarm) Update

UPDATE: DIDN\'T FOLLOW \"SPOTTER/BACKER\" POLICY

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Reports released Monday say the St. Paul ambulance crew that ran over a 79-year-old woman on June 20 did not follow recommended department guidelines.
The reports indicated people on the scene all heard the sound of the ambulance alarm beeping as it slowly backed down an alley in the 1600 block of James Avenue before running over and killing Margaret Adele Kuehn.
Police say driver Thomas Tommio Murakami, 57, was going just one or two miles per hour and no one was behind the ambulance guiding down the narrow alley—a practice recommended in department policy.
After a check of the vehicle, the Minnesota State Patrol says there were no mechanical problems with the rig.
Once Kuehn was hit, the reports describe a heroic effort to try and safe her. Several firefighters actually lifted the back end of the ambulance off the ground to free Kuehn.
The report says Kuehn had recently started wearing hearing aids and investigators believe she was not wearing them when the accident happened.
The city isn't commenting about the reports because of a possible lawsuit.

A yoga class too hot to handle ends with an EMS building burning. Pictures from Sparta, NJ.

news from STATter911.com

Photos by George Schick.

Watch video and interviews

Story by Rob Jennings at DailyRecord.com:

Up to 20 people, including a yoga class, were inside the Sparta Ambulance Squad building on Monday evening when a fast-moving fire engulfed the service bay area.
Everyone escaped safely but two of the squad's three ambulances were completely destroyed and a Dodge Durango first responder vehicle was damaged, authorities said.
The third ambulance was unscathed because it was out on a call when the fire was reported at 6:10 p.m. according to Mary Hookway, an 18-year volunteer.

The upper portion of the building sustained water and smoke damage. Hookway said a squad member who was inside when the fire broke out raced over to an adjoining room where the yoga class was being held.
"He told everyone to get out,'' she said.
Sparta police said today that their preliminary investigation showed that the fire started onboard one of the ambulances as an oxygen tank was being checked for pressure. There was lightning in the area around that time, prompting initial speculation that the stormy weather played a role, but authorities did not indicate any connection.
Hookway, the ambulance squad's public information officer, was standing outside the charred building at 10 a.m. today with other onlookers as investigators surveyed the damage.
She said that town officials are meeting today to ensure continued ambulance service, with mutual aid anticipated from neighboring Ogdensburg and elsewhere. She estimated that each of the destroyed ambulances, both insured and owned by the town, could cost up to $200,000 to replace.
The service bay area, an addition to the 36-year-old building at 14 Sparta Ave., was built in 1993. The ambulance squad, founded in 1947, has approximately 60 volunteers and owns the building.

Watch the Story Here - Fox News interviews paramedic and trooper over Oklahoma incident

Brian Wilson at Fox News is on the case in Oklahoma trying to learn more about the confrontation between Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Daniel Martin and the Creek Nation EMS crew. He snagged an interview with Paramedic Maurice White Jr. and even a little bit on camera with Trooper Martin.

Also, OHP now confirms that its investigation has been completed, that the trooper is on administrative leave and that the woman in the police car is Trooper Martin's wife.

What's up with the Swine Flu – What you must do

The swine flu media avalanche is causing an information overload. There are three things pertinent to the fire service that must be implemented immediately to protect your members, provide excellent patient care, and be a good public health partner. Here's the list:
Fire Service Leaders

1. Immediately notify all members and staff of the emerging problem.
   Review your plans using the CDC EMS Pandemic Preparedness checklist.
2. Set up an email list and web site to provide continual updates and info for your members.
3. Monitor news reports and government resources. Communicate with your local public health officials. Use the CDC minute-to-minute swine flu update site.

Communications Center/Dispatch Leaders

1. Implement severe respiratory infection (SRI) screening for all callers with chest pain, difficulty breathing, headache, or general illness (sick person). If using the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), activate the SRI drop down on ProQA or add the following questions to paper card numbers 6, 10, 18, and 26 for further interrogation: (a) has the patient recently been in Mexico (or other outbreak location) or exposed to anyone who has (paying particular attention to those who stayed for 7 days or longer)? (b) are they febrile or have a fever and, if so, is it higher than 101 F (38 C) and (c) do they have a cough or other respiratory illness symptoms?
2. Relay responses to these questions to EMS units before they arrive on scene.

Firefighters and EMS Providers

1. Request additional information from dispatch when sent to respiratory, sick person and fever related calls if limited initial dispatch information is provided.
2. Perform initial interview of all patients from at least 2 meters (6.5 feet) away to determine if personal protective equipment precautions are necessary.
3. Place a mask on all patients with suspected influenza symptoms before approach. Use a surgical mask or non-rebreather mask (when oxygen is required).
4. Avoid droplet producing procedures whenever possible including nebulizers, bag-valve-mask, suctioning or intubation. If bag-valve-masks are needed, use BVMs with HEPA filters whenever possible.
5. Recommended PPE for taking care of ill/potentially infected patients includes: gloves and N95 or better respirators. PPE should be donned and doffed according to published guidelines to prevent cross contamination, including faceshield/eye and gown protection when splash or airborne contamination is possible.
6. Alert receiving hospital personnel of the possibility of an infectious patient as soon as possible and hold suspected infectious patients in the ambulance until their destination in the hospital is known, rather than immediately moving them into the emergency department.
7. Perform a thorough cleaning of the stretcher and all equipment that has come in contact with or been within 2 meters (6.5 feet) with an approved disinfectant, upon completion of the call following CDC interim guidelines for cleaning EMS transport vehicles.

Remember that this is a continually evolving situation. The most severe flu cases so far have been mostly adults from ages 25 to 45, but patients of all ages have been infected, so the same precautions should be used for all patients. We need to stay on heightened alert until this threat has been controlled. As with all infectious diseases, always remember that hand washing is the number one way to decrease transmission! More at the CDC web site here.

DUI Medic Has License, Membership Suspended

A MEMBER OF THE SLEEPY HOLLOW (New York) Ambulance Corps. who crashed an emergency car while driving drunk last week appeared in court yesterday. The judge suspended his driver’s license until his scheduled court date of February 9 when he’ll be tried for driving while intoxicated, unauthorized use of a vehicle and criminal mischief, misdemeanors; and damage to village property.
Arron Rodriquez, 24, began his odyssey last Tuesday, Jan. 20, when he was hanging out in the squad headquarters while drinking. In the early morning hours he took the “fly car” - a vehicle stocked with emergency medical equipment and supplies - without permission and started driving down the road. Within a few minutes he crashed the car into a tree, then managed to drive the wrecked car back to the rescue squad building where he parked it and then left without telling anybody. The right front of the car was demolished and both front tires were flattened.

When somebody at the station called the police to report it, they got in touch with Rodriquez and administerd a breath test that showed a 0.19 level. He was then charged.
The Journal-News reports:
Mayor Phil Zegarelli, who has asked for a full investigation by the police chief, is questioning why it happened, wants the screening process for potential members re-examined and wants strict rules against having access to official cars after consuming alcohol.
The incident has also sparked a dispute between the mayor and the head of the ambulance corps, Capt. James Hayes. On Thursday, when Hayes denied a television news cameraman access to the crashed vehicle, the mayor had the head of the Public Works Department let that person inside.
Hayes was videotaped cursing at the mayor and announcing he quit. He later confronted the mayor at Village Hall and did the same, Zegarelli said. The mayor said he accepted the resignation, then was later told by Hayes that he didn’t quit.
The Lower Hudson Journal-News has this latest report HERE.

Florida Ambulance Crash Kills Two
A MARION COUNTY (FLORIDA) FIRE RESCUE ambulance was returning to quarters from a hospital early this morning (Saturday) when it collided with a car, killing the two passengers in the private auto.
The highway, US 41, was heavily shrouded in fog at the time and the driver of the 1991 Civic apparently did not see the stop sign as he entered the highway from a side road. As he pulled into the path of the ambulance, the FF driver swerved in an attempt to avoid the crash, but it was not in time.

The ambulance had a FF/EMT driver and two FF/Paramedics on board. None of them were injured. Both passengers in the car died immediately on the impact.
The Ocala Star Banner has the STORY.