2013 EMS Year in Review

The Affordable Care Act has presented a multitude of issues throughout the year that will have bearing on emergency services, ranging from efforts to anticipate the effects of more people being insured and changes to reimbursements, to the infamous troubled website rollout and most recently, to whether the mandate for employer-based coverage will apply to volunteer responders. Legislation was introduced in December in an attempt to make sure that volunteer agencies will be exempt.

It has also been a big year for discussion on mental health care accessibility, as concern regarding mass shootings draws attention not only toward questions of gun control but toward addressing and preventing the reasons behind the violence. Mental health issues also rose to the forefront due to the revelation that mental health patients from a Nevada facility were getting bused out of state with no plan or destination, and the case of the Virginia state senator who was stabbed by his son after he was reportedly released because mental health workers were unable to find a psychiatric bed for him. This issue also saw legislation introduced in December.

It has also been a major year for news relating to technology. Topics have included social media, as it has been increasingly embraced by governments and emergency response agencies in an official capacity. It has also continued to be the undoing of responders who post material deemed inappropriate, including the high profile case of the EMT son of the commissioner of the FDNY. Additional topics in technology have included telemedicine; cloud computing for coordinated global emergency response; the potential medical applications of Google Glass; the emerging risks of printed plastic guns; the integration of tablet computers; and the potential use of drones in emergency response.

Community paramedicine and mobile integrated health care have also proven a top trend in 2013, with services around the country announcing programs. 

Drug topics have also been high ranking in this year’s headlines, ranging from concerns over synthetic drugs, to Krokodil, to prescription drug shortages.

As for as events, two of the most shocking incidents of 2013 were major explosions that occurred just days apart: the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15 that killed three people and injured more than 170, and the explosion of the West, Texas fertilizer plant on April 17 that killed 12 responders. Another of the most devastating events of the year was the May 20 tornado in Moore, Oklahoma that destroyed the Moore Medical Center and landed a direct blow on the Plaza Towers Elementary School. In international disaster news, some of the most devastating events included the April 24 Bangladesh factory collapse that killed 1,127 and the deaths of thousands in November due to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Here is a roundup of headlines that illustrate some of the year's top news topics:

January

NTSB Report Released in Iowa Medical Chopper Crash: A medevac chopper crash claimed the lives of all three crew members aboard.

West Virginia EMT Killed in Ambulance, Semi Crash: A West Virginia EMT was killed when an ambulance collided with a flatbed semi on an interstate.

February

Pennsylvania EMS Provider Killed Responding to Call: A Pennsylvania EMS responder was killed in a crash while responding to a call in his personal vehicle.

Unmanned Aircraft Offer Responders Eye in the Sky: Soon, responders across the country could have an eye in the sky thanks to an emerging market of camera-equipped, unmanned aircraft -- also known as drones -- designed for response agencies to monitor Hazmat incidents, search and rescue operations and both wildland and structure fires.

March

D.C. Officer Who Waited 20 Minutes for Ambulance Leaves Hospital: The officer left the hospital in May after the March 5 incident, a high profile case that contributed toward investigations into D.C. response times. 

EMT Son of FDNY Fire Commissioner Resigns After Posting Racist Tweets: The son of NYC Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano released tweets against everyone from Jews to blacks to the poor, and said he had the "worst job."

April

Explosions at the Boston Marathon: Three people were reported killed and more than 170 injured during two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, 2013.

Experts Discuss Boston Bomb Response Lessons: Numerous public safety officials including Boston EMS Chief James Hooley participated in a talk about the medical response to the incident.

Fertilizer Plant Blast in West, Texas: The West Fertilizer Co. plant exploded April 17 and killed 12 responders.

Texas Memorial Service: The service in Waco honored 12 fire and EMS responders who perished in the West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion.

FDNY EMT Accused of Racial Tweets Quits: EMS Lt. Timothy Dluhos, known as the “Bad Lieutenant” on Twitter, resigned from the FDNY after tweeting racist comments and posting a picture of an overweight patient.

2011 Medical Helicopter Crash Linked to Texting: This was the first time the NTSB uncovered evidence of texting or mobile-phone use during a flight involved in a fatal accident.

Ga. Man Planned Firefighters' Kidnapping for Weeks: A gunman who lured firefighters to his home with an emergency call, then held four of them hostage for hours, planned the kidnapping for weeks, targeting them so he wouldn't be shot. 

May

Deadly Tornado Hits Oklahoma: A May 20, 2013 tornado ripped through Oklahoma, leaving dozens dead.

Survivor Found in Bangladesh Rubble 17 Days After Collapse: The garment factory worker waved her hand to get attention.

Phoenix Firefighter Fatally Crushed Between Engine and Ambulance: A young Phoenix firefighter died after being pinned between a fire engine and an ambulance.

Impact of Affordable Care Act on EMS Discussed at CFSI: The IAFF's Lori Moore-Merrill said there are not enough primary care providers to meet the needs of the Affordable Care Act, and agencies should conduct a needs assessment.

Mobile Integrated Healthcare Summit Debuts at EMS World Expo 2013: EMS executives and medical directors who are already making the transition to a mobile healthcare delivery model came together to help agencies prepare for the new age of mobile healthcare.

June

Three Killed in Kentucky Medevac Helicopter Crash: Killed were Flight Paramedic Herman "Lee" Dobbs, Flight Nurse Jesse Jones and Pilot Eddie Sizemore.

Medevac Chopper Crashes in Oklahoma; One Killed: Three others aboard the helicopter were hurt in the crash in Talihina.

July

San Francisco Runway Death Prompts Crash Rescue Training: Following the July incident, training was implemented in December after it was revealed that rescuers lacked crash rescue training and had fatally run over a survivor twice.

Paramedic who Found Hot Shots Was Calm, Straightforward: An Arizona state helicopter paramedic was calm and straightforward as he radioed in the first confirmation that 19 firefighters were dead in a blaze northwest of Phoenix.

HHS and Emergency Medicine Partnering to Implement Obamacare: The Department of Health & Human Services will “strategically insert emergency care and principles of emergency preparedness into every aspect of the health care system,” according to a published paper.

August

New Ambulances, Paramedics Announced for Struggling D.C. Fire and EMS: The additions will still leave the District of Columbia well short of staffing levels in similar-sized cities.

N.J. Judges: Text a Driver and You Could Liable for Crash: Judges ruled that if the sender of text messages knows that the recipient is driving, a court may hold the sender responsible for distraction.

September

Radio Transmission Reveals Insight into Navy Yard EMS Response: Twelve victims were slain in the mass shooting at the D.C. military installation on Sept. 16.

Kenya Mall Death Toll at 62; Two Terrorists Killed:The multi-day terrorist siege began Sept. 21 in Nairobi.

Colorado Flood Rescues: Thousands of homes were evacuated, damaged and/or left inaccessible after several days of extreme rainfall described as a 100-year flood.

Consortium: Cloud to Transform Future of Disaster Response: An industry and government team came together Sept. 12 to demonstrate how cloud computing could improve response time, collaboration and mission success for international disaster relief.

Twitter Launches Emergency Alert System: Twitter launched Twitter Alerts, to serve as an emergency broadcast system of the social media age.

D.C. Chief in Charge of Fleet Maintenance Demoted:The demotion came after it was revealed that bent aluminum street signs were used as makeshift heat shields inside four ambulance engine compartments.

October

Design Blamed for Health Plan Website Woes: A decision to require that consumers create online accounts to browse available health plans under President Barack Obama's overhaul reportedly led to many of the program's technical problems.

USFA Releases Fire/EMS Guide for Active Shooter Response: The guidelines provided the first specific recommendations for utilization of EMS personnel in "warm zones."

Drug Expert Explains Facts on Krokodil: As the flesh-rotting drug Krokodil grabs media headlines around the U.S., drug expert and EMS World Expo speaker Lynn Riemer says the cause for concern is real.

Orderly Had Reported Woman in San Francisco Hospital's Stairwell: After a botched search, the body of a patient was found in a fire exit stairwell at San Francisco General Hospital 17 days after she went missing from her hospital room.

Virtual Operations Support Teams Harness Social Media: VOST is a team of professional emergency managers and disaster volunteers around the country that lends virtual support to those on the site of a disaster.

November

Suspect Shot Inside Children's Hospital of Wisconsin: An armed man was holding a baby in the neonatal unit when officers told him he was under arrest. After the confrontation, the infant was found to have suffered a skull fracture.

Stabbed N.J. EMT May Have Been Ambushed for Drugs: The victim told the assailant she had no drugs, but he dragged her into a stairwell, stabbed her in the side and fled.

Haiyan Storm Surges Caught Philippines by Surprise: The typhoon devastated cities, towns and villages, and killed thousands, including many who had huddled in government shelters.

TSA Officer Left Bleeding for 33 Minutes in LAX Shooting: Officials were examining whether paramedics should have been allowed into the terminal earlier.

Va. Lawmaker's Stabbing Spotlights State Mental Health Issues: The attack has drawn attention to Virginia's release of people who present a threat to themselves or others, but cannot find room in the state's system.

FDA Aims to Prevent and Mitigate Drug Shortages: An FDA document released in October outlines the causes for U.S. drug shortages and a strategic plan to avoid them.

UA Medical Students Work to Implement Google Glass in EMS: A recent simulation represented what the two hope the Google Glass can accomplish in real-world medicine: enhance prehospital patient care.

December

Report: Newtown Gunman's Motive Still Unknown: As the 1-year anniversary of the elementary school mass shooting approached, a yearlong investigation was released that provided disturbing insights, but still no motive.

Federal Bill Would Shield Volunteer Responders From Health Care Law: It is still unclear whether the mandate affects volunteer workers, a situation that is awaiting a ruling by the Internal Revenue Service.

New Legislation Aims to Fix Mental Health System: U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, a clinical psychologist, said his legislation focuses on fixing the problems and barriers faced by those in need of help.

Questions Remain in Sudden First Med Shutdown: The private medical transportation company headquartered in Wilmington, N.C. abruptly closed its doors and laid off hundreds of employees without notice in multiple states.

Former Texas Paramedic Sentenced in Pipe Bomb Case: A former paramedic in West, Texas was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty in a pipe bomb case that wasn't linked to the fatal fertilizer plant blast.

Threat of 3D-Printed Plastic Guns Expected to Grow: Despite the renewal of a 10-year ban on undetectable firearms, officials say they will pose an increasing threat.

Nevada Governor Names Board to Address Mental Health System: The mental health system was criticized following news that the Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Health Hospital bused patients out of state without adequate treatment plans. 

Survey Shows Drop in Teen Use of Synthetic Drugs: The NIH study shows a drop from 11 to 8 percent of high school seniors saying they've used some type of synthetic marijuana this year.