Collaborating on Safety

In 2013, the National EMS Culture of Safety Strategy was published. The development of this document was funded by a NHTSA project grant to identify what constitutes a safe environment for EMS patients and practitioners; the challenges to achieving a safe EMS environment; and a strategy to overcome these challenges.

The Strategy envisioned the establishment of a national entity to coordinate these efforts, which led to the formation of the National EMS Safety Council in 2015.

The council is comprised of national EMS and safety organizations including the American Ambulance Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Center for Patient Safety and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT).

“The 12 national organizations that form the council are committed to implementing the recommendations contained in the strategy,” says NAEMT Executive Director Pamela Lane. “We are ‘biting off’ one idea at a time.”

In regard to the council’s immediate actions Lane says, “Promoting the adoption of the Just Culture concept within all EMS agencies is a main priority. The council just adopted a new position statement on this issue. Other priorities include enhancing the knowledge and skills of the EMS safety officer, and providing agencies with guidance on developing a safety program for their service.”

As part of that nationwide outreach the National EMS Safety Council will sponsor a four-hour EMS Safety Officer program at EMS World Expo in New Orleans.

The program includes the following presentations:

• How Lack of Sleep Is Making Us Slow, Stupid and Dangerous;
• Improving Safety Through Just Culture;
• Turning Mistakes Into Learning: Self-Reporting In Action;
• How To Create a Successful Behavioral Health Program;
• What Should Be Presented in OSHA/Infection Control Training.

Register today at EMSWorldExpo.com. To learn more about the National EMS Safety Council, visit EMSWorld.com/12226555.