Month in Review: November 2016

EMS World is dedicated to bringing readers the most current and relevant information. At the end of every month, we present the top news stories, videos and most popular social media posts of the month. Here is the month in review for November 2016.

Top news

A Canadian firefighter/paramedic had to be treated with Narcan after what officials suspect was exposure to fentanyl. Officials say the paramedic began feeling high was experiencing some respiratory distress after leaving the residence, and was immediately treated with Narcan by paramedics. The paramedic was shaken up, but made a full recovery and returned to work. Alex Forrest, president of the United Firefighters of Winnipeg, says he believes this is the first case of a first responder in Winnipeg accidentally ingesting a dangerous amount of the drug.

A Calif. man died after fleeing an ambulance and jumping from the third floor of a parking garage. The patient was cooperative at the scene, but when the ambulance doors opened at the hospital, the man unstrapped himself and exited the vehicle. The man then ran to the third story of the parking garage and jumped off. The man was taken into the hospital’s emergency room, but pronounced dead.

A Texas volunteer firefighter was offered a plea deal in charges that stemmed from an apparent hazing incident in January of 2015. If the Keith Wisakowsky, 28, pleads guilty to a Class A misdemeanor assault charge, he would be sentenced to two years of probation, and four others involved in the case would have their charges dropped. The charges stemmed from allegations that the group of five bent another firefighter over and sexually assaulted him with a broomstick and a sausage.

A Md. fire lieutenant’s Facebook posts came under investigation from the Baltimore County Fire Department after he used a social media account to discuss racial tensions in the department. The posts cautioned co-workers not to “start behaving like their ancestors during Slavery and Pre-Civil rights days.” The county fire department also has its own social media policy, which prohibits fire employees from posting things that constitute harassment, hate speech or libel. The Facebook post also tells co-workers "We are a new generation of African Americans and you will get yo (expletive) whipped."

An Australian ambulance service launched a campaign to ask the public to reconsider if their situation is actually an emergency. The “Is Your Urgency an Emergency?” campaign was launched after figures showed a high number of people calling for paramedic care for relatively minor ailments, such as sprains, coughs, colds, headaches, hiccups or sleeplessness. For example, in the 2015-2016 fiscal year, 540 people called for paramedics for toothaches, and 236 called because they couldn’t sleep. Senior Assistant Commissioner David Dutton, Executive Director Service Delivery, said the campaign is designed to ensure non-emergency patients are aware of the wide range of treatment pathways available to them.

Top videos

Fla. City to Charge “Treat, no Transport” Fee—The city of Hollywood made a decision to charge people who call for an ambulance and are treated, but not taken to the hospital. The fee is $160 for residents and $200 for non-residents. The service estimates the fee will generate about $400,000 per year.

Ohio Firefighters Under Investigation for Handing Out Halloween Candy While on Duty—The city of Brook Park put a group of firefighters under investigation after they took a truck and other gear out into the streets to hand out Halloween candy to children. The problem is they took two-thirds of our firefighting equipment and went out trick or treating," Brook Park Mayor Tom Coyne says. "I can think of no compelling reason that an officer in charge of a shift would take our emergency folks out, whose job is to protect this town, on a trick or treating expedition."

Service Dog Rides in Ambulance to Help Paramedic With PTSD—Star, a service dog in Toledo, Ohio, rides in the ambulance with her owner to help him cope with his PTSD. The owner, Louis Belluomini is a paramedic and an Army veteran. He served for nine years, and did tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. At first, Belluomini turned to medicine for help, but says Star is the biggest help now.  

Calif. Family Sues Ambulance Company for Social Media Post—Keyano Fiel received life threatening injuries leading to a leg amputation and brain damage in a motorcycle accident. His family is now suing the ambulance company that transported him after a paramedic in the ambulance took a photo of him during the transport and posted it to social media.

Social Media Comments Lead to Suspension for Texas Captain—A Texas captain received a 30-day suspension after posting “inappropriate comments” on his Facebook page. A memo sent out by the department did not specify what was said in those comments. The department's social media policy prohibits firefighters from using obscene language to ridicule, threaten, harass, or express bias against anyone.

Top Facebook posts

Humility, Compassion and Determination—An EMS World article by Josh Pelonio explains why humility, compassion and determination are the key components to a successful career for a young person in EMS.

Officer Survival Solutions Provides Covert Protection—Officer Survival Solutions created a style of protective body armor that mimics the standard firefighter turncoat. The product was created in an effort to provide protection while keeping the distinction between fire and police.

High Performance EMS—A video from High Performance EMS’ Facebook page demonstrates how to use Tegaderm to help eliminate any issues that may come with using a BVM on a patient with a beard.

NSW Ambulance Creates “Is Your Urgency an Emergency?” Campaign—The campaign, which aims to educate the public about when it is and isn’t ok to call EMS, was launched earlier this month. In Australia in the past year, 287 people called EMS for earaches, 61 called because they were itchy and 10 called because they had the hiccups.

Nightwatch Returns—A&E’s reality show following New Orleans EMS paramedics, Nighwatch, set its return date for Dec. 1.  The cast of Nightwatch recently held a series of Q&As at EMS World Expo 2016 in New Orleans

In memoriam

Jermaine Frye, 31, Colorado Springs, Colo., was a firefighter/paramedic for the Cimarron Hills Fire Department. Frye was released from the hospital after an on-duty injury, and less than 24 hours later went into cardiac arrest and died. His death left a “huge void” in the department, says Fire Captain Matt Gortner. Frye had been involved as a first responder since high school, and took his promise to serve seriously, Gortner says. Frye was involved in search and rescue efforts during Hurricane Katrina and received a medal of honor from President Barack Obama for his role as a first responder in the 2012 mass shooting in an Aurora, Colo., movie theatre.

Jake Shepherd, 24, Logan, Utah, was a paramedic for Mountain West Ambulance in Tooele County, Utah. Shepherd was killed when an air ambulance he was on crashed in Nevada. The plane was transporting a cardiac patient for open heart surgery when it crashed across the highway from the airport. Shepherd and three others were killed. The cause of the crash is unknown at this time.