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This Week in EMS: A Recap for Aug. 9 - 15, 2008
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A new program is preparing West Point cadets for the battlefields of Iraq or Afghanistan by putting them through EMS shifts with the New York Fire Department (FDNY).
"This place is a proving ground," said Benjamin Zederbaum, who runs the recently established cadet medical intensive training course at West Point. "It's trial by fire. There's drama here. This is a tough town."
Read more at FDNY 'Proving Ground' for Military.
A "worst case" training scenario unfolded for real this Sunday in Maryland when a tractor-trailer smashed through a barrier on the Bay Bridge and fell into the Chesapeake Bay below.
Area rescue crews cooperated to handle two separate accident scenes - one on the narrow bridge span and another in the water about 30 to 40 feet below. Two accident victims were rushed from the scene, and the truck driver's body was recovered from the water.
Read the full story at Maryland Responders Shocked by Accident Scenario.
Also this week, a small "Angel Flight" plane providing free transportation for a patient in need of medical treatment crashed Tuesday in a grocery store parking lot in Easton, Massachusetts.
All three people on board the single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza were killed, but no one was injured on the ground outside the Hannaford supermarket. Those onboard were the pilot and a couple traveling from Long Island to Boston.
Read more at 3 Killed in Massachusetts 'Angel Flight' Crash.
Industry News:
Ferno Issues Notice of Cot Field Inspection
Ferno is conducting a field inspection on a limited range of Model 35X cots. Those with Serial Numbers between 06 002156 and 07 054091 (manufactured between January 17, 2006 and August 16, 2007) need to inspect their cots and contact Ferno Technical Support.
National EMS Memorial Bike Ride Announces Logo Contest
"The 2008 logo has served us well," ride officials say, "but, with a new year and a new ride, it only seemed right that there also be a new logo." The contest runs from August 1, 2008 through September 1, 2008.
Next Week on EMSResponder.com: Free Webcast
Caution! Emergency Responders on the Roadway Ahead
August 20, 2008 - 1 pm (ET)
Did you know that upcoming standards will call for emergency responders to wear high visibility vests on roadways and striping on apparatus? This webcast, presented by the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, will cover these life-saving issues. Click above to register for this live event!
Featured Training Column:
The 'Fit Responder'
Introduction to Functional Fitness Testing
EMS fitness expert Bryan Fass asks, "If the injury rates are so high, workers' compensation costs are soaring and re-injury is prevalent in most field personnel, are the fitness tests currently being used valid?
"The answer is that there are better and more 'functional' tests," he says, including the Overhead Squat Test.
New Podcast:
Virginia EMS Systems Planner Tim Perkins shares the haunting memory of his first EMS response when he was 16 years old. This "Open Airways" podcast is created by Fisdap and EMSResponder.com.
Featured Job:
Paramedic (EMT-P) -- Mecklenburg County, NC
Medic, the Mecklenburg EMS Agency, responds to more than 85,000 calls a year for service in bustling Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, which includes Charlotte and six surrounding towns. In addition to providing Advanced Life Support services countywide to a population of more than 800,000, Medic dispatches all of its own calls and those for 16 volunteer fire and rescue departments.
Click for details and visit www.EMSResponder.com/jobs for additional listings including:
- Regional Sales Manager, Ambulance Manufacturer -- Van Wert, OH
- Corporate Director -- Winchester, VA
- Candidates for Paramedic Training -- New Castle, DE
Featured Forum Thread:
"Is it impossible to work full-time while going to medic school? ...I have heard varying opinions from different people who have gone through it," writes forum member schang7.
Click above to weigh in, or browse the forums at www.emsresponder.com/forums.
Poll Question:
Should 911 systems upgrade to accept photos, video and text messages?
Click to participate, and view previous polls at www.EMSResponder.com/polls.
Reminders:
5.11 Tactical, EMS EXPO & EMS Magazine to Sponsor 2008 Photo Contest
We're looking for photos of EMS/rescue/fire professionals in the field, at training events or in the workplace. Your photos could be featured in advertising campaigns, marketing materials or EMS Magazine. Entries must be submitted by September 16, 2008.
Call for Registration: EMS EXPO 2008!
Registration is open for EMS EXPO 2008. The conference takes place October 13-17 in Las Vegas, NV. Register early for the best conference rates and to guarantee your placement in limited classes.
Registration Open: EMS Study Tour
An EMS Study Tour will embark on a multi-city tour Oct. 7 - 14, 2008 and will end in Las Vegas, where participants will speak with attendees at EMS EXPO.
To learn about the tour and to register visit https://worldemstour.ncemsi.org.
To submit case studies for possible review in EMS Magazine, e-mail Nancy.Perry@cygnusb2b.com.
Free Poster: Do You Care Enough to ICARE?
A poster is currently in design to illustrate the ICARE principles. To request a free copy, e-mail your name, title, agency name and mailing address to nancy.perry@cygnusb2b.com.
Other top headlines this week on EMSResponder.com:
- Philadelphia Man Impaled on Fence
- North Carolina EMT Develops New Nosebleed Treatment
- Coming Soon: Send a Text to 9-1-1
- Seattle Man Flees Accident with Paramedic in His Car
- Hair-Raising California Freeway Rescue Caught on Tape
About Heather Caspi, EMSResponder.com Editor-in-Chief
Heather Caspi has been a public safety journalist since 2000, beginning as a reporter for sister site Firehouse.com. She later became the assistant news editor for Firehouse.com and Officer.com, and led the launch of EMSResponder.com in 2005. She graduated from the University of Maryland with degrees in Journalism and English Language and Literature, and earned her EMT-B at Merritt College in Oakland, California. She can be reached at Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.
