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This Week in EMS: Groundbreaking Drills
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Military Trains with Wisconsin Hospitals in Groundbreaking Disaster Drill
More than 3,000 troops worked with hospitals across southeastern Wisconsin this week in a groundbreaking military exercise simulating chemical attack or disaster. The scenario created hundreds of thousands of fictional casualties and the need for decontamination.
Hospitals in 10 Wisconsin counties were involved in this two-day drill, the largest in the nation this year. Officials said the goal was to communicate well, create future practices and save lives.
Stanford University Tests Drive-Through Swine Flu Screening
In another groundbreaking exercise, emergency medicine physicians at Stanford Hospital in California have created the first drive-through triage and treatment model, and they tested it last Friday -- in a hospital parking garage.
They conceived of the exercise to determine whether drive-throughs could be a safer and faster way to screen patients during a pandemic. The benefits to keeping patients in their cars might be to reduce the spread of infection and overcrowding in emergency departments.
Vermont EMT Dies in Ambulance Crash
Longtime Bennington Rescue Squad member Dale R. Long was killed Monday when he struck a tree while transporting a patient to Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. Three others were also rushed to area hospitals; a paramedic, a paramedic trainee and their 60-year-old female patient.
Long was Bennington Rescue Squad's EMT of the year in 2008, and also received the Star of Life award last year from the state of Vermont, which is awarded to an EMT who shows the greatest commitment to the job.
Industry News:
DHS Announces Nearly $1.8 Billion in Fiscal Year 2009 Preparedness Grants
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced this week nearly $1.8 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) preparedness grants designed to help states, urban areas, tribal governments and non-profit agencies improve their readiness by enhancing protection, prevention, response and recovery capabilities for all disasters.
Featured Podcast:
Safety Week for EMS Series
Each day this week we presented a new podcast in recognition of the 2009 Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week. Chief Gary Ludwig, Chairman for the EMS Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the sponsor of Safety Week, discusses his top safety concerns and advice for EMS responders.
- Crime Scenes and Assailants
- Health and Wellness
- Driving
- Staging for Scene Protection
- Courtesy and Customer Service
- Illness and Injury Prevention
- Helicopter Operations
For additional related features from both EMSResponder.com and Firehouse.com, visit our special Safety Week page.
Online Exclusive:
"Identity theft was, in large part, the driving force behind the HIPAA Security Rule implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services. Now, another agency is taking aim at preventing identity theft, and we get to help," writes EMS Magazine contributor G. Christopher Kelly. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced the "Red Flag Rules," and will begin to enforce the rules on August 1, 2009, for most healthcare providers.
Featured Job:
EMT, Paramedic - Laurens County, SC
In addition to the normal 911 response, Laurens County EMS is an active participant in the county's SORT Team. The specialties employed within this team are technical rescue, search and rescue, water rescue, tactical medic, and hazardous materials.
Click above for details and visit www.EMSResponder.com/jobs for additional listings.
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Featured Forum Thread:
EMSResponder.com readers weigh in on the highly publicized scuffle between an Oklahoma state trooper and a paramedic.
Follow the link to read more, or browse other topics at www.emsresponder.com/forums.
Poll Question:
As part of Safety Week, we continue to ask our readers: Do you ever worry about your safety, while on duty as an EMS responder?
Reminders:
Announcing the Robert G. Nixon Memorial Foundation EMS EXPO Scholarship
The Robert G. Nixon Memorial Foundation was created to provide access to educational opportunities for deserving EMS professionals. The deadline for applications is August 3.
SafetyCare Accepting Nominations to Honor Extraordinary EMT with Annual Award
SafetyCare, a national leader in Personal Emergency Response Systems, is seeking nominees for the third-annual Jack and Rosemary Gulati SafetyCare Awards. Deadline for nominations is July 31.
EMS EXPO Announces Photo Contest for 2009
For the second year, EMS EXPO is looking for photos of EMS/rescue/fire professionals in the field, at training events or in the workplace. Photos must be received by September 18, 2009
Other top headlines this week on EMSResponder.com:
- Oklahoma Paramedic Calls for Trooper's Badge
- Hundreds Honor Fallen Maine Paramedic
- Stolen Insulin Appears Back on the Market
- Texas Paramedic, Woman in Ambulance Crash
- Polish Woman Wakes Up in Morgue
- Mayo Helicopter Makes Unscheduled Landing
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.
