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This Week in EMS: A Recap for Jan. 20 - 26, 2007
One of the top features on EMSResponder.com this week was the inspirational story of a cancer survivor has gone on to become one of the strongest women in the world, and is putting her new strength -- mental and physical - toward helping others.
Mary Jacobson was diagnosed with cancer in 1995 and faced an 11 percent chance of survival. Today, she is participating in strength competitions and is training as a firefighter and EMT with Lovettsville Volunteer Fire and Rescue in Virginia.
As if that weren't enough, the 5'4" volunteer has set herself a new challenge; to pull a fire engine to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The event will be held Saturday, January 27 at 10 a.m. in Lovettsville.
"I pull for people who can't," she said. "I've been there. I know how it is to be down."
Read more about Mary's journey to recovery and beyond in the feature article by EMSResponder.com writer Susan Nicol Kyle: Rescuer Pulls for Charity.
Another top feature on the site this week has been the podcast mini series by paramedic Greg Friese of Emergency Preparedness Systems, LLC. Greg is currently attending a training session in Israel organized by the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response. He is sending regular podcast reports to share the experience with EMSResponder.com visitors. Check back often over the next week for his latest updates.
For more details and to listen, visit: Israeli Mass Casualty - Terror Workshop Mini Series.
Among the top industry news this week was the death of a patient following a Pennsylvania ambulance crash. While ambulance crashes are fairly frequent, it is thankfully less often that we see the death of a patient or care provider as a result.
In this case, the patient did not sustain traumatic injuries. She was being transported because of a serious heart condition, and it was not immediately clear whether she went into cardiac arrest and died prior to the crash, or suffered a fatal heart attack because of or after the crash. Several responders were injured in the crash. For more on this story visit: Patient Pronounced Dead at Scene of Pa. Ambulance Crash.
This week also saw an update on the topic of live patients assumed by responders to be dead.
It came out last week that a Vancouver, Washington firefighter/paramedic had lost his state paramedic license after failing to follow protocols in determining a patient to be dead and failing to render aid. After he left the scene, police and an official with the medical examiner's office realized the mistake.
As we shared in last week's recap, that patient survived and was discharged from an area hospital. The rescuer was temporarily suspended and may continue to work as a firefighter only. (Dead Man Alive; Washington Paramedic Suspended.)
This week, a North Carolina newspaper followed up on the two-year anniversary of a similar case, except that this patient remains hospitalized with the possibility that he may never fully recover.
The two paramedics who made the determination that Green was dead were fired by the county. One has since reapplied and received his paramedic license from the state, although he said he is not working as a paramedic. The other was recertified as an EMT and could not be reached for comment. The medical examiner who initially dismissed the patient's signs of life continues to serve as Franklin County's medical examiner.
Among the changes in the county, are that all responding paramedics and EMTs now must attach patients to an EKG monitor to determine whether they're dead.
For more, read: After Body Bag, Life Goes On.
Other top headlines on EMSResponder.com this week:
