This Week in EMS: A Recap for Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 2006

This week marked the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the vast, ongoing response efforts that proceeded.

In an EMSResponder.com special report, senior news writer Susan Nicol Kyle provides an update on the recovery of the EMS systems in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region.

The report finds that EMS crews will likely feel Katrina's fury for years to come. Staffing shortages, extended time in emergency departments, and increased call volumes are among issues facing EMS departments.

"It will be five to 10 years before we reach pre-Katrina status," says Steve Filipe, emergency services coordinator in a Louisiana region that includes Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes.

The added stress has taken its toll on providers, many of whom have quit, retired or pushed ahead career change plans. "We could hire 150 paramedics tomorrow," Filipe said.

Other anniversary coverage this week included articles on the continued struggles of Gulf Coast fire departments, a ceremony honoring Katrina's responders and related news in the Industry Wire section, regarding a home ownership initiative for New Orleans responders and the release of PC-based disaster simulation software.

To hear more about New Orleans EMS one year post-Katrina, visit EMS Expo this September to hear presentations by NAEMT President Kenneth Bouvier and city EMS Director Jullette Saussy. They will share their personal observations during the keynote address, after new FEMA Director R. David Paulison.

For further analysis of the effects of Hurricane Katrina, read the upcoming cover report in the Sept. issue of EMS Magazine by associate editor John Erich, in which he examines the question, "Are We Ready Now?" This report will look at where we are in terms of disaster management and terrorism preparedness in light of the one-year anniversary of Katrina and the five-year anniversary of 9/11.

In other news this week, there was an update to last week's article out of the Philadelphia Inquirer regarding the city's policy on Narcan dosage. Treatment has been under debate for patients suffering overdoses of fentanyl-laced heroin. According to the latest report, Philadelphia will finally allow medics to administer higher doses of Narcan.

The most popular article on the website this week was Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Introduces Motorcycle Medic Team. In this article, EMSResponder.com reporter Paul Peluso gives a detailed report of how and why the department has created a program to send its medics out on Harleys. The response to this program by Miami paramedics was overwhelming, as was the number of readers.

News you can use:

New FEMA Director Changing How the Organization Operates

Changes will be in store in the way that FEMA responds to disasters. This article outlines some of R. David Paulison's plans to improve agency communications, logistics during an emergency, debris handling and the way that residents prepare for a disaster.

Special Session Added to EMS Expo

A panel of experts will come together at EMS Expo in Las Vegas this September to discuss the Institute of Medicine's "Future of Emergency Care" report. Expo visitors can look for the new session, titled: The Institute of Medicine Report: Addressing the Crisis in EMS.