How Education Benefits Community Risk Reduction

When we consider that EMS is a business that provides prehospital care at the highest levels to vulnerable populations, it is important for industry leaders to explore the application of education beyond clinical care and degrees. In the nonclinical educational world, the concept of being able to research and apply information learned to address problems is a key benefit to having educated providers. Learning to conduct and use research can be accomplished in a formal educational environment, such as postsecondary education, or through independent learning. 

Applying Education 

To understand this more, let’s explore the concept of applying education to community risk reduction. 

Community risk reduction is defined by the National Fire Protection Administration’s NFPA 1300 Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development as a process in which local communities identify and prioritize local risks, then work to strategically reduce them through investing in processes to improve the community.¹ This improvement can be achieved through initiatives like educational outreach and community paramedicine programs.

To further understand how education and applicable theories can be applied to community risk reduction, a quick Google Scholar search around EMS community risk-reduction returns topics such as occupational fatalities and personal protective equipment. But what does this all mean, and how does it relate to education?

The answer lies in the fact that advancing education within the EMS industry allows EMS professionals to become scholar professionals. Within this title we expect to find a person with an industry understanding who can also provide an analysis of multiple data points or articles. Consider that our simple search of a 4-word phrase returned more than 16,000 articles, not all of which were directly related to community risk reduction. 

Creating an Informed Professional

Applying the learned skills of research and data analysis is most important when developing objective project proposals such as for community risk-reduction programs. Proposals for improving the long-term health of the community should be presented with an unbiased approach supported by data.

Education on theories and practical application of research methods and literature reviews creates informed professionals, industries, and communities being served. This better-informed professional provides a greater ability to assist in developing, maintaining, and reporting on successes of community risk-reduction programs, all of which are critical areas.²  

As the adage goes, “If you’ve seen one EMS system, you’ve seen one EMS system.” Some agencies are content to operate under their status quo, and others want to advance and become market leaders. Such advancement requires being able to utilize methods of quality improvement and data and literature analysis to explore the communities around us. In most communities EMS can be a wealth of data and information on local health care needs. 

Through thorough review and analysis, this wealth of data and information can be used to create trend reports. Agency leaders can focus on key quality improvement metrics that advance the health and safety of their communities. Through practical application and applying the knowledge gained through research education, we can expand upon the normal trend report. While traditionally a trend report is used to show change and performance enhancements or regressions in specific areas, it can also show local impacts of disease and injury and how risk-reduction professionals improve the overall health and safety of a community.

Data Is Key 

With such a wealth of useful data, the question becomes how to tackle this problem. The answer? One step at a time. As EMS leaders the task is tackling the risks that impact the health and safety of our community. With the application of education—whether formal, through higher education, or informal, through independent study and self-education—this wealth of data can inform a community risk-reduction plan.

The plan should encompass community paramedicine or other activities that relate to education or engagement to change behaviors and improve health. Yet, as leaders, when developing plans based on our knowledge and analysis, we need to remember some key elements that can help our programs be more successful. These include creating goals and mission and vision statements, understanding the demographics of our communities, and ultimately determining expectations of the risk-reduction model based on prioritized risks.² 

Once the goals of the program have been established, you can begin to develop the concepts of implementation using a 6-step process.² These steps include:

1. Assigning resources—This can be as simple as assigning staff to manage a car seat safety inspection site or as complex as developing a community paramedicine program to address known community health concerns. 

2. Preparing milestones or benchmarks—We want to know if any risk-reduction program is being effective. To determine this we must establish milestones or benchmarks of success. This is a key area that links to monitoring and adjusting the program.

3. Assigning responsibility—It doesn’t take someone with a rank or position of authority to have responsibility. As leaders we need to create bench strength within our organizations. Empowering others to lead community risk-reduction programs not only strengthens the next generation of leaders but creates a more engaged workforce.

4. Ensuring everyone understands goals and expectations—Communication is key. While establishing responsibility, creating metrics and benchmarks to measure success, and providing resources are important, failing to communicate the goals, vision, and mission of the program will be a barrier to overall success.

5. Monitoring progress—Community risk-reduction programs are not simple efforts that get started and continue without input. You must monitor the progress of your programs. Use your data to drive your 
decision-making processes. Ask key questions to make sure programs are meeting their milestones 
and benchmarks.

6. Adjusting as needed—Remember that communities are not stagnant, nor are the risks they face. Being flexible allows your program to remain relevant. 

Conclusion

While each of these steps is critical to implementing and managing a community risk-reduction program, getting to them requires knowledge. This knowledge goes beyond the mere understanding that communities face risks and that it is our duty as EMS professionals to improve the quality of life for the citizens we serve. The true knowledge needed here comes from education and application of learned concepts and theories. 

As EMS leaders we must understand the value of continual education beyond the clinical aspects of the industry. While a whole series could be written strictly on the aspects of community risk reduction, understanding how to assess community needs, evaluate literature to know the impacts of current work by others, and evaluate and benchmark successes comes from learning skills beyond the clinical environment. 

As leaders who want to ensure and improve the health and safety of our communities, it is critical for us to learn skills beyond those of our certification or license level. I challenge each of you to consider the various aspects of education you can obtain to initiate programs and reduce risk within your community.  

Learn more as author Aaron Rhone elaborates in a related podcast.

References

1. National Fire Protection Association. NFPA 1300 Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development. Accessed March 10, 2022. www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=1300

2. Vision 20/20. Plan preparation. Accessed March 10, 2022. https://riskreduction.strategicfire.org/prepare-crr-plan/plan-preparation 

Aaron M. Rhone, PhD, holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in organizational leadership from Northcentral University and has 2 decades of emergency medical services experience. He serves as a state EMS official, faculty member, and sits on the faculty advisory council of Columbia Southern University’s College of Safety and Emergency Services. In 2021 he was named CSU’s Faculty of the Year.