EMS1 • 27th June 2022

Making for a safer workplace for fire and EMS providers

“Workplace violence can be physical or verbal or both. Regardless of the type, your body has the same physiological response.” — Dr. Jennifer Taylor, presentation at EFOP Graduate Leadership Symposium Violence is a major issue facing firefighters and EMS personnel. In fact, according to a U.S. Fire Administration report, in partnership with the Center for Firefighter Injury Research and Safety Trends (FIRST Center), “violence against EMS responders has been recognized as an occupational hazard

EMS1 • 27th June 2022

Making for a safer workplace for fire and EMS providers

“Workplace violence can be physical or verbal or both. Regardless of the type, your body has the same physiological response.” — Dr. Jennifer Taylor, presentation at EFOP Graduate Leadership Symposium Violence is a major issue facing firefighters and EMS personnel. In fact, according to a U.S. Fire Administration report, in partnership with the Center for Firefighter Injury Research and Safety Trends (FIRST Center), “violence against EMS responders has been recognized as an occupational hazard

EMS1 • 9th June 2022

EMTs, paramedics: You can help prevent firearms death and injury to children

Note: This piece is not about firearms regulation. It’s about ensuring that children do not have access to guns in their homes without direct adult supervision – and how paramedics and EMTs can help in that effort. Firearms-related death and injury in America is an epidemic. Gun sales increased 64% in 2020, and with children spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of firearms death and injury grew, making it even more important that firearms are stored securely. This

EMS1 • 9th June 2022

EMTs, paramedics: You can help prevent firearms death and injury to children

Note: This piece is not about firearms regulation. It's about ensuring that children do not have access to guns in their homes without direct adult supervision – and how paramedics and EMTs can help in that effort. Firearms-related death and injury in America is an epidemic. Gun sales increased 64% in 2020, and with children spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of firearms death and injury grew, making it even more important that firearms are stored securely. This

EMS1 • 31st August 2020

How field officers influence safety culture

Nobody in a fire and EMS organization has more influence on its daily operations than does the first-line supervisor – the company or field officer. So it only stands to reason that the field officer is the one position in the organization that has the most influence over the department’s safety culture. As the saying goes, “It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.” Your department should provide field officers with the appropriate policy and procedures necessary for firefighters, EMTs a

EMS1 • 31st July 2020

Virtual visits: Telemedicine gives EMS provider another option for mental health services

For firefighters, EMTs and paramedics, the COVID-19 outbreak couldn’t have come at a worse time. The fire and EMS services were already seeking answers for two significant challenges, among many others, facing their members: the increasing number of both firefighter and provider suicides and firefighters being diagnosed with cancer. And providing an undercurrent to both of those threats to health and wellness has been the increasing awareness of the impact that emotional trauma is having on fi

EMS1 • 27th May 2020

Personal protective gear to protect EMS providers from attack

Early in my career as an EMS provider, circa 1979, my colleagues and I had very few personal safety issues related to our work and interactions with patients and family members in the public. I’ll never forget one late night response to an area where two people were reported to have been shot. By the time we arrived, a large crowd of maybe 30 people had gathered outside the apartment. As my partner and I approached the building, carrying our gear on the stretcher, a large man with a big voice y

EMS1 • 3rd April 2020

Excellence in fire-based EMS: Chesterfield (Va.) Fire and EMS Department’s MIH program

The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and Masimo announced the two fire departments to be honored with its annual Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award – the Chesterfield County (Virginia) Fire & EMS and the San Antonio (Texas) Fire Department. First presented in 2011, the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award recognizes fire departments from across the nation for developing and enhancing the delivery of EMS to address the growing challenges in delivering emergency medical

EMS1 • 18th February 2020

Finding – and keeping – good dispatchers is still a challenge for localities

One of the trending topics in the public safety world is the movement to reclassify individuals who answer the 911 calls and then dispatch the appropriate public safety assets from that of clerical workers to first responders. I agree that it is a long overdue action that would provide public recognition for the critical services provided by public safety telecommunicators (aka dispatchers). But a change in job classification is just the tip of the iceberg when discussing the staffing for publi

EMS1 • 23rd January 2018

From rehab to prehab: 5 steps to a proactive action plan

We’ve given great emphasis to on-scene firefighter rehabilitation for many years. So why have firefighter line-of-duty deaths stemming from medical causes become the No. 1 cause of firefighter LODDs? On-scene firefighter rehab is necessary and beneficial. But, like many of our developments to improve firefighter safety, it’s reactive. Rehab doesn’t enter the picture until a firefighter has already been exposed to the mental and physical stressors of active emergency operations. When firefighte

EMS1 • 12th October 2017

The 3 Ps: Applying Policy, Procedure and Process to EMS

Many years ago, I heard noted public safety risk management professional, Gordon Graham, speak on the topic of reducing organizational risk in public safety agencies. One of Graham’s basic tenets is, “Predictable is preventable.” In listening to Graham speak, something else caught my attention as a fire officer and manager back in my organization: the correlation between delivering good customer service and reducing organizational risk. We’re all aware of the inherent safety risks that come wit

EMS1 • 5th October 2017

Chesterfield Fire and EMS medical services unit pulls double duty

The medical service unit for the Chesterfield (Va.) Fire and EMS Department is a dual-purpose unit that combines on-scene firefighter rehabilitation functions and mass casualty incident response capabilities into one unit. The MSU is a 2012 Sartin Medical Ambulance Bus with an overall length of just over 41 feet. The department first put the unit into active service in 2012 and it is currently housed in the department’s Fire Station #21. The MSU’s interior seating (each fully equipped with occ

EMS1 • 13th January 2022

Automating medical supply inventory management

This article, originally published on April 28, 2016, has been updated. Today's complex EMS environment requires administrators to constantly juggle issues like tightening budgets, drug shortages, strict governmental regulations, and a highly engaged and connected staff – all while operating in a litigious society. Using yesterday's approach to inventory management and supply logistics is no longer an acceptable practice. There are several significant aspects to automated inventory control and

EMS1 • 1st September 2020

How field officers influence safety culture

Nobody in a fire and EMS organization has more influence on its daily operations than does the first-line supervisor – the company or field officer. So it only stands to reason that the field officer is the one position in the organization that has the most influence over the department's safety culture. As the saying goes, "It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it." Your department should provide field officers with the appropriate policy and procedures necessary for firefighters, EMTs a

EMS1 • 22nd June 2020

Virtual visits: Telemedicine gives EMS provider another option for mental health services

For firefighters, EMTs and paramedics, the COVID-19 outbreak couldn’t have come at a worse time. The fire and EMS services were already seeking answers for two significant challenges, among many others, facing their members: the increasing number of both firefighter and provider suicides and firefighters being diagnosed with cancer. And providing an undercurrent to both of those threats to health and wellness has been the increasing awareness of the impact that emotional trauma is having on fi

EMS1 • 27th May 2020

Personal protective gear to protect EMS providers from attack

Early in my career as an EMS provider, circa 1979, my colleagues and I had very few personal safety issues related to our work and interactions with patients and family members in the public. I’ll never forget one late night response to an area where two people were reported to have been shot. By the time we arrived, a large crowd of maybe 30 people had gathered outside the apartment. As my partner and I approached the building, carrying our gear on the stretcher, a large man with a big voice y

EMS1 • 3rd April 2020

Excellence in fire-based EMS: Chesterfield (Va.) Fire and EMS Department’s MIH program

The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and Masimo announced the two fire departments to be honored with its annual Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award – the Chesterfield County (Virginia) Fire & EMS and the San Antonio (Texas) Fire Department. First presented in 2011, the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award recognizes fire departments from across the nation for developing and enhancing the delivery of EMS to address the growing challenges in delivering emergency medical

EMS1 • 18th February 2020

Finding – and keeping – good dispatchers is still a challenge for localities

One of the trending topics in the public safety world is the movement to reclassify individuals who answer the 911 calls and then dispatch the appropriate public safety assets from that of clerical workers to first responders. I agree that it is a long overdue action that would provide public recognition for the critical services provided by public safety telecommunicators (aka dispatchers). But a change in job classification is just the tip of the iceberg when discussing the staffing for publi

EMS1 • 23rd January 2018

From rehab to prehab: 5 steps to a proactive action plan

We’ve given great emphasis to on-scene firefighter rehabilitation for many years. So why have firefighter line-of-duty deaths stemming from medical causes become the No. 1 cause of firefighter LODDs? On-scene firefighter rehab is necessary and beneficial. But, like many of our developments to improve firefighter safety, it’s reactive. Rehab doesn’t enter the picture until a firefighter has already been exposed to the mental and physical stressors of active emergency operations. When firefighte

EMS1 • 12th October 2017

The 3 Ps: Applying Policy, Procedure and Process to EMS

Many years ago, I heard noted public safety risk management professional, Gordon Graham, speak on the topic of reducing organizational risk in public safety agencies. One of Graham’s basic tenets is, “Predictable is preventable.” In listening to Graham speak, something else caught my attention as a fire officer and manager back in my organization: the correlation between delivering good customer service and reducing organizational risk. We’re all aware of the inherent safety risks that come wit