By Jamie Thompson
EMS1 Senior Editor
LAS VEGAS — U.S. Fire Administrator Kelvin Cochran called Monday for the creation of public education programs to help reduce the number of medical emergencies in the United States.
Speaking at the opening of Fire-Rescue Med in Las Vegas, Chief Cochran said the model of fire prevention programs could be replicated to address non-fire related injury and death in communities.
The increasing volume of medical calls cannot be addressed simply by continually adding paramedics and medic units, Chief Cochran told the audience.
“That will not solve the problem we are continuing to see,” he said.
“Some departments need more paramedics but paramedics and ambulances alone will not solve the problem of death and dying in many of our communities.”
Citizens in communities across the United States, Chief Cochran said, are dying because of a lack of knowledge and education.
“One of the things I want to see us do, with the USFA’s support, is develop a public education program that accomplishes what we did with fire prevention on the fire side,” he said.
“We have to evolve to where we are more prevention focused. I believe the fire service is in the best position to do that.
“In communities that have large EMS agencies, they should also take on the responsibility of having public education that is focused on sudden death prevention and injury prevention.”
During the speech, Chief Cochran also addressed line-of-duty deaths, welcoming last year’s reduction in firefighter fatalities to the lowest level in 15 years.
“Last year was different and we are celebrating the fact,” he said. “It’s hard to even say that — celebrating — but it’s sort of true. The number was far less than it was in previous years.
“We don’t celebrate a firefighter dying in the line of duty but we are celebrating the fact we had 91 as opposed to a 10-year average of 115.
“If we end up falling below 91 this year then it starts to be an indication … that the last 35 years of hard work is paying off and we may see a downward trend for the years to come.”
Chief Cochran also praised the efforts of Fire-Rescue Med — now in its 13th year — which is held by the EMS Section of the IAFC.
“I have always said that if we are going to be on the cutting edge of information as it relates to EMS in America, then we have to come to this conference every single year,” he said.