Following much debate, a bill that would create a federal home for EMS in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was introduced in Congress in October 2011. Called the Field EMS Quality, Innovation and Cost-Effectiveness Improvements Act of 2011, the bill outlines ways to improve the nation’s EMS system.
On Nov. 15, 2011, the National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA) released a position statement outlining its support for HHS as the lead agency. “While NEMSMA feels strongly that EMS should be an independent, identifiable and sustainable component of local emergency response and healthcare delivery, our association agrees that the establishment of an Office of EMS and Trauma at HHS is an effective mechanism to ensure EMS is provided a voice at the federal level,” wrote NEMSMA President Skip Kirkwood.
Law Makes Responding Easier for Volunteer EMS/Fire in Ohio
An Ohio state law that took effect Sept. 23, 2011, is making it easier for volunteer EMS to respond to emergencies by allowing a single responder to drive the ambulance to the scene. Prior to the change, state law required that two responders be in the ambulance. That posed difficulties, particularly for volunteers, who may be at home or work when they get the call. “There would be these weird situations where a responder would actually have to drive past the scene to get to the station to get in the ambulance to go back to the scene,” says Geoffrey Dutton, media relations director for the Ohio Division of EMS. “This will eliminate that. It allows a single person to drive to the scene, recognizing that other people will meet them there.”
Under the new law, for both paid and volunteer services, one EMT or paramedic can drive the ambulance to the scene. (A volunteer service is one in which paid staffers work a combined total of no more then 192 hours in a week.) If the patient is to be transported to the hospital, two responders still need to be on board. Paid services must have a combination of two EMTs or paramedics; volunteer services must have one EMT or paramedic on board but can use a medical first responder or firefighter as the driver.
“This issue was brought forth by the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association, which identified a need for those predominantly volunteer organizations mostly in rural areas to get a resource to the scene in a timely fashion rather than waiting on two certified individuals before the vehicle left the house or the station,” says Jeffrey Leaming, executive director of the Division of EMS. “In organizations where you have to wait for a crew to assemble, the new law allows them to get resources to the scene as quick as possible.”
Read more about House Bill 128 at ems.ohio.gov/ems_faqs.stm#tog.
Cleveland Fire and EMS Merger Begins
The mayor of Cleveland swore in recently retired EMS commissioner Edward J. Eckart Jr. as the city’s assistant director of public safety. Eckart’s primary responsibility is to “lead the integration of the Division of Fire and EMS into one organization that will lead to better fire, rescue and emergency medical service in the Cleveland community,” according to a Nov. 8, 2011, news release from Mayor Frank G. Jackson’s office.
The city’s 800 firefighters and 250 EMS employees are scheduled to be integrated by the end of 2012. Under the new system, firefighters and paramedics will be cross-trained.
The EMS/Fire merger was originally announced in April 2010. Fire Chief Paul Stubbs will retire this April after eight years as chief; his replacement will become chief of the new Division of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Medical Service.
Emergency Vehicle Safety Study Launched
Crashes involving fire trucks and ambulances responding to emergencies happen all too frequently—statistics show that about 25 percent of all on-duty firefighter deaths occur while driving to or from incidents, making vehicle crashes second only to heart attacks as a cause of firefighter fatalities, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).
With that in mind, the USFA has partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice/National Institute of Justice to study and develop best practices for emergency vehicle and roadway operations safety. The International Fire Service Training Association will conduct the study.
“USFA is committed to reducing the incidence of vehicle crashes and emergency responders being struck on the roadway as they are a large cause of on-duty fatalities,” said Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn Gaines in an Oct. 27, 2011, news release. “We are grateful for the U.S. Department of Justice’s support of this important initiative which benefits both the fire service and law enforcement.”
Motor vehicle crashes are a serious safety issue for all responders. A recent study found that 45 percent of on-the-job deaths among paramedics were due to crashes, while aircraft crashes accounted for another 31 percent. (See “EMS Workers at Higher Risk of On-the-Job Injuries” on page 4.) According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 43 percent of on-duty deaths of police officers from 2001 to 2010 involved vehicle-related crashes, including motorcycle crashes and officers struck while responding on the roadway.
“Increasing safety for our law enforcement officers and firefighters is one of our highest priorities,” says John Laub, director of the National Institute of Justice. “We are delighted to work with our partners at the USFA to discover what works best to reduce deaths and injuries from vehicle crashes and being struck by vehicles.”
Free Chemical Suicide Training Info Available
The Firefighters Support Foundation is making a new, downloadable training program on chemical suicides available free on its website. The program includes a PowerPoint presentation and 23-minute video.
Chemical suicides generally involve mixing together two readily available household chemicals to produce a flammable, toxic gas in an enclosed area such as a vehicle, causing victims to lose consciousness and die. The training includes information on responding to such incidents, including warning signs of chemical suicide (a smell of rotten eggs reported by onlookers may be hydrogen sulfide, while an almond odor may indicate cyanide compounds) and advice to be extra careful while treating the patient because toxic gases can come from clothing or exhaled breath.
Download the training information at fireengineering.com/training/ffsupport.html.
Zombies Spook Medics
When 16 actors were injured on the set of Resident Evil: Retribution during filming in Toronto this past October, EMS was quick to respond. According to news reports, the actors had fallen about five feet off a moving platform, leading to leg, back and arm injuries. Paramedics were shocked to arrive at a seemingly horrific accident scene, the ground strewn with “zombies” in full makeup. “I could see the look on the first paramedic, saying, ‘Oh my God,’” Toronto EMS Commander David Ralph told the Associated Press.
