Safety
The safety topic provides news, information and resources to keep EMS providers informed about key safety issues, developments and technology, including research and initiatives focused on violence against EMS professionals, how to prevent an injury, near-miss reporting and risk mitigation.
We cannot allow complacency to distract us from training, health, PPE and bringing calm to chaos
Readers respond, does on-duty concealed carry protect providers or threaten scene safety?
A medic will be in a cast for four weeks after a struggle with a patient
The latest BEAR connects to a stair chair to safely transport large patients up and down multiple stories
Justine Dubois, 24, faked a seizure while being arrested for allegedly stealing a car; the gun shot caused minor wounds to the medic’s abdomen
Fire rescue crews transported the 28-year-old firefighter via helicopter and EMS later pronounced him dead
There are three main types of cameras, and pros and cons to using each one
Jorge Castaneda has been sentenced to six months in prison — a sentence seen as a step toward combating on-the-job assaults of EMTs
A medic suffered minor injuries, while the patient and another responder were not hurt
He was experiencing mental-health issues; police subdued him but he attacked a medic inside the ambulance and punched an ER nurse in the face
Train your staff on reasonable use of force to avoid legal and moral problems
The child, Kiber Williams, was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash
Police arrived at the scene and the EMT refused medical attention; it’s unknown if the patient was charged
While the victims were being loaded into an ambulance parked in the middle of the intersection, a vehicle struck the ambulance
They were verbally abusive to a female paramedic and punched her male colleague in the groin after calling for an ambulance, saying their lager had been spiked
Jamie Houdek has been fitted for a prosthetic and is thankful for a community that has rallied around him to help with ongoing medical costs
The woman’s injuries are life-threatening and the surviving child is expected to live
Three new ambulances were delivered with special reflective stripes on the sides and back to help protect personnel
A firefighter who approached the group to see if anyone needed medical attention was attacked and punched in the face by a man
The female EMTs managed to put him in restraints after he grabbed the first woman’s breast and repeatedly punched the other in the chest
The fire truck was responding to an auto accident and investigators say pedestrian was not using a crosswalk
The injured medics and the driver of the other vehicle all were taken to a hospital for evaluation
Katie, 1, was thrown from the buggy after the horse became spooked and took off; she suffered severe head and internal injuries
The truck is designed to be able to handle several victims at any scene and carries a large amount of life-saving equipment in the event of an accident
All victims were transported to the hospital to be treated for their injuries
The medic, a mother of two, suffered a fractured spine and hasn’t been able to work; now she’s struggling to buy Christmas presents for her two daughters
The medic and officer suffered leg injuries when the medic exited the vehicle, realized it was rolling, and was struck while trying to re-enter