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.
Five considerations for patient assessment, scene safety and patient handoff when responding off-duty
A father and son realize their destiny is assessing and treating blaster and lightsaber wounds in a galaxy far, far away
Graham Hoffman’s death underscores the unpredictable risks and the need for stronger safety measures in EMS
Mark A. Blake was a Westport EMS supervisor and served with his son and his brother at the Weston Volunteer Fire Department
Not all safety improvements have to cost a fortune – some can be entirely free and can bring an immediate return on investment
A call for a possible overdose turned violent when the patient attacked one of the paramedics prior to transport
City council members will vote on a 2-year ban on all chemical sedatives used to restrain patients as well as any new sedatives for medical purposes
Essex County Emergency Services Director Max Thwaits III also served as chief of the Jay VFD and as an EMT for the AuSable Forks Volunteer Ambulance Squad
Officials voiced a concern that without this law, the state may face a disadvantage in recruitment
Apopka crews typically have two people, but the IAFF recommends at least four
The Trace Eye-D products resemble individually packaged moist wipes
EV-D68 virus occasionally can cause experience limb weakness and a progressive form of paralysis in young children, and it appears to be increasing
Reminders for public safety personnel on how to respond to a spitter with time, distance and shielding
Fire experts said an electrical problem may have caused a spark
Willimantic Chief Marc Scrivener said the crewmembers restrained the agitated patient in an ambulance, but he broke free
The Bicycle Emergency Response Team is engaging the community, while providing quick response to difficult-to-access venues
Let people know how to stay safe in the sun and heat, in the water and on the road
Poor decisions impact the public trust in the agency and the profession
Kevin Pressley, with the Brookhaven Fire Company, told investigators he deleted the photos after the patient woke up
A man approached the ambulance crew in the rig, wielding a wooden tree stake, and began “smashing windows and trying to assault them”
While tending to a patient on scene, Seattle firefighters were attacked by a double amputee who tried to intentionally slam into them with his motorized wheelchair
The mandate, lifted Tuesday, is being dropped now because the omicron subvariant BA.5 has become dominant, the county’s public health officer said
Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Doug Barfield described the suspects as “two knuckleheads on motorcycles that are just weaving in and out”
“We are currently operating with 60 percent of our current staffing,” said New Orleans EMS Director Dr. Meg Marino
An EMT and two officers were injured, and the suspect faces multiple charges after a fight with cops trying to arrest him
In this tip, risk management expert Gordon Graham encourages first responders to be smart about their use of cell phones while on duty
AMR providers started transporting mental health patients in 2016, and some say their increased contact with people having such crises puts them at increased risk
The author whose work led to death threats in the 1980s was stabbed in the neck and torso; police arrested a suspect
Safety records have improved, and crews have more capabilities, such as putting patients on ventilators and performing blood transfusions
Austin’s 911 Mental Health Diversion Program is getting the right resources to mental health crisis and lowering arrest rates
All three Premier Health crew members had minor injuries, but the helicopter took “substantial” damage, the National Transportation Safety Board said
“We are heartbroken and overwhelmed by grief,” the Florence County EMS department said
A second firefighter who was exiting the apparatus was struck by the suspect’s vehicle