Working the Mean Streets

     Last May, the Essex Ambulance Service became the second EMS agency in England to issue body armor to its staff-the London Ambulance Service was the first. In Scotland, CCTV cameras have been installed on some fire engines in a bid to stop an epidemic of violence against firefighters and rescue crews. In 2005, paramedics in Edmonton, Canada, were provided with bullet-proof vests to increase on-the-job safety. And medics in Florida's Miramar Fire Rescue EMS Unit are currently enrolled in a study on the effectiveness of body armor vests for paramedics.

     There's no question that we live in dangerous times and while we rev up our response to acts of terrorism, there are plenty of acts of terror being perpetrated against medics on a daily basis across the United States and around the world.

     For many EMS providers, workplace safety has become a wish rather than a reality. National curricula and textbooks do little to prepare medics for handling aggressive patients. Often, the issue of ensuring personal safety comes to the forefront after a medic is the victim of an act of violence, not before.

     This issue's cover report, Coping With Violent People, is the first article in a multi-part series that tackles the tough subject of provider safety. Authors Thom Dick and Steve Rollert have been working with more than a dozen Colorado EMS providers to study the feasibility of predicting violence in the field and restraining high-risk patients preemptively. They have developed procedures for using physical restraints and self-defense tactics that are designed to offer safety for both caregivers and patients.

     While we all should have the right to feel safe at work, the reality is that today's world is a dangerous place for EMS folks. Being prepared is your only line of defense.

     We welcome your thoughts on this topic. E-mail nancy.perry@cygnusb2b.com.