Safety Course Makes Believers

Here’s a measure of the value of the NAEMT’s acclaimed safety course: It’s recommended by ambulance-industry insurers as a way to cut risk and avoid costly mishaps.

“I was not convinced we needed another program. We thought we had a good safety plan,” recalls Randy Bowers, CEO of Bowers Emergency Services in Easley, SC. “Then our insurer, Cindy Elbert, told me, ‘You need this class.’ She said, ‘I’ve been to your operation, and you do things right. But you need this class so your folks have the credential.’”

The idea didn’t initially thrill the providers at Bowers, a third-generation family company that does contract EMS and a range of transports in the Greenville area. Then in August, the company put them through the course. Every employee who drove, including those in its handicap transportation division, participated, as did anyone who might handle a patient.

The result exceeded all expectations.

“The class was so much more than our preconceived notions,” says Bowers. “Everyone thought it was great. We had five folks go on to become instructors and several who scored 100% on the test. Even our non-EMTs who work in our handicap division learned a lot.”

The course is designed to promote safety cultures within EMS organizations and help reduce injuries and their severity. It covers crew resource management; vehicle safety; scene operations; patient handling; safety for patients, providers and bystanders; and personal health. It is geared to develop risk-assessment and decision-making skills.

Once armed with the course’s information, Bowers personnel set about putting it to use. One employee shared texting-and-driving statistics through a local Chamber of Commerce presentation, and fatigue concerns led the company to scrap its sole 24-hour shift.

As well, the emphasis on scene safety pays off every day.

“There are so many times paramedics get into places they didn’t mean to be,” says Bowers. “A lot of times we’ll stage for law enforcement, but we’ve had situations where we’re picking up a simple dialysis patient, and somebody comes out of the apartment complex and tries to steal their Lortabs. You don’t expect those things! That’s why you need the heightened alertness.

“A lot of times, a safety class might be at the bottom of your priority list. It needs to be at the top.”

Visit www.naemt.org.