State by State: November 2019

OREGON: MIH Program Saving City Millions

An innovative crisis intervention team is taking pressure off police in the Eugene area by responding to calls that don’t involve threats to life, violence, or serious crime. The Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS) program handled 24,000 calls in 2018. The cost—$67 per call on average—is low by comparison with police responses, which average $800 per call, according to the Eugene Police Department. The team further estimates it saves $7 million a year by diverting patients who don’t need emergency rooms, and $8.5 million by handling calls that otherwise would involve police.

NORTH CAROLINA: EMS Fitness Guru Bryan Fass Dies at 46

EMS fitness advocate Bryan Fass, BA, ATCL, CSCS, NREMT-P—a well-known speaker, author, educator, and evangelist for injury prevention and provider safety—died suddenly on Sept. 16 at age 46. Known for his Fit Responder programs and blog, Fass wrote frequently on fitness and wellness topics for EMS World and other industry publications. With a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine, Fass was certified as a licensed athletic trainer and strength and conditioning specialist. He was also a paramedic for more than eight years. He authored four books on fitness, wellness, and human performance.

MICHIGAN: Woman Stabbed While Medics Treat Cardiac Victim

A fatal stabbing occurred Sept. 21 while paramedics were in the same house attending to a cardiac arrest victim, according to Fox 2 Detroit. Police say a woman in her 20s was pronounced dead at the scene after she was allegedly stabbed to death by a man in his late 20s who fled the scene. Paramedics responded to the house after receiving a call for a man who was unresponsive after suffering a cardiac event. As paramedics worked on the cardiac arrest victim, the suspect took a woman into another room in the house and allegedly stabbed her to death. The cardiac arrest victim did not survive.

MISSOURI: EMS Memorial Planned

The Missouri EMS Memorial Foundation and the Missouri EMS Memorial were established in 2018 to honor the memory of Missouri EMS providers who gave their lives in the line of duty. A site on the campus of Missouri Western State University was selected to erect a permanent memorial. The Missouri EMS Memorial Wall of Honor will serve as a tribute to immortalize the commitment and courage of Missouri’s EMS providers. A capital campaign has been started to raise funds to build the memorial. Visit www.moemsmemorial foundation.org.