NEMSQA Wins Nicholas Rosecrans Award for Reducing Ambulance Crashes with Lights and Siren Initiative

RedFlash Group

The National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA) was honored as this year’s prestigious Nicholas Rosecrans Award winner for their exceptional work on the Lights and Sirens Collaborative. NEMSQA’s initiative has been pivotal in reducing the risks associated with the use of lights and sirens in emergency medical services, improving safety for EMS providers and the public while maintaining high standards of patient care.

The Nicholas Rosecrans Award, now in its 23rd year, is awarded to emergency medical service individuals, teams, or organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to injury and illness prevention. The award was established in memory of Nicholas Rosecrans, a toddler whose tragic drowning in 1996 could have been prevented. His death inspired a variety of first responders and community groups to successfully promote legislative change requiring fencing around backyard pools. The award highlights proactive preventive care by EMS, a mission championed by Lynn Artz, Nicholas Rosecrans’ mother, and the California Paramedic Foundation, the non-profit organization that sponsors the award.

The winners were recognized in a presentation by Lynn Artz during the opening ceremonies at the EMS World Expo on September 11, 2024, in Las Vegas, where thousands of EMS professionals gathered from around the world. Mike Taigman, MS, Sheree Murphy, Brooke Burton, and Jeff Jarvis, MD, represented NEMSQA and the Lights and Siren Collaborative at the ceremony.

NEMSQA’s Lights and Siren Collaborative addresses the significant risks posed by the use of lights and sirens in EMS responses, which are a leading cause of ambulance crashes. NEMSQA gathered 50 EMS agencies, experts, and stakeholders nationwide to refine strategies and best practices for reducing unnecessary lights and siren usage.

Through over 69 improvement cycles and 7,000 data points, NEMSQA developed and published a Change Package that includes proven methods to reduce lights and siren use without compromising patient care. Their research found that although lights and siren may save only a few minutes, they increase the risk of ambulance crashes by up to 50%.

“Using lights and siren to part the Red Sea a little bit to move through stopped traffic presents a very different risk profile than blowing an intersection at 45 mph,” said Taigman, a facilitator of the project and Improvement Guide at FirstWatch, a sponsor of the project. Highlighting the importance of discretion in the use of lights and siren, Taigman continued: “Having some discretion where front-line providers are educated about the clinical benefits of the use of lights and siren and being able to think about the context in which they’re using it makes really good sense.”

“NEMSQA’s initiative exemplifies the spirit of the Nicholas Rosecrans Award,” said John Ehrhart, director for the California Paramedic Foundation. “By employing data-driven strategies and forging partnerships, they are proactively improving EMS safety and protecting both the public and EMS providers from harm.”

Their work was celebrated during the EMS World Expo and featured on the EMS World Podcast, recorded live at the event. Organizations looking to reduce risks associated with lights and siren use are encouraged to explore NEMSQA’s proven strategies and resources. NEMSQA’s program provides easily deployable resources that agencies can use to reduce operational risks while maintaining high-quality care.

The Nicholas Rosecrans Award is facilitated by the California Paramedic Foundation and the RedFlash Group, in cooperation with EMS World. This year’s award was sponsored by Mission Critical Protocols, a new protocol publishing platform for EMS providers.

The Nicholas Rosecrans Award, now in its 23rd year, honors those individuals, teams, or organizations who have made a significant impact in preventing injury and illness, transforming EMS from a reactive 9-1-1 response to a proactive force in community health. Each year, the winner is recognized at the EMS World Expo, with Lynn Artz personally presenting the award. To learn more about the Nicholas Rosecrans Award, visit https://caparamedic.org/nicholas-rosecrans/.

The California Paramedic Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to education, prevention, and collaboration in paramedicine. In California, its recent work has focused on innovative EMS programs in community paramedicine, opioid use disorder, successful aging for seniors, and health information exchange. To learn more about the California Paramedic Foundation, visit https://caparamedic.org/.