News

This Week in EMS: A Recap for August 11 - 17, 2007

08/16/2007

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The rescue operation for six miners trapped at the Crandall Canyon mine in Utah turned tragic this Thursday after a second cave-in killed three rescue workers and injured at least six others trying to tunnel through rubble to reach them. It is not known whether the six trapped miners are still alive.

The setback Thursday came on the 11th day of the rescue effort and resulted in a major EMS response. Six of the injured were taken to various Utah hospitals, where two died. Injuries to the survivors ranged from cuts and scrapes to head and chest trauma. No details were available early Friday about the official cause of the rescuers' deaths.

All remaining rescue workers were evacuated from the mine after the incident and work underground was stopped. Mining officials said conditions in the mine were treacherous, and they had frequently been forced to halt digging because of seismic activity.

It is believed that each of the cave-ins experienced at the mine were caused by what seismologists call a "mountain bump," in which shifting ground forces chunks of rock from the walls with great force.

One of the killed workers was an inspector for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. The decision of whether to continue underground tunneling in the rescue operation rests with this administration. Names and information about the other victims were not immediately available.

For the full article and additional photos from this rescue operation, visit: 3 Killed in Utah Mine Rescue Operation.

The discovery of two more sets of human remains amid the wreckage of the interstate bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis raised the known death toll to 11 and left only two more victims unaccounted for. Navy divers continued to work the scene this week, along with a construction crew that was using cranes to remove large chunks of bridge debris. A dive team spokesman said the effort was shifting between diving and debris removal.

For the latest on these recovery efforts and the collapse investigation visit Remains of 2 More Found at Minneapolis Bridge Collapse.

In a major international disaster this week, the death toll rose to 510 Thursday following a magnitude 8 earthquake that devastated cities of adobe and brick in the southern desert of Peru. Survivors had little to shield themselves against the winter cold and rescuers struggled to help more than 1,500 injured.

At least 14 aftershocks of magnitude 5 or greater kept hundreds of the injured outside on cots in the open air because medical personnel feared more buildings would collapse.

The United States announced a $100,000 donation and said there were two USAID disaster response officials in Peru and a third en route. The Navy Ship Comfort, with a medical staff of 800 and 12 operating rooms, is currently in Ecuador and was prepared to sail to Peru if asked.

For additional information visit Rescuers Struggle in Peru as Quake Toll Reaches 510.

In an update on Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital in Los Angeles, the medical center closed its ER last Friday after failing its latest inspection by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and therefore losing $200 million in federal funding.

The hospital garnered national attention after reports of unattended patients languishing in the ER, and in one case, calling 911 in an attempt to get paramedics to respond to the ER. The entire facility is currently being reduced to an urgent care center.

The ER closure is controversial in the community. The hospital's two full-time, on-site Advanced Life Support ambulances will remain at the urgent care center.

For more on this incident read the full article, Troubled Los Angeles ER Closes after Failed Inspection.

New Webcasts

Confined Space Awareness & Safety

This new webcast on partner website Firehouse.com focuses on safety and awareness for all first responders. It will take place live online Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 12:00 PM EDT.

While confined space rescues are rare in the U.S., it is considered one of the most hazardous technical rescue responses. During this webcast, the founder of Tech Rescue Corp., Peter Rizzo, will take a look at the specialized awareness and training required.

Click here to learn more and register for this free event.

Emergency Preparedness: Deploying the Most Effective Broadband Solution for First Responders

This informative webcast presented by AT&T Mobility and EMSResponder.com discussed incorporating broadband networks into communications planning.

It appeared live and was recorded Thursday, August 16, 2007 at 2:00 pm EDT.

Click here to register and view this recorded presentation at your convenience.

Reminders:

Call for EMS Historical Artifacts

The National EMS Museum Foundation is pleased to announce they will have an exhibit of artifacts at EMS Expo this October.

"We have been given a large area in the exhibit hall to display some of the unique artifacts of EMS history," they announced.

"We would like to invite individuals planning to attend Expo, who have a unique piece of EMS history they'd like considered for show, to contact one of the individuals listed below for more information and to have your piece placed on the list for consideration."

To get involved, please contact any of the members below no later than August 31, 2007.

Tom Bartlett - Director, Region 10--LA, AR, MS
bartlett@nemsmf.org

Franc Ferola -Director, Region 11--AL, GA, FL
Matrix51@aol.com

Jules Scadden - NEMSMF-Secretary
jkaymdc@aim.com
712-660-0881

5th Annual EMS Systems Survey

EMS Magazine is proud to offer the 5th annual comprehensive survey of EMS systems in the United States. Make sure your agency is represented in this important resource. Survey results will be published in the December 2007 Gold Book/Buyer's Guide and are designed to provide an overview of the EMS industry as it exists today across the spectrum of EMS delivery systems.

To learn more and respond, visit the 5th Annual EMS Systems Survey page on EMSResponder.com.

EMSResponder.com Featured Job

Paramedics - Richmond Ambulance Authority - Richmond Virgina

Are you looking for an EMS system that values clinical excellence, has a world class Medical Director, and an international reputation for quality? If so, Richmond Ambulance Authority would like you to join our team. Richmond Ambulance Authority has immediate career opportunities for NREMT or VA certified Paramedics, EMTs and Dispatchers. We offer an employee friendly work environment, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefit package.

Click here for additional information on this position including the Sign On Bonus and Relocation Package.

Visit www.EMSResponder.com/jobs for more listings and links to additional EMS jobs on partner site Firehouse.com. It is possible that some positions will be filled before they are taken offline. To submit a job listing e-mail Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.

EMSResponder.com Hot Topics

Patient/call information tips and tricks

In a top discussion this week, one EMS student asks for advice on recording patient information after smearing and losing notes he wrote on his glove.

"How do you gather your info? I am thinking about just using a notepad for now on. But what are some tips you suggest for this type of thing?

Also, in a situation of a trauma incident such as a MVC or severe bleeding where you may not have time to write down all of the info or your gloves may be covered in blood or other fluids, how would you now record your patient info to put on your report???"

Click on the discussion to read more, or look for another topic in the EMS Responder.com Forums.

EMSResponder.com Poll

How do you generally record patient information during a call?

Visit the poll on the lower right side of EMSResponder.com to participate.

What questions do you have for your fellow EMS responders? To submit a poll idea e-mail Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.

Other top headlines this week on EMSResponder.com:

About Heather Caspi, EMSResponder.com Editor-in-Chief
Heather Caspi has been a public safety journalist since 2000, beginning as a reporter for sister site Firehouse.com. She later became the assistant news editor for Firehouse.com and Officer.com, and led the launch of EMSResponder.com in 2005. She graduated from the University of Maryland with degrees in Journalism and English Language and Literature, and earned her EMT-B at Merritt College in Oakland, California. She can be reached at Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.