News

This Week in EMS: A Recap for October 13-19, 2007

10/18/2007

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This week marked the largest anti-terrorism exercise in U.S. history, depicting the explosions of radiological "dirty" bombs in Guam, Phoenix and Portland.

The exercise, called TOPOFF 4 (for "top officials 4"), involved more than 15,000 people who work for federal, state and local agencies, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Local media in Portland reported that emergency workers in Clark County, including some with the Vancouver Fire Department, Vancouver Police Department and Clark County Sheriff's Office, took part in the drill centered at Portland International Raceway.

As the scenario unfolded during the five-day drill, the thousands of people taking part had to take action as if it were a real attack. The exercise tested decision making based on various policies and strategies, and served to strengthen relationships between the agencies involved.

Clark County was given a federal grant of $100,000 for its part in the games.

To read more about the exercise, visit the initial article here and follow the links for updates: National Terrorism Drill Hits Oregon.

First responders and other health care advocates were keeping a close eye on the Senate this week as legislators discussed an important funding measure.

As reported in an exclusive article by EMSResponder.com, the bill contains funding for vital programs including Rural and Community AED, EMS for Children grant program and block grants that provide money for states to pay for various EMS-related activities.

"It's important that the Senate pass it with a veto-proof margin which is two-thirds majority," said Lisa Meyer, vice-present of Cornerstone Government Affairs, a lobbying group for EMS.

Meyer told EMS providers at EMS Expo in Orlando last week that the House made its version veto-proof. The Senate must now do the same thing to protect the funds.

Read the full article here and look for updates on EMSResponder.com: EMS Funding Bill on Senate Agenda.

In another exclusive report this week on EMSResponder.com, it was revealed that elections for a federal EMS advisory panel may be made by the end of the month.

More than 400 applications were submitted for the 26 positions on the new National EMS Advisory Council. Since mid-February, authorities have been poring over the applicants' qualifications to ensure there is broad representation on the council.

The group that will include consumers as well as EMS personnel, 9-1-1 dispatchers and emergency department representatives will advise the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of EMS on a myriad of issues.

In other national news, it has been revealed that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is drawing up plans to prepare for a handful of disasters: earthquakes beneath San Francisco and St. Louis and catastrophic storms in South Florida and Hawaii.

This action is a departure from FEMA's traditional role, in waiting for states to develop such responses. The agency began this aggressive stance toward disaster planning after the much criticized response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison said in an interview last week with The Associated Press that this is a "culture change" at FEMA. He said the old model of waiting for states to plead for federal help was a recipe for "sequential failure."

"We've got to go in as partners. We've got to stand side by side," he said.

To read more about FEMA's new plans visit FEMA Draws Up Disaster Plans.

In additional major EMS news this week, reports of infections from the drug-resistant staph "superbug" MRSA are on the rise around the nation. The issue is gaining particular momentum, especially as it relates to schools, since the death this week of a Virginia high school student.

The Associated Press reported that school officials in upstate New York, Connecticut and New Hampshire have sent letters home to parents informing them of recent cases. Meanwhile cases have prompted schools in Indiana, Virginia and West Virginia to sanitize facilities, particularly locker rooms and gyms.

The AP also reported this week on a study that suggests that staph fatalities are now exceeding AIDS deaths, and that more than 90,000 Americans could get the "superbug" each year. "The new study offers the broadest look yet at the pervasiveness of the most severe infections caused by the bug," the report states.

MRSA doesn't respond to penicillin and other antibiotics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says MRSA infections are a major public health problem and more widespread than previously thought.

EMSResponder.com Featured Podcast

EMS Magazine Monthly Insider October '07

Primum non nocere (first do no harm) is the prime directive for all medical professionals. EMS educators can reinforce this philosophy by discouraging prehospital practices that not only lack evidence of effectiveness, but may be hazardous to patients, says educator Mike Rubin, BS, NREMT-P. His October article, "What Not to Do in EMS," presents a top 10 list of what to avoid in the field, including overuse of lights and sirens, inadequate patient documentation and tube misplacement during endotracheal intubation.

Listen as Mike introduces himself and elaborates on this topic. He begins with the story of his unexpected transition into EMS after a career in engineering, and how he advises others to seek career fulfillment as well.

Look for Mike's full article, What Not to Do in EMS online or in your October issue of EMS Magazine.

EMSResponder.com Featured Job

Paramedics, EMTs, Canyon County, ID

"Are you looking for a career with an ALS service that is progressive, has a call volume that won't make you age prematurely, but is still busy enough to keep your skills in excellent shape and your interest high? Canyon County Ambulance District, a county third service, is a 9-1-1 Paramedic MICU service located in Idaho's Treasure Valley, 15 miles west of Boise... Paramedic positions start at $41,533 per year based on an hourly wage and a 48 hour work week. We also offer an excellent benefit package."

Testing dates are scheduled for October 29th & 30th, 2007.

Click on the job title for additional information and to apply to test.

Visit www.EMSResponder.com/jobs and our linked partner sites for additional EMS and related job listings. Also, watch for our expanded employment center coming soon on EMSResponder.com.

To submit an EMS related job listing e-mail Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.

EMSResponder.com Hot Topics

Our EMS forum pages have been redesigned for your convenience! Check out the streamlined registration process, expanded discussion categories and improved appearance. Stop by and join your colleagues in the premier online EMS community!

Check it out, read our FAQ and register at www.emsresponder.com/forums.

This week's hot topic:

Is this what all EMS think?

A visitor to the forum writes, "I'm a 19 year old motorcycle rider from Virginia and posted a video of me riding on Interstate 95 and then received this message from a lady that is a EMS volunteer..."

Click to read the responses from EMS personnel regarding stunt motorcycle riding on public roadways.

Find additional discussions or start your own in the EMS Responder.com Forums.

EMSResponder.com Poll

Have you ever suffered a back injury as a result of your EMS duties?

Visit the poll on the lower right side of EMSResponder.com to participate. To see the results of previous polls visit www.EMSResponder.com/polls.

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.