Product Showcase: August 2021

EMS providers have a lot to be concerned with. Safety at scenes and on the road, drugs and other interventions, communications, documentation, and managing their careers are all top concerns. The companies represented in this section offer solutions that can ease those worries. 

Editor’s note: EMS World provides the following product showcase profiles as a reader service. EMS World does not verify manufacturers’ claims or endorse products listed.

SAE-Compliant Fire Extinguisher Storage

Ziamatic Corp., an industry leader in fire and EMS innovation, is proud to be the only manufacturer in the field to offer first responders a safe, effective, SAE-J3043-compliant mounting bracket for their 5-lb. fire extinguishers. While the majority of fire extinguisher mounts are designed for the walls of buildings, this powerful stainless steel bracket was designed specifically for use in moving vehicles and specially engineered to better protect patients and personnel in a collision or rollover event. The fire extinguisher holder is third-party tested to meet SAE-J3043, NFPA, AMD, and GSA standards, drastically reducing the risk of the extinguisher becoming a dangerous flying projectile. An adjustable band clamp grips the extinguisher tightly, with virtually no rattle, and features a uniquely designed pull pin that ensures its latch stays closed even on rough terrain, curbs, and railroad tracks. When needed, a quick-release buckle allows fast and easy access.

“We saw a need for a safer fire extinguisher bracket,” says Ziamatic sales manager Keith Creely. “We found a number of ambulances were using the little plastic bracket that came in the box, and that’s not going to hold up in a crash. Those are designed for drywall. Others had no bracket at all, and the extinguisher was just tucked away in a cabinet somewhere. We knew we could do better—protect these crews, help them meet SAE, and still keep things practical for them. They’re really going to like this bracket.”

Easy to clean and disinfect, with no fabric to harbor bloodborne pathogens, the Zico fire extinguisher holder is easily mounted to any horizontal or vertical flat surface and accommodates popular models of 5-lb. Amerex, Kidde, and Badger brand extinguishers.

Visit www.ziamatic.com. 

A Jump-Start for Your EMS Career

Are you looking to jump-start your career in EMS? Look no further than Lenoir Community College’s Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course. This 16-week course puts students on the fast track toward earning their certification.

“We have one of the largest emergency medical science programs in the state. We serve students from all across the United States,” says Director of EMS Darla Boseman. “Students have both certificate and degree options available. One aspect that makes our program appealing is the flexibility we offer our students in earning their certification and degree. We offer the EMT course in a variety of ways so students are able to continue working their full-time jobs while studying to earn their certification.”

Once students have completed the EMT certification, they can go on to earn their paramedic certification through Lenoir’s hybrid course offerings. Once they complete their paramedic certification, they can continue their education toward earning their Associate in Applied Science degree in EMS.

Students gain complex knowledge, competency, and experience while employing evidence-based practice under medical oversight and serve as a link from the scene into the healthcare system. Graduates may be eligible to take state and/or national certification examinations. Employment opportunities include providers of emergency medical services, fire departments, rescue agencies, hospital specialty areas, industry, educational, and government agencies.

The EMS degree program is offered on a fixed course rotation and will only accept students who are not an EMT in the fall semester and students who are an EMT in the spring semester. This program is offered in a hybrid format, and students attend classes on campus two days per week throughout their training.

Upon completion of the EMS AAS program, many students will utilize an agreement with Western Carolina University and earn their bachelor of science in emergency medical care online.

Contact dwboseman07@lenoircc.edu. 

Safely Lift Patients of Any Size With Ease

Lifting patients is among the biggest injury risks EMS providers will face during their shifts. The Binder Lift changes this by attaching up to 32 handles to the patient's torso so providers can team-lift while utilizing proper ergonomics. It is impossible to effectively team-lift with proper ergonomics when using outdated and improvised lifting techniques involving a sheet, blanket, or transfer tarp. But when lifting with the Binder Lift, providers can avoid lifting-related injuries and enjoy longer, healthier careers. We’ve helped thousands of departments reduce personnel injuries while providing better patient care, and we would love to help your department achieve the same success.

If you look through all the patient handling equipment in the back of your ambulance, you’re sure to find multiple devices designed for pushing, pulling, dragging, transferring, and carrying patients. Backboards, soft stretchers, rescue seats, transfer aids, stair chairs, and stretchers are all great examples of standard patient handling equipment that’s crucial in performing patient movements safely. But do you have a device specifically designed for lifting and assisting semi-ambulatory patients? 

If we don't change how we lift, injuries to patients and providers will persistently climb. We're not saying you can't lift a patient with a bedsheet—but if we continue to do what we've always done, our long history of getting hurt from lifting patients will continue. So rather than relying on improvised lifting “tips” and “tricks” that have been passed down through generations, providers need equipment specifically designed to help them lift safely. 

The Binder Lift is the most awarded patient lift device on the market, and it’s proven to reduce shear forces sustained by providers while lifting patients in confined spaces such as bathrooms. But don’t take our word for it—read thousands of customer testimonials on our website, then fill out a brief form for a no-purchase-necessary free 30-day trial to experience for yourself the safer, easier, better way of lifting. 

Visit www.binderlift.com. 

Securely Track the Life Cycle of Narcotics

The CompX NARC iD Inventory Control System uses RFID tags and, along with the CompX eLock, provides complete chain-of-custody information on narcotics, users, vehicles, and consumption. NARC iD provides tracking information for single-dose narcotics and automatically enrolls narcotics into the software.

The NARC iD system consists of clear plastic capsules, ampules, vials, or preloaded syringes, caps for the vials, RFID tags, and totes to carry the narcotics. NARC iD uses custom-programmed tags to provide automatic recognition of the narcotic type and quantity. Tamper-evident capsules hold narcotics and are color-coded for easy identification. Drug totes ensure accurate reading of all RFID tracking tags. Audit trails identify users, dates, times of entry, and narcotics consumed.

At shift start, an EMT or paramedic uses a valid credential to open the NARC Box installed on the vehicle. The provider places the tote carrying narcotics into the NARC Box. Once the door is closed, NARC iD automatically enrolls and logs all the narcotics, correlating them to the provider. To retrieve the tote, the provider uses a valid credential. To administer any of the narcotics in the tote, the provider breaks the RFID tag and cap, then removes the narcotic(s). Once a tag is broken, that narcotic is considered consumed. The provider then returns the tote to the NARC Box, and once the door is secured, NARC iD scans the RFID tags remaining in the tote. This determines whether anything was consumed. If a narcotic is consumed, the provider can use the keypad on the NARC Box to add information such as incident number, whether vial was broken, and whether the narcotic was expired or lost.

The CompX NARC Box is a heavy-duty, seam-welded 14-gauge steel box. The gray finish is highly scratch-resistant and includes a built-in 12V–9V converter for dedicated power on EMS vehicles. The NARC Box has a spring latch for easy relocking and standard mechanical key override. A door position switch provides alert notifications such as unauthorized entry and door ajar.

Visit compxnarcid.com. 

Courses That Matter; Schedules That Work

As a leader in online education for first responders, Columbia Southern University offers flexible, quality enrollment options for working professionals looking to take the next step. 

With expert faculty providing relevant, high-caliber instruction, CSU’s degree programs are a perfect fit for those considering careers in emergency medical services administration, emergency management, fire administration, organizational leadership, and more. Degrees include an A.S. in Emergency Medical Services; B.S. in Emergency Medical Services Administration; B.S. in Fire Administration; B.S. in Health Care Administration–Emergency Medical Services Management; B.S. in Organizational Leadership; M.S. in Emergency Services Management; and M.S. in Organizational Leadership.

CSU’s faculty not only educate students on the latest EMS industry standards and practices, they are also active EMS providers and experts themselves. As academic practitioners they hold themselves accountable for incorporating the industry’s latest real-world insights into every course. With a curriculum of leadership, planning and development, and risk management practices in EMS, our programs take a multiprofessional approach to the administration of EMS organizations. CSU graduates are equipped with the knowledge and leadership skills to serve their organizations at the highest level. 

CSU’s new associate degree in EMS gives certified paramedics an opportunity to reach educational goals without repetition of courses or clinical experiences already taken. Paramedics working toward an associate degree may be able to gain academic credit from their previously earned paramedic certificate, allowing students to optimize their existing skills and experience. 

Make this your year with our biggest tuition discount ever. Save 50% on your first enrollment by using the code YOURYEAR (available for a limited time for first-time students and can be applied to a maximum of two courses; library fee is not included). 

Visit columbiasouthern.edu/EMS. 

Ultimate Flexibility in Documentation

HealthCall is leading the advance of in-home care delivery and eliminating barriers for underserved populations. We are the platform behind the dedicated people caring for our most at-risk populations—the ones aging at home, those suffering with chronic disease and addiction, as well as the growing segment of uninsured and underinsured.

Our patented care-coordination platform puts patients at the center of the care model. HealthCall empowers their extended care teams with a plethora of collaboration tools and empowers patients with timely communication to help stay healthier at home longer.

HealthCall is a patented, cloud-based care coordination and patient engagement platform enabling care professionals to more easily work together to deliver smarter care, reduce costs, and improve outcomes. 

New HealthCall SMART charts—Sets of Multidisciplinary Assessments at the Right Time—provide the fastest way to accurately document patient care in one system. SMART Charts are designed for use where flexibility is critical, including community paramedicine, virtual care, posthospital, chronic care, ET3, and alternative care for low-acuity conditions. All data elements are accessible for searching, reporting, and securely sharing.

Additional features include an interactive dashboard that connects data and patients in real time; numerous outcome-proven, customizable care programs; industry standard clinical and mental health assessments; remote patient monitoring; care team networks to share information and monitor progress; integrated telehealth video service; longitudinal patient health records; and a robust report generator.

From rural mountains to the largest cities, the most innovative, diverse, and successful programs run on HealthCall—community paramedicine, mobile integrated health, ET3, pandemic care, telehealth and virtual care, transitional care, and more.

Visit www.healthcall.com. 

Mission-Ready Recognition Tools

We don’t live in a two-dimensional world, and neither should public safety. Z-Axis for FirstNet is the next evolution of FirstNet Enhanced Location Services (ELS), designed to assist with identifying where a first responder is located within a building. Z-Axis provides a new level of indoor spatial awareness not previously available with traditional GPS-based location methods.

Z-Axis location data provides the first responder with the vertical reference point in terms of height above terrain (HAT) to indicate the relative altitude or vertical location of the first responder and their team members. FirstNet ELS provides first responders and public safety agencies with 3D location by combining device-based X and Y location with new Z-Axis location data. 

“With Z-Axis, the ability to determine where a police officer or firefighter is within a structure is a major jump in the safety of first responders,” says Chief Al Gillespie (ret.), past president of the IAFC and president of the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association. “This technology helps to pinpoint their location and provide quicker relief and safety for those first responders.”

Features and benefits include:

• MegaRange, which can significantly improve connectivity for rural, remote, and maritime first responders;
• Compact Rapid Deployable (CRD): Public safety agencies can now purchase their own deployable Cells on Wheels (COW), which can be deployed by a single person within a matter of minutes; and
• LMR interoperability for FirstNet push-to-talk: The first-ever nationwide mission-critical, standards-based PTT solution in the United States now supports LMR-to-LTE interoperability.

Z-Axis capability uses the NextNav Pinnacle vertical positioning service and is now available in more than 105 markets across the country, including Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. 

Visit www.firstnet.com.