Tag Archives: EMS

Why 3 is Better than 2 on an EMS Call

By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer It was a hot and humid August evening in 1979, and I was a new EMT working my first job in public safety. My employer was a private sector ambulance service that had the contract to provide EMS to the city of Richmond, Virginia. On this night, my partner—a “street savvy” dude if there ...

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Why are We Cell Phone Hypocrites?

If it’s good enough for the employees of Exxon-Mobil—pay attention to driving and don’t talk on your cell phone—it’s certainly good enough for those of us in public safety—the people who have to deal with the aftermath of poor decisions that people make on a daily basis. Let’s all “get on the stick”: Hang up and drive!

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Be Proactive: Marketing Fire and EMS

The reality that's "hitting" home with many Fire & EMS organizations today, however, is that their citizens do have a choice. In the current economic climate, where most local governments are having to make tough fiscal decisions, elected officials and their constituents are making "buy" or "no buy" decisions regarding the public safety services for their community. Don't believe it? Look at how many cities, towns, and counties are laying off personnel, closing fire stations, cutting back on non-emergency services, etc.

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Taking Care of the Rescued Firefighter

We have to be able to seamlessly move from firefighter rescue to firefighter patient care. And that will entail additional training and practice on the part of both firefighters and the EMS providers — who may not be firefighters. Why? Because in addition to a firefighter who may be in need of life-saving medical intervention, such an event is also a workplace injury site if the firefighter survives, or the site of a line-of-duty death if resuscitation efforts are unsuccessful or the firefighter later succumbs to his injuries.

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Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation for EMS

The use of UVGI in the fire station environment for sanitizing and decontamination has several attractive features. UVGI light is clean and green (no potentially harmful chemicals that require special use and protective equipment). There are no dangerous odors or residues from harsh cleaning agents to affect staff or patients and offers decontaminated spaces can immediately be reoccupied (less downtime for ambulances).

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Photographs and other imagery that predominantly portray female firefighters as sexual objects first, and firefighters second, communicates a very powerful “marketing message” whether men and women in the fire service choose to accept it or not. (Don’t think so? Just ask any marketing professional “worth their salt” what they think).

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My Body Survived My Career Because of Health and Wellness “Culture”

It seems to me that many fire and EMS organizations are a bit "Johnny-come-lately" when it comes to the health and well-being of their people, and some still have not come to the party. I was very fortunate to have spent my career with one of the organizations that‘s frequently been on the forefront of efforts to constantly make improvements for the safety, health and welfare of its people.

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