“BY PENELOPE OVERTON
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
WATERBURY — The fire department has been working for four years on plans to take on the responsibility of being the first responders to emergency medical calls, the city fire chief said Tuesday.
Fire Chief Michael Maglione said his department would be ready to take over first-responder duties from city police by June....
... Maglione pegged the overall cost of switching first response from the police to the fire department as negligible — no more than $25,000 for additional equipment and the cost of additional training.” See the Republican/American for full article.
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Waterbury Fire appears to believe that using firefighters as First Responders to free up police officers is a good idea. Waterbury Police may not like the idea quite yet, but it is sure popular with Middlebury Police. In Middlebury, if their is a medical call at your home, two police officers will arrive at your door. Essentially, the two patrolling officers are taken off the street. A First Responder from the MVFD could free up one officer.
The new First Responder vehicle could also be the first step in eventually staffing it with a MVFD trained Volunteer Paramedic. That would further improve overall patient care.
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Wikipedia describes the benefits of a Medical Fly Car -
“A fly-car can help emergency medical organizations use their resources more efficiently, sending this smaller vehicle to the scene of an emergency call, where they can assess an incident's severity (especially where there is reason to suspect the injury or illness is not serious) and call in additional help if required.
The units can also provide 'first aid' assistance for those cases which do not require hospital treatment, and can be dealt with by the clinician on site (such as cuts and bruises to non-dangerous body areas), which saves the larger ambulances for other, more urgent jobs.
This can represent a resource saving on several levels, with most fly-cars costing much less than full size ambulances, and because they can often be staffed by a single person (ambulances require a minimum of two crew members: a driver and an attendant).
Fly-cars can also be used to speed response times. This especially applies in areas such as busy roads, where the smaller cars are able to move through traffic faster than a full size ambulance. Some fly-cars also have off-road capabilities, giving them access to areas that traditional ambulances cannot reach.”
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This is from the “Evening Sun.”
CHENANGO COUNTY – There is no easy answer to the county’s ambulance shortage, one long-time volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician says.
“It’s going to take some creativity,” said Glenn Degear, a 32-year volunteer with the Preston Fire Department. “But it’s great that the county is looking at the situation and giving it attention.”
Last Tuesday, in response to the announcement that Superior Ambulance – a private
company that handled the bulk of emergency calls in a number of rural townships would no longer be serving Chenango County after Oct. 25, county Fire Coordinator Matt Beckwith suggested the Board of Supervisors consider implementing a “fly car” system that would add manpower to struggling volunteer emergency medical squads.
“This is a very good starting block toward solving the EMS crisis,” Beckwith said. “There are a lot of logistics left to be worked out. But the question is: Right now, how do we provide the best possible care for the people who are hurt out there in their homes or lying in the street? Right now, this is the best it’s going to get.”
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From Red Jacket Volunteer Fire Department in Seneca Falls, NY.
“2003 Chevy Suburban
1251 is Red Jacket's EMT response vehicle. It is the first EMS vehicle out the door for all ems calls. The Fly Car is equipped with enough equipment to handle multiple patients at one time. It carries oxygen, backboards, a scoop stretcher, trauma supplies, burn supplies, etc. The Suburban is capable of carrying four EMT'S. This vehicle is only a Basic Life Support Unit.”
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From New Zealand
Ruawai dinner raises $23,000 for first-response vehicle
By DOROTHY SIMPSON - Dargaville News | Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Getting the Ruawai Volunteer Fire Brigade a first response vehicle was the motivation for the local community putting its money where its mouth is to raise a whopping $23,000 for the cause.
The Ruawai Lions fundraiser dinner on October 18 was described as a night to remember. Organizers say this vehicle will be fully equipped for first response emergencies and will save valuable time and cost by being able to get quickly to medical emergencies before the ambulance – from Dargaville – is able to attend.
Brigade members are undergoing training to handle these emergencies and having this facility in the community is expected to save lives.
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Fire Departments throughout the world are using First Responder Vehicles to try to improve patient care in the wake of dwindling EMS volunteers. The MVFD is being proactive in this endeavor, and doing so at a minimum cost to residents. The MVFD First Responder Vehicle will be fully funded by the Department except for the fuel.
It must also be said that the MVFD needs residents to help out with this growing EMS volunteer shortage. Volunteer your time to help. The MVFD will train you and help you acquire either an MRT or EMT-B certification. You're not going to medical school. Much of emergency medicine is common sense. Take the test below and see how you do.
EMT-Basic Test
1) The EMT-B should treat a partial airway obstruction as if it were a complete airway obstruction when the patient -
A) Cannot cough or has a weak cough, is cyanotic or shows other signs of poor air exchange.
B) Makes a wheezing sound.
C) Signals you to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
D) Points to his mouth or neck.
2) You arrive at a scene where a 22 year old woman says she is experiencing labor pains. After assessing the patient you learn that this is her first delivery, she is experiencing labor pains but she is not straining, and there is no crowning. What should you do?
A) Move all non essential personnel out of the room and prepare for delivery.
B) Transport the mother to the hospital.
C) Tell the mother to close her legs and not to push, then transport.
D) Tell the mother to pant while you prepare for delivery.
3) In accidents involving downed electrical wires and damaged utility poles, the danger zone extends from -
A) Each intact pole and from the sides the distance that the severed wires can reach.
B) Beyond each intact pole for a full span and from the sides the distance that the severed wires can reach.
C) 20 feet in all directions from the severed wires.
D) 50 feet in all directions from the severed wires.
4) The ratio of ventilations to compressions during 1-rescuer CPR on an adult is -
A) 2 ventilations every 30 compressions.
B) 2 ventilations every 15 compressions.
C) 1 ventilation every 15 compressions.
D) 1 ventilation every 5 compressions
5) In order for a splint to be effective, the EMT-B should -
A) Immobilize the joint above and below the injury.
B) Only use splints carried aboard the ambulance.
C) Always replace any protruding bones.
D) Always realign all joint dislocations.
6) Anaphylactic shock is caused by -
A) Burns.
B) Severe infection.
C) Severe blood loss.
D) Allergic reactions.
7) The first indication that a patient may be diabetic is -
A) Difficulty breathing
B) An altered mental status.
C) A high pulse.
D) A low blood pressure.
8) If a patient has taken 2 nitroglycerin tablets and has a systolic blood pressure less than 100. How many more tablets can the patient take?
A) 0
B) 1 tablet.
C) 1 tablet if he waits 10 minutes.
D) 2 tablets, each dose 3-5 minutes apart.
9) Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart are known as -
A) Capillaries
B) Veins.
C) Arteries.
D) Lymph ducts.
10) The best way to control a bleeding wound is to -
A) Apply direct pressure
B) Cover the wound with a bandage and apply a loose dressing.
C) Cover the wound with a loose dressing then apply an ice pack.
D) Apply a tourniquet.
11) Once a dressing is in place, it should never be removed because the removal may -
A) Cause the patient to go into shock.
B) Be painful for the patient.
C) Restart the bleeding.
D) Create infection.
12) You arrive at a scene and find your patient complaining of ringing in the ears. His respirations are deep and rapid. What may you suspect is the cause of the poisoning?
A) Snake bite
B) Ammonia or chlorine gas.
C) Aspirin.
D) Acids or alkalis.
13) One of the first steps in treating a patient who is suffering from an inhaled poison is to -
A) Remove contaminated clothing and jewelry.
B) Administer a high concentration of oxygen
C) Remove the patient from the source.
D) Take vital signs every 5 minutes.
14) One will lose body temperature faster if you are lying supine on the cold ground rather than standing because of which form of heat transfer?
A) Conduction.
B) Convection.
C) Radiation.
D) Evaporation.
15) A patient should not be rewarmed too quickly. Doing so will circulate peripherally stagnated cold blood and rapidly cool the vital center areas of the body. This could possibly cause -
A) Hyperthermia.
B) Hyperventilation.
C) Cardiac arrest.
D) Seizures.
16) The signs and symptoms of heat stroke include all of the following except -
A) Rapid, shallow breathing.
B) Full and rapid pulse.
C) Dilated pupils.
D) Excessive perspiration.
17) Which of the following should an EMT-B do first when assisting in the birth of a baby?
A) Lay the baby on its back.
B) Clamp and cut the cord.
C) Clear the baby's mouth and nose.
D) Lift the baby by the feet and slap its buttocks.
18) When treating a child with a fever, do all of the following except -
A) Submerge the child in cold water, or cover the child with a towel.
B) Remove the child's clothing, but do not expose the child to any conditions than may bring on hypothermia.
C) If local protocols permit, give the child fluids by mouth or allow the child to suck on crushed ice.
D) Transport all children who have suffered a seizure.
19) Patient care for the responsive pediatric poisoning patient should begin with -
A) Providing the patient with oxygen.
B) Administering activated charcoal.
C) Transporting the patient immediately to the hospital.
D) Contacting medical direction or poison control.
20) When you are within sight of a potentially hazardous motor vehicle accident, you should do all except the following -
A) Rush up to the vehicle and remove the patient before the vehicle explodes.
B) Look to see if there are hazardous materials placards on the vehicle.
C) Look for potentially fallen power lines.
D) Look for liquids escaping from the vehicle.
Answers:
1) A
2) B
3) B
4) A
5) A
6) D
7) B
8) A
9) C
10) A
11) C
12) C
13) C
14) A
15) C
16) D
17) C
18) A
19) D
20) A
That was not so bad, was it? You can do this, and we can help you do this. Knowing what to do in an emergency helps provide you peace of mind. It helps you protect your family and also helps you benefit the community. You learn a skill that will stay with you for a lifetime. It is a skill, which is completely designed to help others. What could be better?
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