EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ARCHIVES
Ham Radio – An Emergency Tool for Public Health
Barry Kanne
November 4, 2009
Many citizens served their communities heroically in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and some of their stories are well known – but most of them remain untold. One of the still relatively unknown heroes is a legally blind New Orleans jazz musician, who also happens to be an amateur radio
Field-Based Patient Tracking: Real-Time Data Sharing Comes of Age
Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso
November 4, 2009
The old saying that the job “”isn’t done until the paperwork has been completed”” is particularly true if the “paperwork” data – vital signs, indications of internal bleeding, etc., collected at the scene of a car accident or other incident – is somehow lost before, during or after the patient’s
Mass-Casualty/Medical-Surge Capabilities: Closing the Gap
Kay C. Goss
October 28, 2009
The U.S. government, and most major American cities, have worked diligently, and with considerable success, since the 9/11 terrorist attacks to upgrade their homeland-defense capabilities. But “better” is not the same as “enough” – and probably never will be.
Expanded Duty for EMS Techs: Tactical Decisions
Joseph Cahill
October 28, 2009
Most medium-sized or larger U.S. communities are now better prepared than ever before to cope with “routine” incidents such as car crashes and motorcycle accidents. But a much smaller number is able to deal with truly major incidents that stress not only the rescue equipment available but also the skills
Expanded-Duty EMS: Heavy Rescue
Joseph Cahill
October 28, 2009
Most medium-sized or larger U.S. communities are now better prepared than ever before to cope with “routine” incidents such as car crashes and motorcycle accidents. But a much smaller number is able to deal with truly major incidents that stress not only the rescue equipment available but also the skills
Telemedicine: Funding Increases & Rapid-Paced Development
Diana Hopkins
October 21, 2009
It started with extremely low-tech audio communications, and in recent years telemedicine technology has spawned a spectrum of much more advanced systems and devices that are of literally life-or-death importance to many citizens in distress. But the paperwork – specifically including development and performance standards – has not kept up.
HLS & EM: Blueprinting the Future
Dennis R. Schrader
October 21, 2009
Today’s homeland-security and emergency-management professionals are highly skilled and exceptionally well motivated. Their second most important goal, though – after keeping the nation safe – is to ensure that their second- and third-generation successors are even more competent and capable than the first-generation leaders now setting the pace.
SAMU & EMS: The Principle Differences
Joseph Cahill
October 14, 2009
The goal is the same – doing the most good for the most patients. But there are several significant, and perhaps educational, differences between the way that French medical-response units are trained and operate as compared with their American counterparts.
NIMS & ICS: The Next Level
Stephen Grainer
October 14, 2009
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) resumed the “next” series of its NIMS (National Incident Management System) Incident Command System (ICS) training in August with the delivery of eight ICS position-specific Train-the-Trainer (T-t-T) programs in College Station, Texas, where the Texas Forest Service (TFS) is headquartered – on the
Organophosphates: A Clearly Present Danger
John Temperilli
October 14, 2009
Properly used, chemicals can benefit mankind in many ways. Improperly used – by terrorists, for example – they can be more of a curse than a blessing, and as weapons of mass destruction could be even more dangerous, over a longer period of time, than a nuclear missile.
The Unglamorous Side: Parking Lots, Manhole Covers, and Homeland Security
Neil C. Livingstone
October 7, 2009
The critical infrastructure of the United States is now better protected than it was before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The same cannot be said for the parking lots next to government buildings, power plants, and other possible targets – most of which can be entered through 22 million “access points”
Understanding Public Health Mutual Aid
Raphael M. Barishansky
October 7, 2009
Friends helping friends, neighbors helping neighbors – it’s Biblical, it’s common sense, and it’s the right thing to do. But it’s also much more complicated in today’s world, when mass-casualty incidents can cause so much damage that very few communities can recover without outside help.
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