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NHTSA Releases EMS Workforce Reports

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA)Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) is pleased to provide you with a PDF copy of the document: EMS Workforce for the 21st Century: A National Assessment. The document has been placed as a downloadable file under LANREMT Governmental Info.

NHTSA, in partnership with the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) Emergency Medical Services for Children program, entered into an agreement with the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) to undertake this first step in addressing the nation¢s EMS workforce issues. UCSF, which has considerable experience with allied health workforce studies, conducted a systematic assessment of the national prehospital EMS workforce. This assessment, guided by a steering committee and by EMS stakeholder organizations, involved interviews, key stakeholder meetings and a rigorous assessment of existing data and research.

The assessment describes the national EMS workforce, while also elucidating the absence of consistent, nation-wide EMS workforce data. It will be paramount in guiding future strategies aimed at assuring the stability of the EMS workforce and in designing national EMS workforce data system improvements. Currently, the assessment is being used to guide development of the EMS Workforce Agenda for the Future, a document that will establish a vision for the future of the nation¢s EMS workforce. Information on this ongoing project is available at www.emsworkforce.com.

For any questions about this project or other initiatives, you may contact Gam Wijetunge via e-mail (Gamunu.Wijetunge@dot.gov) or phone (202-493-2793).

Drew Dawson, Director

Office of Emergency Medical Services

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE (NTI-140)

W44-314

Washington DC 20590

Phone: 202-366-9966

FAX: 202-366-7721

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$190 Million Grant Money Available for Fire Departments -- Deadline JUNE 27!

Fairfax, Va - 5/28/2008 -- The Department of Homeland Security has announced that the application period for the 2008 round of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program will be May 27-June 27. The IAFC encourages all eligible members with unmet staffing needs to apply.

Fire departments are eligible to apply for grants and may access applications, and other important materials online. Funds may be used for the hiring of firefighters as part of a five-year matching grant program and developing a program to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters.

For additional information, please select the hyperlink above.

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LAVA seeking to update information

Baton Rouge - 5/22/2008 - LAVA, Louisiana Volunteers in Action is seeking to update its information.

Will you be available to help when the next disaster hits the state? Select the hyperlink at left marked "Louisiana Volunteer Opportunities" and enter your contact information. Alternatively, select the link above to download an Adobe .PDF file that can be printed, filled in and mailed.

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National EMS Memorial Service Selects New Host City

Oilville, Va - 5/9/2008 - The National EMS Memorial Service has selected Colorado Springs as the new home of the National EMS Memorial Service and the “Tree of Life,” the National EMS Memorial.

At a special meeting of its Board of Directors the Memorial Service selected Colorado Springs, Colorado as the new host city for the annual National EMS Memorial Service and the permanent location of the new “Tree of Life,” National EMS Memorial.

For additional information, please select the hyperlink above.

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Counties put into action new ambulance services

JACKSON, Miss. 1/25/2008 (AP) - Marshall and Chickasaw counties, two of the 23 Mississippi counties affected by the shutdown of Alabama-based Emergystat ambulance service, had alternatives in place Thursday, according to state health officials.

"There was no interruption of service in any of the counties that were affected," state Health Officer Dr. Ed Thompson said Thursday. "Interim arrangements have been made in all 23 counties."

Both Chickasaw and Marshall counties have made arrangements with Corinth-based TransCare Ambulance Services, which also has offices in Southaven.

For additional information, please select the hyperlink above.

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Verathon Inc. Introduces Free Grant Writing Kit for First Responder and EMS Health Care Providers

Verathon Inc., the maker of GlideScope Video Laryngoscopes, is pleased to make available to EMS health care providers a First Responders’ Grant Writing Kit. The kit, which is free to EMS personnel, contains helpful information to seek out available grant monies, and tips to successfully apply for government grants and, private funding, in order to purchase EMS-related equipment and supplies.

“We’re pleased to offer this new grant writing kit to EMS professionals,” stated Gerald McMorrow, CEO, and Founder of Verathon. “With improved medical equipment and related funds both available, this kit is designed to offer First Responders the needed “bridge” to match these two resources,” McMorrow continued. “EMS personnel deserve the best tools available to do their jobs. Successful grant writing can help them get the equipment and supplies they need.”

EMS personnel interested in receiving this free First Responders’ Grant Writing Kit may call Verathon Medical Customer Care at 800-331-2313 or email Customer Care at customerservice@verathon.com.

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USA - National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC)

1/15/2008 -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced he appointment of 25 individuals to serve on the newly-established National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC).

The purpose of NEMSAC is to provide advice and counsel to the Department of Transportation on national Emergency Medical Services (EMS) initiatives, while offering a forum for the non-Federal deliberation of national EMS issues.

The names of the NEMSAC members appointed today are:

Thomas Judge- Executive Director of LifeFlight of Maine.

Aarron Reinert - Executive Director of Lakes Region EMS in Minnesota.

Robert Oenning - Enhanced 9-1-1 Program Administrator for the State of Washington.

Jose Salazar - Training Officer and EMS Battalion Chief for the Loudoun County (VA) Fire and Rescue Department.

Matthew Tatum - EMS Coordinator and Emergency Manager for Henry County, Virginia.

Patricia Kunz Howard, PhD - Operations Manager of Emergency and Trauma Services at the University of Kentucky Hospital and EMS Training Coordinator for the Lexington, Kentucky Division of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

John Sacra, MD - Emergency Physician and Medical Director for the Medical Control Board serving Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Ritu Sahni, MD, MPH - Medical Director for the Lake Oswego Fire Department and for the regional OHSU Emergency Communications Center and Oregon State EMS Medical Director.

Joseph Wright, MD, MPH - Pediatric Emergency Physician at the Children's National Medical Center in the District of Columbia and Professor of Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine and Prevention & Community Health at the George Washington University Schools of Medicine and Public Health.

Baxter Larmon, PhD, MICP - Professor of Emergency Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the founding Director of the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care.

Dia Gainor, MPA - Idaho's State Emergency Medical Services Director.

Kevin Staley, MPA - Director of Medical Services for the Mecklenberg EMS Agency in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Charles Abbott - Chief of the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety and Western Region representative on the Executive Board of the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Joseph Heck, DO - Practicing emergency physician and an EMS Medical Director for Clark County (NV) and Senator in the Nevada State Senate where he serves as vice-chair of the Transportation and Homeland Security Committee.

Jeffrey P. Salomone, MD, FACS - Associate Professor of Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine and Deputy Chief of Surgery at Grady MemorialHospital in Atlanta, Georgia.

Linda K. Squirrel - EMS Special Projects Coordinator for the Cherokee Nation and the Founding President of the National Native American EMS Associationand currently its Treasurer.

Kenneth R. Knipper - Represents Kentucky's volunteer fire and EMS personnel on the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and has chaired their EMS Committee since 1995.

Jeffrey T. Lindsey, PhD -Fire Chief of Estero (Florida) Fire Rescue and serves as adjunct faculty in the Bachelor of EMS program at St. PetersburgCollege.

Kurt M. Krumperman, MS,- Senior Vice President of Federal Affairs and Strategic Initiatives for Rural/Metro Corporation - a large national ambulance service provider.

Daniel E. Meisels, MPA - Manager of the EMS Program Planning and Special Projects at New York-Presbyterian Emergency Medical Services in New York City.

Kyle R. Gorman, MBA, EMT-P - Executive Officer of the Clackamas County(Oregon) Fire District #1.

Gary L. Wingrove - Government Relations and Strategic Affairs at Gold Cross Mayo Clinic Medical Transportation, Minnesota.

Chris D. Tilden, PhD - Director of the Office of Local and Rural Health in the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Richard A. Serino - Chief of the Boston (MA) EMS Department.

J. Thomas Willis - Full time fire fighter/paramedic, providing both fire suppression and EMS response.

For further information contact: Drew Dawson, Director, Office of Emergency Medical Services,National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE (NTI-140 W44-314), Washington, D.C. 20590, Phone: 202 366-9966, FAX: 202 366-7721

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Emergency Responders At High Risk To Miss Work Because Of Injuries

ScienceDaily (Jan. 8, 2008) - New research suggests that at any given time, almost 10 percent of the emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics in the United States miss work because of injuries and illnesses they suffered on the job.

A study examining how common these injuries are and tracking new cases of work-related injuries and illnesses in these professionals also suggests that in one year, an estimated 8.1 of every 100 emergency responders will suffer an injury or illness forcing them to miss work. Compared to data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of injuries requiring work absence among these first responders far exceeds the national average of 1.3 per 100 lost-work injury cases reported in 2006.

The study also identified work-related and health conditions most likely to lead to injuries, which included responding to a high volume of emergency calls, working in bigger cities and having a history of back problems. Researchers conducting the study say that knowing how common severe injuries are in this population will help guide interventions designed to reduce the risks of injury.

(For more information, select this link.)

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FDA - MedWatch - MRL/Welch Allyn AED 20 Automatic External Defibrillators Class I Recall Due To Error Message On Device Display

FDA issued a Class I recall for MRL/Welch Allyn AED 20 Automatic External Defibrillators manufactured between October 2003 and January 2005, serial numbers 205787 through 207509. These devices are used by emergency or medical personnel to treat adult and pediatric patients in cardiopulmonary arrest (heart attack). The recalled devices may display a "Defib Comm" error message on the device display during use which may result in a terminal failure of the device to analyze the patient's ECG and deliver the appropriate therapy.

FDA advises healthcare professionals and patients to stop using the recalled product and contact the manufacturer for a replacement.

Read the complete MedWatch 2007 Safety Summary including a link to the FDA recall notice at: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2007/safety07.htm#mrl

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Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health has recently launched an online volunteer registry-Louisiana Volunteers in Action (LAVA). LAVA serves as a state-based registry of volunteers (medical and non-medical) to assist during emergencies and day to day activities by providing additional staff to meet health/medical surge needs.

The Bureau of Emergency Medical Services is assisting the program in its recruitment efforts of Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics. Many of you have shown interest in volunteering on your license renewal application. Please take a moment to formally register with us at www.lava.dhh.louisiana.gov. You must register on the LAVA website to volunteer. After registering, you will receive information about upcoming volunteer and training opportunities. Currently, we are seeking ACLS-level teams of Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians to provide assistance during the Mardi Gras Season.

If you have previously indicated your willingness to volunteer your services on your re-certification form, please note that you must now officially register through the statewide volunteer registration site at: http://www.lava.dhh.louisiana.gov.

Thank you in advance for helping us take care of the citizens of this great state!

Respectfully,

Ross Pottschmidt

Program Director, Bureau of EMS

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