Industry Trends

Mesa FD Fields Smaller Units for Non-Emergency Calls
Average fire department response times in Mesa, Arizona, have increased by 27 seconds in the last two years, from 3:39 to 3:56. Mesa is also terribly understaffed and woefully under-equipped. Slower response times, insufficient manpower and an aging and inadequate fleet all have the potential to be a PR nightmare, but Mesa Fire Department has done a remarkable job turning lemons into lemonade with several recent initiatives to educate the public about their predicament and, at the same time, put more response units on the road in an innovative and cost-effective way.

Facing Tough Times? How to Guide the Community Toward Informed Decision-Making
By Stewart Gary
Nationally, economic news is discouraging across the board. The problem is not simply one of “not enough revenue,” but one of systemic imbalances. Weak and eroding revenue sources are on a collision course with increasing costs of doing business. In this challenging environment, are your stakeholders – both above and below you — prepared not just to weather the storm, but also to come out of it changed for the better?

New Britain EMS Saves Lives and $$s Without Running Hot
Forty-four people died in crashes involving fire and EMS vehicles in 2006. Of those, 28 died as a result of crashes in which the emergency vehicle was running hot, with lights and siren, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which calls speeding “one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes.” An EMS veteran who has seen his share of speeding-related motor vehicle accidents, New Britain EMS CEO Bruce Baxter did not want his medics to become a NHTSA statistic.

8Tips & Best Practices for Using Emergency Personnel as Intelligence Sensors
By Michael Petrie
The use of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel as intelligence sensors or information collectors to provide information to Terrorism Early Warning Groups (TEWGs) and other local and state government intelligence fusion centers is recommended by numerous academic papers, professional articles and presentations, and US Department of Homeland Security best-practice documents. These documents identify EMS personnel as valuable intelligence sensors in part because they have access to locations not routinely available to law enforcement or intelligence communities that may contain indicators of terrorism. This article offers tips on how best to use emergency personnel in this capacity.

National EMS Advisors Named; FICEMS Meets
Twenty-five EMS experts have been named to the newly created National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC).

National EMS Certification Still in Limbo
Despite the prevailing view among EMS thought-leaders that national EMS certification would help ensure the public that it is receiving the same level of prehospital care regardless of location, no single standard of EMS competency is accepted throughout the United States. Competency tests offered by the National Registry of EMTs are the closest thing that EMS has to national certification, but even those tests are not accepted for EMS licensure by all 50 states. Why? What is preventing EMS from adopting national certification?

DHS Official Jeff Runge, MD, on the Future of EMS
Jeffrey W. Runge, MD, is the Department of Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer. He is the principal advisor to the DHS Secretary for public health and medical issues and is responsible for coordination with other federal departments and agencies and the Homeland Security Council on issues of biodefense and medical preparedness. Runge is the former Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. …

Recognition Program for EMS Managers Debuts
For the last six years, fire service professionals who have wanted to prove their competence as managers have done so by earning the title of Chief Fire Officer (CFO) from the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). Now, CPSE is offering a similar program for EMS managers.

New HHS Office Strengthens EMS’ Public Health Role
Recent events in Washington indicate that federal officials are more committed than ever to the importance of EMS in public health emergencies.

EMS Best Practices, Inc. P.O. Box 927812, San Diego CA 92192 Powered by Internet Production Inc.