This Week in EMS: Medical Helicopter Crash...MAST Severance Package Outrage...PIO Pandemic Planning

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Three Crew Members Killed in Western Tennessee Medical Helicopter Crash

A medical helicopter crashed in a thunderstorm in western Tennessee early Thursday, killing a pilot and two nurses on a return trip from delivering a patient. There were no survivors.

La. EMS Board Fights Against Bill Lifting Oversight

Calling the idea "preposterous," the board that oversees all Louisiana emergency medical service workers has detailed its opposition to a bill that would exempt firefighters from the oversight of doctors and medical technicians.

Severance Paid to MAST Managers Infuriates Kansas City Officials

Several recent resignations by MAST ambulance's top managers have brought to light severance packages expected to cost about $700,000 -- including bonuses for this year and next. The payouts, especially the bonuses, are prompting criticism as the city tries to complete a plan to merge the Metropolitan Ambulance Services Trust into the Kansas City Fire Department by April 25

Technology Today

One Call Does It All

In December 2009, UMass Lowell Emergency Services, a university EMS system, used automated voice messaging to alert its EMTs after a New England ice storm cut off power to more than a million homes and businesses, closed schools, and knocked down trees and power lines. Learn more about the system UMass has in place that alerts EMTs when a large-scale event occurs.

EMS Training Center

Are You Embracing The New Frontier in Lifesaving?

The fire service has been incredibly successful implementing fire safety and prevention programs nationwide. Now it's time for EMS to step up to the plate. The Manheim Township Ambulance Association of Lancaster, PA, has done just that. This private, non-profit service, covering a population of 40,000 people in Lancaster County, recently developed an illness- and injury-prevention approach that is evidence-driven, aiming to serve the needs of its core population. This article outlines simple steps agencies can follow to implement effective injury- and illness-prevention programs.

H1N1 Pandemic Preparedness & Crisis Management in the Media Age

During a pandemic event, communications and sophisticated dissemination strategies must be used to effectively combat and counteract disinformation. At the core of this effort, emergency response planners must proactively manage and disseminate information, enlist and collaborate with key community representatives and groups, and anticipate and seek to mitigate inaccurate information before it emerges with irreversible momentum. This article details some best practices public information officers can deploy when handling disaster scenarios.

Featured Article

Along Came a Spider...

In 2006, there were more than 82,000 calls to U.S. poison control centers reporting spider bites. Maybe you ran a few of those calls. What species is the most common in your neighborhood? Have you seen the dreaded Springfield recluse? How about the Philadelphia or Sacramento recluses? This article will tell you what you need to know about these eight-legged creepy crawlies.

Continuing Education

ECG Clues to Identify the Site of Occlusion in Acute Myocardial Ischemia/Infarction

This video presentation sponsored by Philips discusses the value of ST depression and ST elevation in helping to better localize the acutely ischemic/infracted region and predict the site of occlusion within the involved coronary artery. The overall goal is to recognize clues in the ECG that will shorten the interval from discovery to treatment and improve patient outcome. After viewing this video, take the CE test that accompanies this lesson at www.rapidce.com.

This CE activity is approved by EMS Magazine, an organization accredited by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS), for .5 CEUs.