First Responder

The NY Daily News reports that EMT Jason Green, one of the FDNY Dispatchers accused of failing to act to help a worker in an Au Bon Pain store at Metrotech who later died, was gunned down and killed in downtown Manhattan Sunday morning.

There are three things that I find interesting about the Daily News article that I just want to take a moment to point out:

• Is this evidence of Karma? Now I’m not looking to get into the legal or moral debate of whether what he did or didn’t do back in December was right or wrong, but I think the argument for Karma just got a bit of a boost
• Apparently the victim was transported to New York Downtown Hospital, which is not a trauma center. It’s pure speculation, but the chances are that he was probably in traumatic arrest when the units arrived and they correctly, as per the current protocol, transported him to the nearest facility. What is notable about this is that had St. Vincent’s Hospital still been open then that would have been the closest facility, and it also happens to have been a Level 1 Trauma Center
• I wonder if Jason Green realized that his inaction on that December day would be what he will be remembered for. I doubt it. What about you? What will you be remembered for? Steve Whitehead has a great post on this very topic

For The Resident Conspiracy Theorists: It seems that he was shot outside of a club that he had been denied access to, from unknown shooters that were inside a car. Was this a random drive-by, or a targeted hit? Hmmmm…

Themes.

They can be the focus of party decorations, the inspiration for wardrobe, a folder of files that can be unintelligible at times, or the end of kiddom when Ms. Shields gives you a D because otherwise you’ll shoot your eye out.

Today there is a definite theme to this list of links from around the EMS Blogosphere and I will allow you to interpret for yourself what exactly that theme is…

• Kelly Grayson wrote a great article for EMS1.com called Think Before You Post. Now my first thought was that this article would cover all the important nuances of posting (proximity to a coffee shop, free wifi, dark corners for quality inner eyelid inspection, and of course proximity to a usable bathroom), but that’s not what it’s about at all… although it is still dead on in its message when it relates to internet posting. Failure to heed his words affects us all…
• EMS Garage Episode 94: The Day Social Media Stood Still covers the topic regarding Mark Glencourse’s decision to close his blog. If you have never listened to the EMS Garage before then this is the “must listen” episode for you. Towards the end of the episode Greg Friese provides a special code for a free download of the Social Media Policy Guide For First Responder Agencies. So be sure to listen to the episode, absorb what is being said about the situation, and get that free download!
• Jamie Davis also covers this sensitive topic in his weekly video segment:
  

And finally…

• I would be remiss to include all those links and then not include the post that served as inspiration for at least some of that content… from none other than the one and only Rogue Medic… rising up in the cafeteria… one plastic fork at a time

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Damn the man!

Save the empire!

There are three specific movies referenced here… if you know what they are, leave it in the comments so I don’t become neurotic over the thought that no one got them. Thanks!

The video in this post is very graphic in nature. It is not recommended for those with heart conditions or weak stomachs. It definitely is NOT a video for children, and probably is not safe for work… although I think that some work places should require its viewing like taxi companies, UPS, FedEx, and Public Safety Agencies

Today starts the beginning of another holiday weekend. I’m sure some of you will be traveling, if you haven’t started to already, and there are others of you who will be working to ensure the safety of those who are traveling. I saw this video first on Facebook, and I felt the imagery was so powerful that I want to share it here as a reminder that your life can change in an instant because of impatience or inattention…

So now that you’ve seen the trainwreck… have a happy and safe holiday weekend!

I heard about this Tweet from John Solomon in this post.

Every now and then there is something that comes out that seems like an epiphany, and because this says so much in under 140 characters that I just have to share it here:

Believing in the 7 P’s is something every public health and public safety agency should take seriously. We should also take the education of the public as to the importance of the 7 P’s, because ultimately at some level there is going to be some cost associated with it. Unfortunately, those expenditures are most often the first thing on the chopping block when cash gets strapped.

Luckily, it seems California has their priorities in place when it comes to having their preparedness in place. Sure, their Disaster Corps is volunteer, but volunteers are a great way to begin treating the public as an asset instead of a liability which has been a goal of FEMA Director Craig Fugate.

In the interest of full disclosure, I need to explain that I am a huge fan of The Terminator franchise. I am also a fan of the Predator franchise (and yes, I am pretty excited about Predators coming out), the movies The Running Man, Twins, Commando (Blow off steam, Bennett), Total Recall, The Sixth Day, and Kindergarten Cop (It’s not a tumor). While I may be a fan, none of that has affected my opinion in this post

Last week during EMS Garage Episode 91: Fava Beans, Jamie Davis was kind enough to play the Australian PSAs regarding calling 9-1-1 for emergencies. I often find myself unable to fully support the whole issue of being able to refuse transportation for those who call 9-1-1.

I have both the same reservations as Kelly Grayson and I have the fear that by telling people when they do call 9-1-1 that their condition isn’t an emergency, when they truly do have an emergency they won’t be calling 9-1-1 again.

What I would ideally like to see is an educational initiative. Something where we can educate the public voluntarily as opposed to these hard line transport refusals and elongated ETAs for conditions that are not deemed life threatening by a dispatch center. We need to stop treating the public like a liability to our cause, and more as an asset to help us accomplish our mission. While the Australian PSAs are a great example, we already have some great examples right here in the good old United States…

That billboard was set up by Lake-Sumter Emergency Medical Services in Florida. The website WhenToCall911.com is full of information in an easily consumable format for the average citizen to help them make the correct decision when and when not to call 911. Most notable, on the bottom of every page it reads:

Make the right call. If it’s potentially life-threatening, or you’re in doubt, don’t guess… call 911

I think creative billboards that are backed by deeper information are one option to educate the public. Audio and video PSAs are another option. These are the types of community outreach programs we should be doing year round, and not relegated to one week in May.

Hey, if other groups can put some effort into educating the public on safety related matters…

… then why can’t we try to educate them on subjects that affect EMS?

What do you think is holding us back?

So technically I’m on vacation. Usually when people go on vacation, they go somewhere. Instead I’m pretty much staying home for roughly 80% of the time with my head buried in the various projects that I have working. One of the things that vacation has afforded me is the ability to actually read and enjoy a lot of the great posts out there in the EMS Blogosphere. So since you’re not on vacation, here are some highlights I figured I’d point out to you…

• As a fan and owner of a Droid, I was pleased to see Sean Eddy do a review of Epocrates for Android. At his recommendation I downloaded the app myself and agree that it is very useful… especially when I mistakenly overturn someone’s pill box and dump their carefully planned daily regiment into a pile of mess
• Steve Whitehead asks a very thought provoking question. What will others say about your career when you’re gone? The first thing that popped into my mind, being the self-deprecationist that I am, was “Yeah, he sucked“. Now through 360 surveys and a few other glorious introspection activities I know that isn’t entirely true… but I also know that I think a lot of it depends on when people knew me in my career. Hopefully those in the future will say, “Yeah, he sucked, but only a little.” What do you think people would say about you?
• Last week was the E3 Gaming Conference. There wasn’t a lot for me to be wowed by with no new consoles being announced, just redesigns and add ons, so I’m glad Greg Friese posted a review about Trauma Team for the Wii. I don’t own a Wii, but that review gives me a good reason to get one instead of replacing my red-ringed Halo 3 Limited Edition XBox 360
• Kelly Grayson has a new podcast out that is geared for those who have just become EMT’s or are thinking about going to EMT school. Confessions of an EMS Newbie is definitely an interesting listen and from an experienced provider (and more importantly a supervisor’s point of view) it provides some insight into what exactly is running through the minds of new EMTs and Paramedics. Hopefully this will help me so I won’t have a cerebral hemorrhage when one of them does something that I would consider ambiently stupid if done by a more experienced provider

And finally…

• Burned-Out Medic raises a great point about the seemingly odd inquisition from hospital staff about how much of an illegal drug did a patient take. It’s almost as if they’re comparison shopping for when they get off work…

Have a safe week.

With the official start of summer undoubtedly pools will be in heavy use. Here are some vital safety tips to prevent drowning accidents from occurring:

• Never leave a child alone near water to answer the phone, the doorbell, go to the bathroom, attend to another child or attend to household chores, even for a few seconds
• Keep a constant eye on children playing in or near any body of water, wading pool, public pool, bathtub or lake. Do not assume that because there is a lifeguard on duty that your child is safe and does not need to be watched
• Fence your pool on all four sides with a barrier that is at least 5 feet high. Move lawn chairs, tables and other potential climbing aids away from the fence to help keep children out
• Any gate or door leading to the pool area should be self-closing and self-latching, opening outward, with the latch placed on the pool side out of reach
• Keep reaching and throwing aids, such as poles and life preservers, on both sides of the pool
• All non-swimmers should always wear approved personal flotation devices when they are near water
• Swimming lessons do not insure safety. About 25% of all young drowning victims have had swimming lessons. A child who falls into water unexpectedly will panic and forget his swimming skills
• It is crucial that you and all of your child’s caretakers can swim and know how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in an emergency. Immediate CPR could prevent death or massive brain damage

Jamie Davis covered drowning and near drownings in MedicCast Epsiode 222. I highly recommend you give it a listen to improve your clinical understanding of drowning and near drowning victims

This year my blogger friend Dan has organized a fund raising walk for The Joseph Salmon Trust, a charity in the United Kingdom that is doing important work by offering financial support for those who have lost a child. I think the work this charity does is phenomenal and I had planned on joining this pilgrimage with a cause, but due to unforseen circumstances we’ll only be able to support the walk from this side of the pond. You can donate directly to the trust via my Just Giving Page, or you can just help spread the word about the Trust’s mission whether it be through e-mail, blog posts, Facebook, and/or Twitter. Anything you can do is a help. Thanks.

A few weeks ago I highlighted a video that had been created to teach CPR basics to the Maxim crowd called Super Sexy CPR. The video was created by Fortnight Lingerie in an effort to highlight their product line of lingerie items that are generally more for your private enjoyment than for public display.

Over the week and change, I’ve heard quite a bit of criticism about the video. Everything from it being sexist, to it being not family friendly, and not being accurate. What these critics seem to overlook is that it is effective in educating others.

DIGG CEO Kevin Rose discussed it on DiggNation #238, and his comments about it are indicative of what a layperson in his general demographic (male, 18-49) may actually understand. Using certain clear language along with the way the information is presented is important and in this case more effective than in a certification class. The aspect he specifically points out is the video recommendation to perform compressions between the nipples, as opposed to a certification class that indicates the landmark be 2 inches above the bottom of the rib cage. It seems like a minute difference to us as professionals, but you have to remember that the typical person this is trying to reach is NOT a professionals and therefore education should really follow the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) methodology of presentation.

But Fortnight has not stopped their effective education efforts at CPR. They have forged forward with this video educating people on abdominal thrusts for choking victims…

Is Fortnight Lingerie the country’s new effective public educator for first aid and CPR? That’s the role the EMS industry should have embraced long ago, but to date has failed to do so.

So how much longer until EMS either steps up to a role it should have been fulfilling or will Fortnight Lingerie become the new EMS?

Many of you have already heard about (and if you haven’t then you’re about to so pay attention) some of the great portable EMS audio netcasts available on the internet such as the EMS Educast, EMS Garage, EMS Office Hours, and of course the MedicCast. As EMS created media evolved we then saw the rise of The Chronicles of EMS and their online video series. So what’s left?

Portable video netcasts of course.

Thanks to MedicCast TV we have now evolved to that second to the top tier in content. MedicCast TV is available on iTunes, for Zune, and as an RSS Feed. In this episode host Jamie Davis gives his opinion on the Super Sexy CPR video…

I think it’s a great format, very similar to Geek Brief TV (minus Cali Lewis and her psychedelic blue screen) for viewers with short attention spans… which is pretty much all of us. I’m subscribed via iTunes, and you should be too!

Some of you may be wondering what I would consider to be the “top tier” for EMS created media. A timely 30-60 minute daily show that offers both audio and video formats (not necessarily streamed live but that’s definitely an option) is truly the current top tier of content for any niche. You may think its going to take awhile before we see that… but I think otherwise… I’d say before the end of the year which gives us something to look forward to. MedicCast TV is definitely a step in that direction.

Be sure to check back tomorrow when I highlight the Super Sexy Abdominal Thrust video and talk about what all the critics seem to be overlooking

I’m an ardent supporter of EMS Professionals taking the proverbial public relations/education bull by the horns and doing what the agencies and multiple organizations that represent the industry continually fail to do effectively. One group of those professionals are the guys over at The Chronicles of EMS. Ted, Justin, and Mark are dedicated to creating compelling educational content for both the industry professional as well as for the average person, and have pitched the series throughout the entertainment industry.

While pitching the series to entertainment executives they received some valuable feedback, specifically that the tagline “The Reality Series” should be changed to something more… entertainy. In order to do that they have turned to the community and are running a Name the Show Contest. Since it’s a contest, there must be some prizes, right? There most certainly are…

The Grand Prize winner wins an iPad 16GB WiFi + 3G AND a round trip flight and accommodations at a future Chronicles of EMS filming location where they will appear in the episode!

Now there are some rules and regulations to the contest, but if you aren’t already a member of the Chronicles of EMS Community, shame on you!

So even if you don’t have a creative bone in your body, but you want to get involved in helping with the success of the project, you can Vote for Chronicles of EMS on OWN TV (which is the Oprah Winfrey Network if you didn’t know) and please be sure to share that voting linking on both Facebook and Twitter.