Skip to main content

Highway to the Danger Zone


Kenny Loggins took us through a lyrical danger zone while Maverick and Goose zoomed off the deck of the USS Enterprise in their F-14 Tomcat.

So, I am sure that at this point you are already asking why I am talking about a great movie from the late '80s on an EMS and fire service blog.  If you have been keeping on eye on the new trends in emergency medicine then you will know what I am talking about.

On the 19th of September, The United States Fire Administration released a document called "Fire/Emergency Services Department Operational Considerations and Guide for Active Shooter and Mass Casualty Incidents" which outlines the new trends in emergency medical care of patients involved in shooting events. (DOCUMENT)

I don't think it would ever cross anybody's mind that if you delay patient care the outcomes will remain good.  That being said, the document looks at the current incident action plans for an active shooter event and changes the thoughts of most prehospital care personnel.  Up until now the typical Fire/EMS response to an active shooter event is to stage at a secure location and await an all clear by the special operations teams to clear the scene.  Depending on the size of the incident footprint clearing the scene can take hours.  This is valuable time that injured patients don't have to spare.

Now, neither the document or I recommend rolling up on scene as the first responder, but it is talking about a more coordinated approach to active shooter events.  Now, when I was completing my bachelor's degree, I was charged with a capstone project that required me to take my knowledge of fire service administration. In my capstone project I researched the topic of interoperability.  Now, when I researched and wrote about interoperability I spoke about what I titled "True Interoperability".  When most people think about interoperability they think about their radio being able to speak to somebody else when true interoperability is what is needed during an incident such as this.  Responders that are seemless across multiple disciplines.  Incident command staff that are representative of the total response force, and a communications plan that eliminates any potential response threats that compromise the incident action plan.  The document I referenced above speaks to the thoughts of True Interoperability.  The need to develop a coordinated training program that combines responders into situations such as these and allows medical personnel to integrate with response team to provide medical care quicker to those injured in the incident.

Over the next couple of weeks I will be breaking this document, and the new tactical actions plans for active shooter events down to determine how we can enhance patient care and ensure safety to our personnel.

Take Care and Stay Safe.
The Combomedic

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ELPA 6872 -Educational Technology

Good Morning Everybody. It has been a long time since I have posted on this blog.  The reason I am is a great reason for my Fire and EMS Audience, as well as my academic colleagues. After a very eventful beginning of 2018, my application was selected to join the latest cohort of students obtaining their Doctor of Education.  As part of this program, we are completing a course that is dedicated to technology and implementation into the classroom.  The delivery of this program is through technology based platforms, in that it is an online program. Here are some questions that I have about technology, and online learning. 1)  To mimic some of the classroom interaction and discussion, online educators use the discussion board with each module to foster communication.  For those of you having completed online educational programs, what made the discussion board useful? 2)  Does the set-up of the online course material make a difference in the success o...
8 comments
Read more

Presidential Budget cuts 2.5M from vital grants!

I know that many of you are tired of hearing about the budget and the sequestration, fiscal cliffs and many many other things that are occurring in the federal budget.  Some of you don't care because it isn't currently affecting your department.  This is one budget update that you may want to pay attention to.  In the President's 2013 budget, the SAFER and Assistance to Firefighter grant programs are not being funded to previous years levels.  Now that cut currently sits at 2.5 million out of a total of 335m per program.  However, and this is where I caution you any cuts can be a dangerous sign to the future of this program.   As you know, emergency services (police, fire and ems) serves of America's first line of defense when it comes to dangerous situations.  These are the groups that are running towards the danger while others run out...i've always hated that quote, but it works.  Videos from the tragic events at the World Trade Ce...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Kid President - Going Beyond to Achieve Amazing

"THE KID PRESIDENT" Going Beyond to Achieve Amazing!!! Sometimes inspiration comes from some strange places...really I'm taking advice from "The Kid President." But I must say, we all should. Watch the clip above. I have watched and discussed this clip many times since I watched on my TED app. The story of this young individual is truly amazing. This video is even more amazing. If you watch the clip and take it at face value it is already something that we should be doing. The Kid President makes a great point. Aren't we all on the same team. The story of today, the story of Easter shows just how much we are on the same team. The captain that led the team has sacrificed more than any of use, but we commonly think that just because we wear a different uniform, or a different title we are truly competitors. If you are a career firefighter you better than those that aren't, when really we take the same classes, we respond to the same type ca...
Post a Comment
Read more