Alexander Garza, MD, MPH, former assistant secretary for health affairs of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been named as the medical director and homeland security advisor for FirstWatch, an Encinitas, Calif.-based company that provides real-time public safety data analysis for 9-1-1, police, fire, EMS, emergency management and public health organizations in the […]
The International Association of EMS Chiefs (IAEMSC) is accepting enrollment in the National EMS Health and Safety Surveillance System, a project jointly developed by the IAEMSC and Intermedix. The system provides a secure, web-based portal for registered EMS organizations to enter and analyze data regarding occupational illness, injuries and fatalities. The project was named an […]
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary announced several improvements to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program following the completion of a comprehensive review of the program ordered by the Attorney General in May 2012. Enacted in 1976, the Public Safety Officers […]
The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) has developed a free, downloadable Guide to Infection Prevention in Emergency Medical Services. The APIC is the leading professional association for infection preventionists with more than 14,000 members. For years, their publications and guides (called Implementation Guides) have helped hospitals and healthcare institutions prevent and […]
Thor Industries announced that it is out of the ambulance business. In May, the Elkhart, Indiana-based company sold SJC Industries to Wheeled Coach Industries. Wheeled Coach is a subsidiary of Allied Specialty Vehicle Inc. (ASV), a privately held company based in Orlando, Fla. SJC makes ambulances under the Marque and the McCoy Miller brands.
On May 13, Rural/Metro announced that senior healthcare and service industry executive Scott A. Bartos, 49, has been selected to succeed Michael P. DiMino as president and chief executive officer. DiMino, who served as president, CEO and director since 2010, has left the company.
Kurt Williams, a leader and innovator in the healthcare and medical transportation industries for more than thirty years, died April 20, in San Diego, at the age of 54.
In part, it’s a case of unintended consequences. Nationwide, many 9-1-1 centers depend on surcharges placed on subscriber phone lines for funding. However, the increasing number of Americans who are dropping their landline service in favor of mobile wireless devices are unintentionally placing funding for 9-1-1 centers in jeopardy. The issue comes at a particularly critical time, as the nation’s emergency call centers are making the transition to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911).
If you are one of the EMS agencies that has already converted to electronic patient care reports (ePCRs)—congratulations. Now, get off your laurels because you have a whole lot more work to do. The next step in the patient care technological evolution is linking data gathered by the various healthcare providers to create two-way feedback.
For the past three years, 18 EMS leaders have been meeting to tease apart and examine the bits and pieces that form an overall strategy for safety in the workplace. After obtaining input and feedback from a variety of stakeholders both inside and outside the EMS community, the group presented their recommendations to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Teresa McCallion, EMT-B, is the editor of EMS Insider and frequent contributor to JEMS Magazine and JEMS.com. She worked for many years as a newspaper journalist and served as a volunteer for her local fire department.
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