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Here at street scene, we strive to keep you up to date with the most recent information regarding new and experimental field drugs, interactions and contraindications. we also look for regional trends, news and health issues, new street drugs, gang activities and other things that we as EMS professionals need to look for. AGAIN this is where YOU come in... we can only scour the media and web so many hours a day... so If you know whats going on in your area, chances are,that its happening or going to happen in other areas... so LET US KNOW!!!
Drop us a line at streetscene@diehardems.com and let us know whats up on your beat....
April 15, 2007 Blood Pressure 'Is In The Brain'
BBC News - London, UK
"The cause of high blood pressure may lie within the brain, rather than with problems relating to the heart,
kidneys or blood vessels, research suggests. Scientists at Bristol University say the findings could lead to new ways of treating
the condition, which affects about one in five Britons. They isolated a protein, JAM-1, in the brain which appeared to trap white
blood cells, obstructing blood flow."
April 10, 2007 Airmen, Soldiers Mentor Afghan Medical Instructors
United States Airforce
"A team of five highly-skilled Air Force and Army medics mentor Afghan National Army
instructors at the Combat Medic School in Kabul... The ANA has never had medics in the field," said Army Master Sgt. Jeffrey
Ryle, combat medic course instructor. "So, after further discussions with the ANATEC (Afghan National Army Training and
Education Command), a combat medic course was implemented."
April 9, 2007 EMTs Lacking Resources But Prepared for Season
St. John's Trade Winds - St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
"Although Emergency Medical Services on St. John consists of just one operational ambulance and
a total of seven EMTs, EMS is prepared for the influx of people the island has seen during this year’s tourist season. V.I.
Department of Health spokesperson Eunice Bedmin-ster admitted St. John EMS is low on resources. “There are seven EMTs — two
medics are on a 24-hour shift and a third is used on overtime,” said Bedminster. “St. John needs another six medics
according to District EMS Supervisor Alex Williams.” There are two ambulances on St. John, both stationed in Cruz Bay,
although only one is operational."
April 9, 2007 Volunteers Needed for Throggs Neck Ambulance
1010 Wins - Throggs Neck, NY
"The community-based organization receives funding from the kindness of neighbors in the area,
as well as the support from elected officials. None of the ambulance crews receive any type of payment other than knowing
they are able to help their neighbors. As we all know that over the last few years the city and state of New York as well as
the rest of the country have been hit very hard with many charities that turn to NYC for help. However like the old saying
goes charity begins at home and home is where we live and work. We, here in the Bronx have a great treasure that we need to
care for and nurture, that is our youth and elderly. We need to be there for them to provide the care that they need to
survive."
April 8, 2007 Dealing With Death
The Telegram - St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
"“It’s the realization of the vulnerability of human life. It’s an exposure to the intensity of
what death is, and that intensity of human emotions can often be overwhelming.” While emergency responders deal with death
on a regular basis, there are no textbooks or teaching tools to prepare them for the extraordinary event. That’s why
critical incident-debriefing is important, he says. “People get an opportunity to sit and talk with others and get a bit of
advice and direction and support from individuals who have had some expertise and training to help analyse these events,”
Singleton says. "
April 5, 2007 San Juan College To Offer 5 New Medical Field Degrees
Farmington Daily Times - Farmington, NM
"A new Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedics Associate of Applied Science degree and
certificate is one of several new degrees planned to be introduced within the next two years... Employment in each specific
field is expected to increase in New Mexico from anywhere between 18 and 50 percent by 2014, Spencer said. The associate of
applied science degree includes one for emergency medical technicians and paramedics, which also offers a certificate
program; one for medical laboratory technicians and clinical laboratory technicians; one for respiratory therapists; one
for surgical technicians, which also offers a certificate; and one for industrial maintenance mechanics."
April 2, 2007 EMS Station Empty Due To Lack Of Staff
The Herald-Sun - Durham, NC
"And no one will be until officials find four qualified folks to staff the facility, which was
converted into a Emergency Medical Services station in 1998 and has been used only "once or twice" in the last fiscal year,
according to Mike Smith, emergency management services director... Qualified emergency medical technicians are hard to find,
he said, and many of the more qualified candidates have headed back to school to get nursing credentials because they can
annually make more than $15,000 more as nurses than EMS workers, Smith said."
April 2, 2007 Phuket Gets Itself Ready For Emergencies
ThaisNews - Bangkok, Thailand
"The Rescue Centre of Cherng Thale sub-district in Phuket’s Thalang district on Friday ran an exercise on mass casualties simulating accidents in which a car supposedly crashed into passenger bus. The exercise followed procedures making sure that each person involved understood their role and responsibility in case of such emergencies. This included reporting, first aid and transferring injured to hospital using the EMS or Emergency Medical Services. The drill went as planned within a designated time of 10 minutes."
March 31, 2007 Wanted: EMS Home
The Brenham Banner-Press - Brenham, TX
"Washington County officials are asking the city of Brenham to squeeze in a new Emergency Medical Services headquarters on a five-acre site where the city plans to build a new police station and a fire department substation... The site will house a 25,000 square-foot police station and a vehicle impound yard, along with a fire department substation that would be manned around the clock."
March 30, 2007 Virginia Beach Firefighter Is Currituck's New EMS Chief
The Virginian-Pilot - Hampton Roads, VA
"Carter is a master firefighter and paramedic with the Virginia Beach Fire Department. He takes over the position from Julie Cherry, who plans to return to an EMS unit within the county, Scanlon said. Cherry, a volunteer firefighter with Corolla Fire and Rescue, has served as EMS chief since May. Emergency Medical Services employs 60 full-time personnel for medical and fire fighting duties. Currituck's emergency medical response force converted to a paid staff in 2001, but volunteers continue to serve. "
March 30, 2007 To The Rescue With Meds And M-16s
The Washington Post - Washington, DC
"Rio De Janeiro - Emergency medical technician Antonio Carlos Maia doesn't ride shotgun in his ambulance. He rides assault rifle. The scuffed barrel of his M-16 juts out of the passenger-side window, locked and loaded with a magazine full of bullets. Just in case, a 9mm pistol is holstered under the bottom edge of his bulletproof vest. The ambulance driver and two additional EMTs riding in the back have their own guns, meaning that this military police medical crew in Brazil can -- and sometimes does -- spray hundreds of rounds at anyone who poses a threat during a rescue run."
March 29, 2007 Public Safety Advisory: 9-1-1 And VoIP
The Brampton News - Brampton, Ontario, Canada
"These unique 9-1-1 features are not guaranteed with some VoIP telephone services. Voice over Internet Protocol means the phone has no fixed address and therefore Enhanced 9-1-1 service is unavailable. The call has to be answered by a "third party operator service" so that it can then be transferred to a 9-1-1 Centre. "
March 27, 2007 Chemainus Ambulance Service Called Into Question
The Ladysmith Chronical - Ladysmith B.C., Canada
"Despite the ever-increasing demand, there has been no increase in the number of emergency ambulances in Chemainus,” Chute said. “In fact, one of the full-time positions, the paramedic chief, has been cut."
March 27, 2007 Saranac Agrees To Fire Split With Towns
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise - Saranac Lake, NY
"The village of Saranac Lake and five surrounding towns have successfully negotiated fire and rescue contracts for 2008. The village board voted 3-2 Monday night to accept the Saranac Lake Regional Fire Advisory Board’s recommendation of a percentage-based formula."
March 26, 2007 EMS Needs Rescuing
Fox23 - Tulsa, OK
"The services that help search for and rescue people are in a crisis right now. Emergency Medical Services are looking to lawmakers for help. EMS directors are so passionate about this, many are going to the state capitol to lobby for this legislation. One bill would expand the EMS districts, and the other bill would address the paramedic shortage."
March 25, 2007 Perkasie Ambulance Faces Tough Road Back
The Morning Call - Allentown, PA
"In the years leading to its closure, Perkasie Community Ambulance had problems keeping tabs on its narcotics, was accused of misrepresenting its amount of time on duty and continually did not meet county and state staffing requirements, records show. And while Bucks County officials repeatedly urged the squad to operate as a basic life support unit, management insisted it could run an advanced life support unit."
March 24, 2007 Ambulance Service Warning Over Racial Abuse
Western Mail and Echo Ltd. - London, UK
"THE ambulance service has warned that it will not tolerate people racially abusing its staff.
The Welsh Ambulance Service last night said it would back any of its staff who want to pursue a prosecution against someone who has abused or assaulted them. The warning comes after it emerged that action has been taken after a teacher racially abused a paramedic."
March 24, 2007 Fire Chief Understands Cultural Needs
The Arab American News - Dearborn, MI
"A great source of pride in Dearborn's Arab American community, Fire Chief Nazih Hazime has been fighting and preventing fires for 23 years. Hazime said he knew he wanted to be a fireman as a child, ever since watching Detroit firefighters put out a fire at a corner grocery store near the home where he grew up."
March 22, 2007 Town Wants To Keep Second Ambulance
The News & Observer - Raleigh, NC
"Wake County officials say the numbers don't justify a town of 2,500 having two ambulances, but Rolesville leaders say the numbers don't tell the whole story. Rolesville Town Commissioner Frank Hodge, appearing before county commissioners earlier this year to argue for the second ambulance, recalled the memory of Chris Lingerfelt."
March 21, 2007 Kreegel Bill Clears House Healthcare Council
Sun-Herald - Charlotte Harbor, FL
"A bill sponsored by Rep. Paige Kreegel that would allow physician assistants to be automatically qualified to take the state paramedic's examination cleared the House Healthcare Council on Tuesday. If passed into law, qualified physician assistants would be exempt from taking a state-certified paramedic course. They should be qualified to proceed directly to the examination because physician assistant training is to an even higher standard than the paramedic course, explained Kreegel, R-Punta Gorda."
March 20, 2007 I Thought the light was GREEN!
LiveLeak.com
In an effort to show the world how American they are, and prove that their EMS can be almost as
dangerous as Newark, NJ, Badghdad, Iraq decides to show us what happens to ambulance drivers that don't clear the
intersection before blasting through - for those of us who work in the "knife & gun club", this is no big deal, but for the
rest of y'alls... it may be a bit graphic... and you thought YOUR safety officer was harsh...
March 20, 2007 SOS SHOCK
The Citizen - Johannesburg, South Africa
"...This was the sobering message after statistics showed that last year alone about 95,000
emergency calls in the province were ignored. About 765 000 calls were made to emergency centres, of which only about 670
000 were serviced. Effectively this means a person has a one-in-eight chance of not being attended to when they are most in
need of medical assistance."
March 20, 2007 Ambulance Busted With 400 Pounds Of Marijuana
WCSH 6 - Portland, Maine
"Three men, including a Houston, Texas area paramedic, were arrested after investigators found
nearly 400 pounds of marijuana in an ambulance. Maumelle, Arkansas, Police said they discovered the drugs after the
ambulance broke down near a gasoline station. "An individual, that was actually an off-duty police officer, called and said
that he just felt like things were out of sort," Chief Sam Williams said. "
March 19, 2007 Volunteer Rescue Squad Want To Bill For Service
The Press Republican - Plattsburgh, NY
"Emergency-medical personnel here who want the ability to charge for ambulance services have
sought support from Franklin County legislators. Under state law, volunteer-rescue squads attached to fire departments are
not eligible to charge insurance companies for their services, as private ambulance services do. Instead, they must rely on
fundraisers, donations and the stipends they receive from the municipalities in their coverage areas."
March 19, 2007 Essex Council Forcing Paramedics Into Turmoil
CNW Group - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
"Essex County paramedics are holding information pickets throughout the region to notify the
public of the Council's continued unwillingness to stabilize ambulance services in the region. The paramedics are
represented by the Service Employees International Union, Local 1.on. Their contract negotiations with their employer, Sun
Parlour Ambulance Services - Essex Division, have been on indefinite hold since Mar. 2006 as the council delays its decision
to consolidate the delivery of paramedic services in the area."
March 12, 2007 Maryland's Tactical EMS Protocols Aimed at Keeping the Cops Online
Emergency Medical Services Magazine - March 2007
"With the creation last year of specialized protocols for EMS supporting law enforcement
operations, Maryland became the first state to take official steps to remedy that lack. Its tactical EMS protocols are now
being piloted by the Maryland State Police's Tactical Medical Unit, and could be embraced elsewhere soon."
No Habla Englais
One big issue I see in my coverage area is a language barrier. So, We've created a very basic list of questions in both english and spanish (in .PDF format). This is not meant to be a Rosetta Stone document. It is only to get the information you need. You can download the .PDF reader for free HERE.
If you would like to see a translation posted here OR if you have the ability to translate, please let us know by dropping us a line at streetscene@DieHardems.com
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