Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Gear Considerations Terror-related responses often present hazards that go beyond the everyday EMS call, so the right personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential. In any EMS response you’ll have your standard PPE (gloves, eye protection, etc.), but for terrorism incidents you should consider additional protective gear based on the nature of [...]
Scene Safety and Situational Awareness Scene safety is always the top priority on any EMS call, and this cannot be overstated when responding to a potential terrorist incident. Major incident training ingrains in us that we must “prioritize [our] own personal safety above that of the scene and survivors” ( Risks to emergency medical responders at [...]
Imagine this scenario: It’s a busy evening and your ambulance pulls up to chaos – flames billow from a row of vehicles in a campus parking lot, including a Tesla that’s fully engulfed. Students are fleeing in panic from what began as a protest that has now turned violent. As an EMS responder, the scene triggers [...]
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Emergency Room Technicians (ERTs) serve as crucial frontline responders in the healthcare system, delivering prehospital and in-hospital emergency care to patients. However, the career paths for both EMTs and ERTs can extend far beyond these initial roles, offering numerous opportunities for growth, specialization, and transition into other healthcare positions. The [...]
One of the many benefits working for DistanceCME as an instructor is getting to work with some of the greatest emergency responders in our nation who utilize our platform to stay current with their continuing education (CE). Though most students come to learn from us, we learn a lot more from them. For example, we gain [...]
I understand that discussions about wearing masks for protection from COVID can evoke some strong emotions and differing opinions. However, I believe that using basic math we can come to the realization of what truly works and what does not work. Let’s first look at what is a virus and the sizes of viruses: A [...]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets forth regulations and standards to ensure workplace safety. As emergency responders we too must follow all these safety standards even though our jobs do contain some very high risks. This article is to help you and your agency provide an understandable outline to set up your own training [...]
Emergency responders operate in high-pressure, dynamic environments where effective leadership is crucial for ensuring the safety of responders and the public. Various leadership styles can be effective in emergency response scenarios, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Here are some leadership styles commonly observed among emergency responders and when they should and should not [...]
