Blog

March 24, 2016Read more...

Webinar Recording: Make the Most of your TriTech CAD Data

TriTech and FirstWatch have worked closely together for more than a decade since their first integration in 2001. With over 60 shared customers across the U.S. & Canada, this webinar is aimed at maximizing the benefits of using both solutions together. In this webinar you will discover how to get the most from your TriTech CAD data and how it can be integrated with other data sources to create powerful, actionable information... in near real-time on any device including your phone...

March 16, 2016Read more...

Influenza Update: 2015-2016, Week Ending 2-27-16

Download the below information in PDF form Influenza 2015-2016 On Feb 1, 2016, the CDC published a notice that the Influenza (Flu) season had begun and that severe cases of flu had been reported. This time frame represents a more typical flu season than the past three years which have had an early onset and peak. This season (2015-16) showed a slow rise of cases through December and a much higher case rate beginning in Jan., with elevated numbers...

March 16, 2016Read more...

UPDATED: What EMS Should Know About Zika

Download the below information in PDF form Current Assessment The largest outbreak of the Zika virus continues with active circulation (local transmission) in many countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean, in some of the Islands in Oceania/Pacific Islands and in Cape Verde, Africa. Over a hundred imported cases, by way of returning travelers, have been identified in the United States, Canada, and countries throughout the world. One case in Texas was contracted in the US (not...

February 12, 2016Read more...

Confirmed Zika Transmission through Intercourse

Download the below information in PDF form Update Since my last writing on Zika, there have been new developments. Multiple cases of Zika have been diagnosed in the United States, all of which were imported into the country with the exception of one. This single case was transmitted to an individual by sexual contact in Dallas, TX. During the investigation, it was found that the Zika virus can live in semen and transmitted to sexual partners through intercourse. This is...

February 1, 2016Read more...

Mike Taigman to Join FirstWatch Team: Will Focus on FirstPass Quality Improvement Tool

Download the PDF Encinitas, Calif. – February 1, 2016 – Starting in April, Mike Taigman will become the newest member of the FirstWatch team, President Todd Stout announced today. “Mike is an industry leader and internationally recognized as an educator, facilitator, consultant and author,” said Stout. “The clinical experience, knowledge and passion for quality improvement he will bring to our team is nothing short of extraordinary.” FirstWatch, based in Encinitas, Calif., began monitoring 911 data in Kansas City, Mo., in...

January 20, 2016Read more...

What EMS Should Know About Zika

Download the below information in PDF form Current Assessment The largest outbreak of the Zika virus is occurring in Central and South America with fear that the virus will become more widespread to other countries. There has been a rapid surge in Zika virus infections, particularly in Brazil. While the Zika virus usually causes no immediate harm to the patient, it is linked to microencephaly (small head and brain) in the developing fetus of pregnant women. The first US case of Zika induced...

January 13, 2016Read more...

Jack Stout for NPR: Experts Consider Economics To Speed Up Ambulance Response Times

Jack Stout, the legendary father of "High Performance EMS" and father of our FirstWatch founder and President Todd Stout, was interviewed by NPR this week as their Planet Money team explores how ambulances use principles of economics to get to patients fast. What a great interview - we hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Full the full transcript, visit the NPR website here.

December 16, 2015Read more...

FirstWatch Helps North Shore Fire/Rescue, WI with Real-time Fire Intelligence Dashboards, Visualizations and Reports

Download the PDF Encinitas, Calif. – December 16, 2015 – In the wake of the fire department dashboard system VineLight shutting off their subscriber site to customers with few hours’ notice, North Shore Fire/Rescue, WI needed a system to help keep their finger on the pulse of their data – and FirstWatch was there to help. North Shore Fire Chief Robert Whitaker said, “We use our data for situational awareness, performance measures, NFPA measures, monitoring compliance and so much...

November 20, 2015Read more...

Medic2Medic Podcast Features Todd Stout

FirstWatch President Todd Stout was recently interviewed by long-time industry friend Steven Cohen, the current EMS Chief at Cary Area EMS. In addition to working as an EMS Chief, Steven runs his own podcast, Medic2Medic. It was honor for Todd to be featured on the podcast as an individual who made an impact on Steven’s career, and to share with you folks some of those who made an impact on Todd's career. Listen to the interview below! Listen...

July 23, 2015Read more...

Webinar Recording: Northwest Fire District Uses FirstWatch to Improve Performance

Our team had the pleasure of having a visit with Jim Long, Communications Coordinator at Northwest Fire District, AZ while he was in San Diego this week for the ESRI user conference. In this webinar Jim shares how their team uses our FirstWatch tools to improve their agency's performance and operations. He covers everything from how they purchased FirstWatch via Grant money, how they used our tools to get re-accredited, and the ways in which they are using FirstWatch to...

July 23, 2015Read more...

Webinar Recording: PSO's and EMS – EMERG

Patient Safety Organizations are becoming an integral part of the safety of our our patients and caregivers. For the benefit of your agency and it's people, we highly recommend you learn more about the benefits of joining a Patient Safety Organization (PSO). Being part of a PSO can reduce legal exposure to issues found during your QI process and lead to better, safer, patient care. We are currently aware of two great options: the Center for Patient Safety and Emergency...

July 23, 2015Read more...

Webinar Recording: PSO's and EMS – Center for Patient Safety

Patient Safety Organizations are becoming an integral part of the safety of our our patients and caregivers. For the benefit of your agency and it's people, we highly recommend you learn more about the benefits of joining a Patient Safety Organization (PSO). Being part of a PSO can reduce legal exposure to issues found during your QI process and lead to better, safer, patient care. We are currently aware of two great options: the Center for Patient Safety and Emergency...

July 21, 2015Read more...

Webinar Recording: Richmond Ambulance Authority Uses FirstPass to Enhance QA/QI Process

The Richmond Ambulance Authority is recognized nationally for its innovative approach to quality, continually measuring, analyzing and improving outcomes and processes across the entire organization. Richmond uses FirstPass® technology to enhance and automate its Total Quality Management system. Rob Lawrence, Richmond's COO, and his team demonstrate how FirstPass automatically puts each patient care record through a series of tests, comparing documentation and patient care to agency protocols-allowing them to provide near real-time feedback to crews. Register Now to View Recording.

July 21, 2015Read more...

EMS World Review on FirstPass Webinar

Great review in EMS World by Paramedic Mike Rubin on the webinar we hosted last Thursday featuring The Richmond Ambulance Authority. Rob Lawrence, COO and Tom Ludin, Director of QA/QI did a wonderful job sharing the in's and out's of their Total Quality Management program, and the role FirstPass plays. Read the Review.

July 21, 2015Read more...

Total Quality Management: How Richmond Uses Technology to Enhance the QA/QI Process

The Richmond Ambulance Authority is featured in the July issue of JEMS magazine for their innovative approach to quality, continually measuring, analyzing and improving outcomes and processes across the entire organization. Richmond Ambulance Authority uses FirstPass® technology to enhance and automate its Total Quality Management system. FirstPass automatically puts each patient care record through a series of tests, comparing documentation and patient care to agency protocols—allowing them to provide near real-time feedback to crews. Read the Article.

July 21, 2015Read more...

Webinar Thursday: Northwest Fire District, AZ

Join us Thursday, July 23rd at 1 pm PT learn how Northwest Fire District in Arizona has used our FirstWatch tools to improve their agency's performance and operations. Northwest Fire Communications Coordinator, Jim Long will share their FirstWatch story including why they chose FirstWatch, how they used our tools to get re-accredited, the ways in which they are using FirstWatch to monitor compliance to NFPA1221 and 1710 and much more.  

July 20, 2015Read more...

Webinars this week: Patient Safety Organizations and EMS

Patient Safety Organizations are becoming an integral part of the safety of our our patients and caregivers. For the benefit of your agency and it's people, we highly recommend you learn more about the benefits of joining a Patient Safety Organization(PSO). Being part of a PSO can reduce legal exposure to issues found during your QI process and lead to better, safer, patient care. We are currently aware of two great options: the Center for Patient Safety...

June 11, 2015Read more...

MERS-CoV Outbreak in Korea

Download the below information in PDF form The World Health Organization is reporting an outbreak of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome caused by the Corona Virus, otherwise known as MERS-CoV. On May 20th, a case of MERS was confirmed in South Korea. The index patient had recently traveled to the Middle East including Qatar, UAE and Bahrain. The patient had sought treatment in Korea for influenza type symptoms at multiple healthcare locations and eventually diagnosed with the virus. There have...