EMS

December 18, 2014Read more...

International Webinar Discussion on Ebola

The eighth webinar held on Thursday, December 18th included featured guest speaker Dr. Ed Racht, Chief Medical Officer at AMR, who discussed their comprehensive approach to transporting Ebola patients in Dallas, TX. The Paramedic Chiefs of Canada continued their weekly international webinar discussion open to any public safety agency led by representatives from our FirstWatch team. These webinars are presented in association with the International Association of EMS Chiefs (IAEMSC), the National EMS Management Association

November 20, 2014Read more...

International Webinar Discussion on Ebola

The sixth webinar held on Thursday November 20th included special guest presenter Dr. Richard Alcorta, acting Co-Executive Director and State EMS Medical Director at MEIMSS, who spoke to Maryland's statewide implementation of the IAED EID tool and their findings so far. The Paramedic Chiefs of Canada continued their weekly international webinar discussion open to any public safety agency led by representatives from our FirstWatch team. These webinars are presented in association with the International Association of EMS Chiefs

November 6, 2014Read more...

International Webinar Discussion on Ebola

The fifth webinar held on Thursday November 6th included special guests Peter Simpson, Clinical Operations Manager, East of England Ambulance Trust, Norwich, United Kingdom and Catherine Jackson-Cole, Ambulance Coordinator, Pharmacist and Medical Student , Sierra Leone, West Africa. Together they provided us with on the ground perspective of the Ebola virus straight from the Command Center in Sierra Leone. The Paramedic Chiefs of Canada continued their weekly international webinar discussion open to any public safety agency led by representatives from our...

November 4, 2014Read more...

International Webinar Discussion on Ebola

The seventh webinar held on Thursday November 4th included featured guest speakers, Battalion Chief Edward Bergamini and Captain Paul Miano of FDNY who shared with us their experience transporting Dr. Craig Spencer who returned from Africa, developed Ebola symptoms, and then cleared his 21 day monitoring. The Paramedic Chiefs of Canada continued their weekly international webinar discussion open to any public safety agency led by representatives from our FirstWatch team. These webinars are presented in association with the International Association of...

October 30, 2014Read more...

International Webinar Discussion on Ebola

The fourth webinar held on Thursday October 30th included special guest Russell MacDonald, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Associate Professor and Co-Director of Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto, Medical Director and Chair of the Quality Care Committee for Ornge Transport Medicine, Medical Advisor at Toronto Paramedic Services and Attending Staff member, Emergency Services at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Dr. Russell provided us with the "101" of Ebola as he discussed where the disease came from, it's current status, the facts...

October 23, 2014Read more...

International Webinar Discussion on Ebola

The third webinar held on Thursday October 23rd included special guests Alexander Isakov, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director, Section of Prehospital and Disaster Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine, with Wade Milles, Interim Director of EMS Operations and Aaron Jamison, Special Operations Team Captain at Grady EMS.Together they detailed their experience in transporting and treating a confirmed Ebola patient from Dallas. The Paramedic Chiefs of Canada continued their weekly international webinar discussion open to any...

October 16, 2014Read more...

International Webinar Discussion on Ebola

The second webinar held on Thursday October 16th included special guests Dr. Jeff Clawson and Dr. Conrad Fivaz of IAED, who explained the newly updated ProQA Emerging Infectious Disease tool, Lloyd Rupp Jr., EMS Chief Omaha Fire Department, and Dr. John Lowe, Director for Public Health Training and Exercise Programs for the the Center of Bio Preparedness Education at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) who discussed their experience in the transportation of two Ebola patients. The Paramedic Chiefs of...

October 9, 2014Read more...

International Webinar Discussion on Ebola

This weeks webinar features special guest Chief Normal Seals, EMS Chief at the Dallas Fire Department who spoke to his agency's experience with Ebola and fielded questions. With growing attention on the Ebola virus, the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada have began a weekly international webinar discussion open to interested participants led by representatives from our FirstWatch team. These webinars are presented in association with the International Association of EMS Chiefs (IAEMSC), the National EMS Management...

September 26, 2014Read more...

Richmond (Virginia) Ambulance Authority and FirstWatch Celebrate 12 Years Together

Download the PDF The industry leader in public safety data, FirstWatch® is pleased to announce the 12th anniversary of the company’s founding by Todd Stout, winner of the 2014 Pinnacle EMS Leadership Award and nationally recognized expert in public safety data. Celebrating this milestone with FirstWatch is the Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA). Twelve years ago this month RAA became the first EMS agency in the world to implement the commercial version of the FirstWatch biosurevillance system. Coming on...

September 25, 2014Read more...

Enterovirus D68 Continues to Spread

Download PDF  Since first reported in August, Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has spread from the Midwest to the majority of the United States. The CDC now reports that over 32 states have reported cases of the respiratory illness, however, it is more than likely that the virus has spread to all parts of the US. Prevention is key to keeping the virus from spreading. To learn more about prevention tips and recommendations for EMS, download the PDF.

September 25, 2014Read more...

Ebola – a Disaster in the Making

Download PDF  The CDC recently released a report stating that if there is no action on tackling the Ebola virus, their models predict 1.4 million persons will become infected by January 2015. U.S. officials are very concerned about the possibility of cases being introduced on US soil with the CDC offering guidance to healthcare facilities and EMS. To learn more about the 13 CDC based recommendations for EMS, download the PDF.

September 23, 2014Read more...

Mountain-Valley EMS Agency Deploys FirstWatch

Mountain-Valley EMS Agency Deploys Real-Time Situational Awareness Monitoring System Download the PDF Mountain-Valley Emergency Medical Services Agency (MVEMSA) is working towards deploying FirstWatch to monitor real-time dispatch data for the five county areas they serve: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa and Stanislaus. MVEMSA Executive Director Richard Murdock says, “The ability to see a complete picture of our system in real-time was the driving force in deploying our FirstWatch system. We are excited to use the FirstWatch system for compliance monitoring, early...

September 9, 2014Read more...

Enterovirus D68 Infections Reported in Midwest

Download PDF  The CDC has released an early report on a cluster of children with severe respiratory complaints in the Midwest. The Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO and the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital in Illinois also contacted the CDC to report an increase in patients presenting to the hospital with respiratory distress. To learn more about what this means for EMS, download the PDF.

August 27, 2014Read more...

Ebola Virus Update

The CDC has posted interim guidance for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems and 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) for management of patients with known or suspected Ebola Virus Disease in the United States. Please note: This information supersedes any information we have previously posted on the Ebola Virus. Click here to view their recommendations

July 31, 2014Read more...

Ebola Virus

Download PDF The largest outbreak of the Ebola virus is occurring on the African continent with fear that the deadly disease will spread to other countries. So far, there have been over 672 persons that have contracted Ebola according to the World Health Organization, with the number increasing every day.

May 13, 2014Read more...

Second confirmed case of MERS-CoV in the United States

Download PDF Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a second case of MERS-CoV. The second case was identified in Orange County Florida in a healthcare worker who was visiting the U. S. from Saudi Arabia. Dr. Alex Garza, former FirstWatch Medical Director and Health Intelligence page contributor, was featured this morning on the St. Louis TV news station KTVI to discuss the current threat of Mers-CoV.

May 2, 2014Read more...

First MERS-CoV case in United States 

Download PDF  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting the first case of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome caused by the Corona Virus, otherwise known as MERS-CoV. The CDC states that a man has tested positive in Indiana after a recent trip to Saudia Arabia. The man arrived in the United States approximately one week ago after a layover in London. He eventually landed in Chicago and then took a bus to Indiana. He was apparently...