EMS

Ebola (Sudan strain) Outbreak in Uganda

Uganda announced that they had an outbreak of Ebola, caused by the rarer Sudan viral strain on Sept 20, 2022.  Although the rate of new cases has slowed, there is still concern since there are no treatments, other than supportive care for this strain, and the vaccine, used in previous Zaire-strain outbreaks, is not effective on the Sudan strain.  Also, the counties affected are in an area with good roads & close to the capital as well as the DRC,...

Leadership in Turbulent Times

Recording coming soon. Most leadership systems in Emergency Services draw structure, rank, and practices from the military. Our approach to quality management tends to come from industry. Are our notions outdated? How is leadership actually practiced in the U.S. Military and industry? What can we apply to our own organizations as we face turbulent times? We explore these topics and more.

JEMS – FirstWatch and Fitch EMS Foundation Announce Jack Stout EMS Fellowship

The Jack Stout EMS Fellowship, endowed by FirstWatch, will be open to any aspiring EMS leader who is interested in acquiring the knowledge and skills to lead EMS systems now and in the future. Named for the late Jack Stout, considered to be the father of high-performance EMS systems, the Fellowship will allow selected individuals to learn the principles espoused by Stout.

Hospice and EMS Collaboration

When someone signs up for hospice care one of the first things they are told is, “If you have a problem call our nurse, don’t call 911.” Yet, every day EMS handles calls for hospice patients. Our guest experts discuss innovative ways to improve the care we provide for folks near the end of their lives.

Update on the Omicron Variant & Review of Mitigation Strategies for COVID-19

Omicron, the latest Variant of Concern, has become dominant in the U.S. and is gaining on the Delta Variant in Canada.  This follows its sudden surge in dominance over other strains in many countries in Africa and in Europe and confirms its increased infectiousness in the U.S.  This article includes an update on Omicron, mostly through the use of links to articles about its known and suspected traits, including differences from previous COVID-19 strains.  Due to some of these differences,...

Intro to Seasonal Influenza (Flu) 101 for 2021-2022

This document serves as an introduction, or review, for topics related to Seasonal Flu and what can be anticipated in the 2021-22 Flu Season.  It includes a description of Flu, prevention, at risk groups, flu shots, incubation, symptoms, testing & diagnosis, and more.  It also has links to both CDC and Canada Health resources on many of the topics. View/Download Full Document

EMS World – FirstWatch and Hello Driven Announce CAPCE Accreditation

CARLSBAD, CA—FirstWatch and Hello Driven announced November 30, 2021, the accreditation of their Driven Resilience Training by the Commission on Accreditation for Prehospital Continuing Education (CAPCE). This will allow emergency medical services professionals to receive continuing education credits by using the app, which helps users develop resilience.

CDC HAN Advisory of Monkeypox in a US Citizen Traveler

A US Citizen traveled from Nigeria to Dallas, Texas via Atlanta on two different flights over two days.  After a few days here, the individual visited a Dallas Emergency Room for a rash and was confirmed to have Monkeypox. Public Health Authorities are monitoring over 200 people in 27 states, who may have been exposed during the flights or in the airports. This article describes the details of the flights and what EMS needs to know to manage anyone who may...

PSC – RQI Partners and FirstWatch Combine Resuscitation Quality Improvement Solution, Analytics and Data to Help Save More Lives

RQI Partners, a partnership between and service provider for the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical, and FirstWatch, a technology company that uses improvement science to support public safety and healthcare organizations, launched today RQI®-T Analytics powered by FirstWatch. This new collaboration empowers emergency communication centers and 9-1-1 telecommunicators to optimize data to measure and improve T-CPR performance.

JEMS – Companies Combine Resuscitation Quality Improvement Solution, Analytics and Data to Save More Lives

RQI Partners, a partnership between and service provider for the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical, and FirstWatch, a technology company that uses improvement science to support public safety and healthcare organizations, launched RQI®-T Analytics powered by FirstWatch. This new collaboration empowers emergency communication centers and 911 telecommunicators to optimize data to measure and improve T-CPR performance.