It seems that even within our own national borders we are truly living in perilous times. From the effects of natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, fires and earthquakes, to domestic violence,  mass shootings, a global pandemic, civil unrest and rioting, it would seem that danger is all around us in differing forms. Thankfully, there are people like you and your staff who are dedicated, trained and equipped to intervene and protect the rest of us from these perils - the police, firefighters and emergency medical service personnel. 

We recognize that the dedication and training are already in place so we at Graham Medical would like to make sure that our heroes are also properly equipped as well. We want to assure that you, and they, have the proper equipment available to effectively and efficiently transport people out of harm’s way to a place of safety for assessment and treatment.

The COVID-19 crisis has galvanized an unprecedented global healthcare effort to ‘flatten the curve’ and stem the spread of the virus. Yet, despite our best efforts, many healthcare facilities and emergency services are overwhelmed by the number of patients requiring treatment. In turn, healthcare professionals are having to dig deep and find it within themselves to perform in the face of great adversity.

Compared to other US occupations, paramedics and EMTs have an injury rate that the NCBI states is three times above the national average. Even under normal circumstances, emergency personnel are under a great deal of stress, both physically and mentally. 

But the times we find ourselves in are anything but normal. 

An extraordinary event like the COVID-19 pandemic places additional stress on EMTs, while stretching budgets and safety protocols thin. Due to this pressure, it’s more important than ever to ensure that emergency teams have access to transport solutions that can maintain — and exceed — the current safety measures under extreme circumstances.

As part of the fire services first responder network, emergency medical services remain operational at a time when interpersonal contact puts the team and their families at risk. Yet, there are ways to minimize the chances of COVID-19 cross-infection. Here are five tips on how you can protect your staff and their families, and keep your station functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic:   

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for one-third of the reported causes of lost/restricted work time. Treating these work-related injuries as “just part of the job” for EMTs can have serious physical consequences for your team and those they care for. This JEMS article notes that 62% of pre-hospital provider back injuries alone are due to lifting and carrying patients. 

EMS first responders are having to add another skill set to their emergency training — combat medicine. This specialized branch of trauma care, also known as field surgery is administered by military medics to treat the wounded in and around areas of combat. Today, rising violence in urban environments sees EMS first responders dealing with trauma cases similar to their military counterparts.

The United States Department of Homeland Security defines an active shooter as "... an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims."

First responders often contend with unusual stressors when tackling casualty evacuation during disaster response — like reaching (and later moving) victims from hot zones or hard-to-reach places. Their response time has a significant impact on survival rates. As such, equipping them with the training and tools they need to work efficiently and safely can mean the difference between a patient’s life and death. 

With an increase in mass casualty incidents in recent years, first response teams are under more pressure than ever before to be disaster prepared. Whether it’s an active shooter incident or natural disaster, your casualty evacuation plan needs to be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that your EMS team members are able to respond to disaster, and evacuate victims, efficiently and safely. 

Here are five things to keep in mind when reviewing the casualty evacuation aspect of your disaster response plan:

The role of the tactical medic has evolved in response to an increasing need to offer emergency medical services in warm zones — an area of indirect threat that’s close to the action. Active shooter incidents across the US, in particular, have sparked the rise in this new form of emergency medical service (EMS). Let’s explore what tactical medics do today and how they help keep you at the leading edge:

Winter is here, and with it comes new challenges for first responders and other emergency medical services (EMS) professionals. Not only do the risk of road accidents increase over the icy months, first responders also need to take extra measures to prevent hypothermia in patients exposed to cold. Here’s what your team should know when treating someone in winter and which EMS medical supplies may make all the difference: