N1Medic

As I understood it, and this may have changed some, the City of Peekskill, Town of Cortlandt, and Village of Buchanan all contribute to support the ALS program and it is a regional approach. So Peekskill taxpayers should know (if they bother to become educated/informed) that they are part of a regional system.

If a medic is tied up on a BLS call, another medic from the system or mutual aid would handle a subsequent call. That's nothing new or unique.

I understand that part obviously. But it's not as simple as you put it.

For example, let's say Engine 134 was on an EMS assist at the Beach Shopping Center and Engine 131 was out of service because that firefighter was on an ALS call in Mohegan.

During this time, a structure fire with entrapment on Welcher Ave came in (the opposite end of the city). How would the Peekskill Fire Chief explain that the closest fire engine (Engine 130) was out of service because they weren't out on an ALS call, but riding in a BLS call because the VAC couldn't get anything but a driver.

Who will be to blame when that time comes?

How about put your f****** phone away and go to work if you even have a Job. Most of these people are skells and usually have a criminal record themselves. They just be after the Po Po!

It's these kind of remarks that make me realize some people don't care how our system of government is suppose to work... Thank you for showing your intelligent side

I think FirNaTine scores the point on this one...

Man who recorded fatal police chokehold arrested on gun charges

http://news.yahoo.com/man-filmed-nypd-choke-hold-video-arrested-weapons-234046410.html

Do the Fire Medics stay in the City Of Peekskill, or do they cover the entire Cortlandt territory as well? Do Peekskill taxpayers know that they are paying for ALS for other communities?

So the Medic ride in BLS calls? A fire comes in, or someone is having a legitimate MI, and that firefighter/medic is stuck doing a BLS transport because the VAC couldn't get an ambulance out? What happens to that person who is trapped in a fire, or having an MI?

And the department's only Rescue truck goes on just about all EMS calls for an EMS assist. What happens if there's a bad wreck on 9, and they need the jaws. Plus, since it covers the entire city for BLS assists, will this truck get the most wear and tear?

How does fire protection in Peekskill work?

I listen to them on the radio while at work. This seems to happen very often. Rescue 134 is on an EMS assist, 39M1 is on a call, so Engine 131 is out of service. 39M2 is out on a call, so Engine 130 is out of service. Engine 132 is often browned out. So this leaves only Engine 133 and Tower Ladder 45 for fire protection in Peekskill when EMS is busy?

Why doesn't Peekskill Fire and Peekskill VAC merge and Peekskill FD operate two ALS ambulances? Peekskill VAC often has trouble getting out , and the medic often has to ride in BLS calls, taking fire apparatus out of service even more unnecessarily? Someone told me ambulances for the FD were actually in the PFD budget a few years back.

Where do they fall in the command structure of the department?

I have a wife and little boy at home and rest alot easier when i'm at work and know that if my wife has to god forbid call 911, that Engine company is going to be there very quick!

I, too, hope you never have to. However, whether that Engine company goes to the call or not is a crapshoot, as is the training, certification, and medical competency of the members on board. You're also hoping Yonkers FD Dispatchers think that you actually need the Engine Company, and that those Dispatchers don't "forget" to call Empress.

But what type of questioning do they do to determine that the sprained ankle isn't a result of an assault? Or the simple transport doesn't have more circumstances involved?

So, basically, the fire department only goes to calls in which they think are important, and that is decided on a case-to-case basis with no nationally reconized and proven, industry standard training and protocol, like NAEMD?

If the fire department is so critical to EMS in the City Of Yonkers, then why don't they go to every 9-1-1 EMS call?

I'm interested to see Mason's insight....as he was an Empress Dispatcher before he went to work with YPD.

Why on earth should the FD send an engine company to a twisted ankle call or other BLS calls that don't warrant such a response. I have the same issue with sending ALS units on BLS calls.

Well, how does the fire department determine what calls to respond on and what not to respond on? Is it up to a dispatchers discretion, a protocol, or do the YFD Dispatchers have formal training, such as EMD?

Here's a link to a News12 video with the Mayor disputing YFD's claims:

http://westchester.news12.com/news/independent-arbitrator-to-hear-yonkers-firefighter-case-1.4397050

Why would firefighters who aren't certified get a $2,500 stipend meant for those who are? YFD responds to only 46% of EMS calls, why not 100%?

And why would the Union run straight to court instead of trying to sit down with the City first to see how they can work together to cut costs and still be responsible to the taxpayers?

Seems like the mayor has some valid points, and states he still supports the FD, just wants to cut the fat and is asking for some cooperation from the union. He also states YFD is going to be hiring a large class of new firefighters at the end of the month.

And how does the first response program affect staffing levels, and why? I don't think I've heard of any other city where the first response program affects staffing.

Westchester Medical Center's planned psych emergency cuts take effect

Written by Theresa Juva

11:56 PM, Aug. 2, 2011|

VALHALLA — Westchester Medical Center

has officially dismantled its mobile crisis

team and reduced its psychiatric

emergency staff, changes that won't affect

patient care, but are necessary in the

current , the hospital president said.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110803/NEWS02/108030326/Westchester-Medical-Center-s-planned-psych-emergency-cuts-take-effect

Thanks for the info, Paramedico!

Didn't know there was so much conterversy going on about this- when I went to look at the IAEP's website, I found this:

http://transcareknowthefacts.com/

And their statement regarding the Mount Vernon contract: http://transcareknowthefacts.com/docs/Did_You_Hear_About_Mt_Vernon_EMS.pdf

Transcare is bragging on that site about how them winning the contract results in lost jobs for the Empress IAEP members. They make a strong anti-union case, and it seems they are going at it agressively. Seems the Mount Vernon contract was won just for them to prove a point.

Congrats Ed!!!

It's really more of a sleepy hollow issue than anything and after that its more of a volunteer ems issue than anything. When most of these VACs and VFD have "Volunteer" or "All Volunteer Since The Dawn of Time" plastered on their trucks and the people inside are not wearing uniforms it doesn't take a PhD to determine that those are volunteers.

But, wasn't he employed at the same "VAC" you were/are employed at?

Another black eye for Sleepy Hollow.

Not only Sleepy Hollow, but I believe he is/was employed by Port Chester EMS, and formerly volunteered in Ardsley FD or VAC.

Best of luck to all!

Ladder-Related Accidents Climb in U.S.: Study

HealthDay News

SATURDAY, May 19

The number of ladder-related injuries in the United States increased by more than 50 percent from 1990 to 2005, says a study in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Researchers at Columbus Children's Hospital's Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) in Ohio analyzed national data.

They found that more than 2.1 million people were treated in hospital emergency departments for ladder-related injuries from 1990 to 2005. That averages out to more than 136,000 cases a year.

Almost 10 percent of those 2.1 million people needed to be hospitalized, about twice the overall admission rate for consumer-product related injuries. Males accounted for nearly 77 percent of all ladder-related injuries. Fractures were the most common type of injury, and legs and feet were the most frequently injured parts of the body.

The study also found that, among cases were location was recorded, 97 percent of injuries occurred at homes, farms and other non-occupational settings.

"Individuals using ladders are often not mindful of the severe risks associated with use," study co-author Lara Trifiletti, a principal investigator at CIRP and an assistant professor at Ohio State University's College of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

"Increased public health initiatives that target men and women, especially of working age, could help reduce the number of ladder-related injuries," she said.

"Ladders should be treated with the same respect and caution as any potentially dangerous tool, such as a power saw," co-author Dr. Gary Smith, director of CIRP and an associate professor at Ohio State University's College of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

More information

The U.S. National Ag Safety Database has more about ladder safety.

Happy birthday to the black cloud!

Have any of the radio buffs seen this site?

http://www.hamsexy.com/cms/index.php

Surely, someone local has to be on here!

Pittsburgh EMS just took delivery of these 2 new Pierce Arrow XT Rescues. A friend emailed them to me, photo by Bill Stuart.

[attachmentid=2672]

Just ordered mine. I'm always losing pens. Would much rather give EMTBravo the money for the Bic's I usually buy then Staples.

I also like the colors and message! Very good at keeping the colors of your brand!

I don't see the purpose of this?

NYC to accept digital photos in 911 calls

By Nahal Toosi

Associated Press

New York City plans to upgrade its 911 emergency services to accept digital cell-phone videos and photos such as this one. 

NEW YORK – The scenario is all too common on the crowded streets of New York: A car crashes into another, confusion ensues and a slew of people at the site call 911 to offer the same or similar information.

Now the city wants to broaden the 911 system to accept digital photos and video clips of accidents and crimes. But the expansion of the massive 911 system, which already handles roughly 11 million calls a year, raises questions about what to do with all that data.

“It sounds like a good idea because it’s technically doable and because it makes sense and other areas are doing it,” said Alan Reiter, a wireless data consultant. “The downside is getting swamped with photos.”

City officials say they’re not worried about their ability to process all the digital images – or the possibility that hoaxes might trip up dispatchers.

“We’re managing information all the time,” said John Feinblatt, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s criminal justice coordinator. “If somebody calls up and gives us words, we’re assessing those words. Something that we do every day is judge the authenticity of the report and the veracity of the report.”

The New York initiative, announced in January, will involve equipping 911 centers with the necessary technology to accept the photos and videos, which often may come from people’s cell phones. The city also intends to upgrade its non-emergency services through the 311 information hot line, which gets about 14.6 million calls a year.

New York officials do not yet have a timetable or cost estimates for implementing the technology, though Feinblatt said there “definitely will be a million at the end” of the price tag of the multiyear effort.

In adding image capability, New York City will be at the forefront of governments upgrading emergency-response systems to take advantage of the wireless age, joining states such as Indiana, Tennessee and Vermont in working to enhance their systems.

Indiana, for instance, is in the early stages of planning and is still examining how incoming pictures would be managed. Officials want to first make sure the networks can handle the files.

“Your message will not go through until the bandwidth is there,” said Ken Lowden, executive director of the Indiana Wireless Enhanced 911 Board. “If the bandwidth is really tight your picture’s gonna sit there.”

Paul Cosgrave, New York City’s information technology commissioner, said city systems are unlikely to need a major upgrade to handle the incoming digital data.

In theory, a witness to an emergency could directly send a picture or video to a dispatcher in what some call an “open” system.

But the leading technology at the moment is less direct: A person must call a dispatcher first and receive instructions for transmitting an image.

PowerPhone, a 911 technology and training provider, says its technology gives dispatchers control over which images are accepted. The Connecticut-based company is talking to New York City and smaller municipalities seeking the capacity, said Greg Sheehan, a PowerPhone spokesman.

Feinblatt, who said the city is in talks with vendors he wouldn’t name, said dispatchers would need to be trained on making the right calls on photos and video.

He said he would rather have witnesses contact dispatchers directly before sending in images because the voice communication will enable a faster response.

He said the digital images could come later to enhance crime-fighting and other responses.

But Adina Schwartz, professor of law at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said police should be wary about relying too heavily on the public for catching crimes on digital devices. If a person takes video of a crime in progress, that video may not be admissible in court unless the person is willing to testify and “authenticate” the material, she said.

A friend of mine mentioned that he was told that numerous Hartsdale firefighters were at White Plains Hospital getting decontaminated and treated but News 12 said there was no injuries. Hope they're all OK.

I heard it was a BLS bus?

Our Lady of Mercy ambulance

gets automated CPR device

BY SONDRA WOLFER

Daily News

Mike Moculski, director of Pre-Hospital Care at Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center, demonstrates a heart support pump that eliminates the need for paramedic to manually depress a patient's chest during CPR. 

A Bronx hospital hopes a new piece of ambulance equipment will squeeze life into cardiac arrest patients and increase survival rates for people whose hearts suddenly stop outside a hospital environment.

Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center's paramedic ambulance now features a portable, battery-operated chest compressor that administers cardio-pulmonary resuscitation - CPR - more efficiently and consistently than human hands.

"This device will just keep on doing CPR without stopping. There's no fatigue for the rescue worker. It doesn't have to stop to go up and down stairs," said Michael Moculski, emergency services director at the Norwood hospital.

This is the first 911 ambulance in the city to have the device on board, he said.

The Autopulse, manufactured by Zoll Medical Corp., consists of a board that is placed beneath the patient and a wide, padded band secured around the patient's chest. When the machine is started, the band squeezes and releases rhythmically, compressing the chest evenly all around with about 7 to 9 pounds of pressure per square inch.

"Any viable patient has a much greater chance of success because the CPR is much more consistent and efficient," Moculski said.

Currently, there is only a 2% survival rate for people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting.

Manual CPR under the best conditions only provides 10% to 15% of normal blood flow to the heart and 20% to 40% of normal blood flow to the brain.

Moculski said early studies have found the portable chest compressor provides 90% of the blood flow of a normal beating heart. This increases survival rates and improves outcomes for patients because more blood gets to the brain while CPR is being administered.

The unit also lets emergency workers focus on other critical work, such as artificial respiration and hooking up IV bags.

"This really gives you a big hug," said Ken Reardon, OLM's life support training coordinator. "I have no doubt that this will show a big difference in survivability. If we can see a 20% increase in survival, that would be great."

Originally published on August 31, 2006

Legislators approve paid ambulance service 

By: Eric Gross 

PutnamCountyCourier.com

CARMEL - Putnam County's emergency services providers are a dedicated group of men and women yet during the past few months on dozens and dozens of occasions, it has taken 20 minutes or more to get a rescue rig to the scene of an emergency.

The Putnam Bureau of Emergency Services realizes a crisis exists across the county and officials have come up with a plan to remedy the situation.

The Putnam Legislature last week ratified a plan that will combine advanced life support (ALS) with ambulance transport capability.

Commissioner of Emergency Services Robert McMahon believes the single most important problem facing volunteer EMS systems is a lack of available volunteers particularly during the day. "Despite efforts to increase recruitment and retention, the problem continues to worsen," he said.

With the cost of advanced life support rising, McMahon said the most efficient and cost effective approach to addressing the ambulance response problem was to develop the single solution.

Currently, four paramedic fly cars patrol the county, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is provided by the Alamo Ambulance Company located in Dutchess County at a contract for $445,000. McMahon explained for an additional $40,000 a year, the county would be provided the enhanced service.

Putnam's Emergency Medical Services Director Robert Cuomo said the proposed system would provide two ambulances on the eastern side of the county with the two fly cars remaining on the western side. The ambulances would be staffed with a paramedic and EMT 12 hours per weekday. During nights and weekends, the ambulance staffing would be reduced to only a paramedic.

Cuomo says in the event a volunteer ambulance was unable to respond to a call, the ALS ambulance would transport the patient to the hospital. "Since ALS rigs are staffed around the clock, this will result in a better response time and will also allow patient transport to the hospital to begin sooner," he said.

Cuomo forecast the new plan would be implemented prior to the end of the summer with a second phase involving the county implementing its own ALS system by obtaining a New York State Health Department ambulance operating license in the years to come.

Legislator Terry Intrary who chairs the Protective Services Committee said the plan was "right on the mark. We are not criticizing our dedicated volunteers nor are we calling for the abolition of the volunteer force. Volunteerism is alive and well but times have changed and unlike the 1950's and 1960's, many of our volunteer EMS providers are employed at two or more jobs and just don't have the time to run each time the fire alarm sounds."

McMahon agreed that the county was not calling for the elimination or abolition of the volunteer EMS corps in Putnam County. "Local volunteer ambulances will still be dispatched first and will be the primary ambulance for local calls. The ALS ambulance would only transport a patient if the volunteer ambulance could not assemble a crew," he said.

Intrary said "John Q. Public would be the benefactor. When you have an emergency, you really don't care who responds. All you want is an ambulance at your front door as quickly as possible."

Seven fire departments currently operate ambulances in Putnam County along with four independent ambulance corps. The fire departments include: Brewster, Kent, Lake Carmel, Mahopac, Mahopac Falls, Patterson and Putnam Lake while the ambulance corps consist of Carmel Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Garrison Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Philipstown Volunteer Ambulance Corps and the Putnam Valley Volunteer Ambulance Corps.