jamesbdown

Policy Statement 10-01 says "During the regulatory approval process, the SEMSCO and SEMAC are strongly encouraging all ambulance agencies to comply with the following:..."<br /><br />NYS Part 800 Regulations were never changed to require either defib or epi on BLS ambulances.<br /><br />Operating a BLS ambulance without a defib or epi is another issue as community expectations on standard of care come into play.

NYPD is not authorized to operate ambulances. They are authorized to operate an ALS First Responder component as part of an ESU SWAT Team at tactical operations. There may be one or more small ESU trucks set up to respond as needed with medical supplies and equipment for the team.

Any vehicles that may appear to be NYPD ambulances are improperly marked as they are actually owned and operated by the NYC Police Relief Fund and not by NYPD. Every member of the NYPD has built-in to his or her union dues structure $1.30 per payday which goes directly to the Police Relief Fund. According to one of the union web sites, the ambulances take union members to and from medical facilities within a 250 mile radius of the city. If police officers are serving as drivers or EMTs they would be off duty.

http://www.nycdetectives.org/police_relief.html

Relief Fund vehicles are quartered at what appears to be an old one bay ex fire house at 38-13 Northern Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens. The vehicles do have NYS DOH Certification stickers but the word ambulance does not appear on the vehicle. In addition to improper markings, the newest vehicles have blue lights in a section of the front light bar and blue strobes on the lower sides. Blue lights are reserved under the NYS Motor Vehicle Law for volunteer firefighters responding to a call. NYC REMSCO has been made aware of the improprieties and been asked to bring them to the attention of the NYS DOH.

The Relief Fund is switching over from Type I chassis as two new Type III ambulances were recently delivered by Wheeled Coach. Forest Hills VAC recently acquired a dealer trade ex Relief Fund Type I gasoline ambulance as a replacement for an ambulance they totaled in a collision in 2005. That ambulance was the replacement for the one Forest Hills lost 9/11/01 at the World Trade Center.

New York State Volunteer Ambulance

And Rescue Association

PO Box 893, Nanuet, NY 10954-0893

(877) NYS-VARA FAX: (845) 627-8607 www.nysvara.org

District 2

Westchester County

Notice of Meeting

All volunteer EMS personnel are invited to attend.

Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 7:30 PM

Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps

233 North Greeley Avenue, Chappaqua, NY, (914) 238-3191

(Saw Mill Parkway to Exit 32, follow signs along Hunts Place and Quaker Road to NY Route 120 on east side of Metro North tracks, north on 120 bearing left at “triangle” onto North Greeley Avenue past Chappaqua Post Office to squad building)

Learn about an established New York organization that looks after the interests and concerns of volunteer sector EMS providers at the state, regional and local level.

The New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association is a not-for-profit, 501©(3) membership organization whose mission is the promotion and protection of the interests of volunteer professional ambulance and rescue personnel. The Association has been representing the volunteers of New York State since 1939, and continues to grow and change in keeping with the changing faces of EMS and Rescue today. Our members include independent volunteer ambulance companies, fire district and fire company related ambulance services, first response medical squads, rescue teams, tax-based ambulance and rescue companies, and organizations wishing to support the spirit of volunteerism and service as well as individual CFRs, EMTs AEMTs, rescue workers and specialists, nurses and firefighters affiliated with these services.

We are proud of our status as volunteer professionals. We work actively to increase public awareness of the superior standards of care and conduct provided by volunteers.

For more information e-mail Robert Ruston, District 2 Director at RRusto@aol.com

The New York State Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Association was established in 1939 and is a 501 [ c] [ 3] organization. We’re on the web at www.nysvara.org

Ride alongs by non-members with potential exposure to EMS assignments may be barred by HIPAA regulations. Appears training & intern arrangements may be OK.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Riders barred on calls for EMS

By Matthew Cella

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Published October 30, 2005

The federal government, citing privacy concerns for patients, has informed the District that it can no longer operate a ride-along program that allows the public to observe medics at work on fire engines and ambulances.

The decision, the first of its kind, will likely have far-reaching consequences for municipal fire departments that allow journalists and elected officials, as well as the public, to oversee a critical taxpayer function.

The directive was issued Oct. 11 from the Office of Civil Rights Region 3, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

It asks the District to either scrap its ride-along program within 30 days or submit plans to alter the existing program. However, the language of the letter leaves little room for creating a program in compliance with privacy laws.

According to the letter, "disclosures of protected health information to persons other than health care providers, as would occur in the context of a ride-along program, would require an authorization of the individual or their personal representative."

The letter also states: "The fact that [the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department] has no way of knowing in advance which individuals will be treated or transported effectively precludes obtaining prior authorization of disclosure."

An official with HHS could not discuss whether the letter was meant to set a national precedent, but said it was part of an investigation into whether the District violated the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

The official said there are several exceptions to the act that allow patients' information to be disclosed without their consent, including oversight by a public health agency, for victims of domestic violence and disclosures to the courts.

He also said the ban did not apply to interns or trainees in the health care profession, but that the privacy rule contains no exceptions for elected officials or the public at large in an oversight capacity.

The official said that instead of issuing a mandate, the process of prohibiting ride-alongs is "complaint-driven" and that complaints can be filed by anyone, not just a patient.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs said it was not aware of other jurisdictions in which ride-alongs had been prohibited.

The decision stems from a complaint filed with the Office of Civil Rights about apparent privacy violations in a June 18 article in the Washington City Paper. The article had vignettes from a reporter's ride-along with the crew of Engine 10 in Northeast as they responded to a medical calls and included the names and medical conditions of several patients. Eric Wemple, editor of the City Paper, did not return a call seeking comment.

Fire department spokesman Alan Etter said the reporter got the names directly from the patients and that firefighters violated no privacy rules. He said the fire department's understanding of the letter is that it is in violation for allowing the reporter to have access.

Fire Chief Adrian H. Thompson said he is still analyzing the directive, but the program has recently been revamped and reconstituted based on the act's requirements.

TRAUMA SYMPOSIUM, BUFFET DINNER & VENDOR EXHIBITS

Sponsored by Good Samaritan Hospital at

Sheraton Crossroads Hotel, Mahwah, NJ

Monday, November 14, 2005, 5:00 to 10:00 PM

Registration fee: FREE (includes handouts and dinner)

Register on-line at www.GoodSamHosp.org/ems

Registration requested by 11/7/05 (flexible)

Open to (NY & NJ) medics, RNs, PAs and physicians

5:00 PM: Registration, buffet dinner, vendor displays (Glatt Kosher available if requested at time of on-line or mail-in registration)

6:00 PM: EVERY SECOND COUNTS by ZAKA Search and Rescue, (Israeli Search, Rescue and Recovery Volunteer Emergency Service Organization)

7:00 PM: Break

7:15 PM: VASCULAR SURGICAL EMERGENCIES by Dr. Michael Schwartz, Chief of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Good Samaritan Hospital

8:15 PM: Break & dessert

8:30 PM: MEDICAL LEGAL TRAUMA by Dr. Lone Thanning, Rockland County Medical Examiner

9:30 PM: Closing remarks, evaluations and raffles

Directions: New York Thruway to Exit 15, then Route 17 south towards Mahwah, exit at Crossroads Boulevard/Mountainside Avenue on right. Follow signs to Crossroads Corporate Center and Sheraton Hotel.

For additional information contact:

Ernie Stonick, EMT, EMS Outreach Coordinator

Good Samaritan Hospital, 255 Lafayette Avenue, Suffern, NY 10901

(845) 368-5408

FAX (845) 368-5491

E-mail: estonick@tshs.org

New York State Volunteer Ambulance And Rescue Association

PO Box 893, Nanuet, NY 10954-0893

(877) NYS-VARA FAX: (845) 627-8607

District 2 - Westchester County - Notice of Meeting

Thursday, October 20, 2005, 7:30 PM

Ossining Volunteer Ambulance Corps

8 Clinton Avenue, Ossining, NY

(From Route 9, East on Croton Avenue, then east on Clinton Avenue)

All volunteer EMS & rescue personnel are invited to attend.

Learn about an established New York organization that looks after the interests and concerns of volunteer sector EMS & rescue providers at the state, regional and local level.

The New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association is a not-for-profit, 501©(3) membership organization whose mission is the promotion and protection of the interests of volunteer professional ambulance and rescue personnel. The Association has been representing the volunteers of New York State since 1939, and continues to grow and change in keeping with the changing faces of EMS and Rescue today. Members include independent volunteer ambulance companies, fire district and fire company related ambulance services, first response medical squads, rescue teams, tax-based ambulance and rescue companies, and organizations wishing to support the spirit of volunteerism and service as well as individual CFRs, EMTs AEMTs, rescue workers and specialists, nurses and firefighters affiliated with these services.

For more information e-mail Robert Ruston, District 2 Director at RRusto@aol.com

The New York State Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Association was established in 1939 and is a 501 [ c] [ 3] organization and is on the web at www.nysvara.org

gees we use to go down to 42ndst and get them pretty cheap to $10 and good work.

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New York's Driver Licenses

For pictures of the new license go to

http://www.nysdmv.com/broch/c51A.htm

The info below if from the web site:

HIGH TECH SECURITY

New York State has redesigned the photo driver licenses, learner permits, and identification cards. DMV will begin issuing these new documents in the fall of 2005. The new design improves document security, helps prevent crime, and protects document owners. The license and ID cards have backgrounds that contain "micro-text", similar to that used in many world currencies. These background designs, printed in a blended color pattern, are virtually copy or counterfeit proof. This special design is one of several layers of protection for the documents and the data they contain.

SECURITY LAMINATE

The new documents are among the first in the nation to utilize a security laminate that includes an optical variable device. Optical variable devices reflect light to create an image on top of the document. This device appears in the form of a wavy line that is visible to the naked eye and thereby provides an enhanced level of security. When viewed through a retro-reflective device, this laminate reveals any cut lines or spots caused by alterations.

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ULTRA-VIOLET PROTECTION

For added security, the redesigned documents contain a large New York State Coat of Arms printed in ultra-violet-sensitive ink over portions of the client's name, ID number, photo, and date of birth. This Coat of Arms is only visible under ultra-violet black light. If a document is altered, the seal will show a break when viewed under ultra-violet black light.

"UNDER 21" MARKINGS

Licenses, learner permits, and ID cards issued to anyone under 21 years of age feature the date of birth and client identification numbers printed in red. The words "UNDER 21" are also printed in red beside the photo.

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"2-D" BARCODE

A two dimensional barcode is on the back of the new documents. This "2-D" barcode along the bottom edge of the card contains all the client information printed on the front: name, address, ID number, date of birth, height, sex, eye color, document class, and restriction/endorsement codes. A one-dimensional barcode containing the client ID number, date of birth, and the card's expiration date is across the top of each card. These features enable law enforcement agencies and businesses with barcode readers to verify the information printed on the face of the document.

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The new documents are being phased in during the next eight years as driver licenses and ID cards are renewed and new documents are issues. This means that two styles of licenses will be valid until the year 2013. In addition, some old style ID cards issued prior to the year 2005 are valid for 10 years and will remain in circulation until their expiration dates.

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DOCUMENT TYPES

In addition, color coding of the title line located underneath "New York State" distinguishes the document type as shown below:

DRIVER LICENSE - blue

RESTRICTED USE - purple

CONDITIONAL - purple

LEARNER PERMIT - green

COMMERCIAL - brown

IDENTIFICATION CARD - gold

If you have any questions about document validity, please contact:

NYS Department of Motor Vehicles

Division of Field Investigation

6 Empire State Plaza

Albany, NY 12228