This committee shall assist the Board of Directors in advocating for a nationwide EMS work environment where health and safety are top operational priorities. Responsibilities include:
- Monitor the EMS community on a regular basis for trends in health and safety issues, and bring to the attention of the Board any issues that may warrant action by the association.
- Identify best practices in addressing EMS health and safety issues and share them with the institutions that employ EMS providers.
- Identify the education and training that should be provided to EMS employers to help them create and maintain healthy and safe EMS work environments.
Serving on this committee are:
Bruce Evans, chair
Michael E. Szczygiel
Bill Vidacovich
Pat Connell
Ronald Health
Paul LaSage
Contact Chair Bruce Evans
Health & Safety Q&A
Do you have a question about an EMS health and safety issue? Committee Chair Bruce Evans can help. Just email them c/o Bruce Evans. All questions and answers will be posted on the NAEMT Web site so that everyone can benefit from the information.
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EMS on the Fire Ground
The number one responsibility of EMS on the fire ground is to assure the safety of themselves. Operating in an area away from fire suppression activities can aid in the overall safety of the EMS functions. Treatment of fire victims should be the next priority coupled with treatment of the injured firefighter. Even though rehab is essential, it may have to play back seat until sufficient resources arrive.
EMS should assure adequate personnel are available for the nature of the incident. Dedicated personnel should be capable of handling all applicable functions. EMS providers should hone skills as they pertain to the likelihood of injuries. Skill competencies can be based on the need as reflected by the NFPA statistics. Most fire victims suffer from smoke inhalation injuries and burns.
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The application form for death benefits provided by the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) Program is now available online at www.psob.gov. The PSOB Program provides death benefits in the form of a one-time financial payment to the eligible survivors of public safety officers, including EMTs and paramedics, whose deaths are the direct and proximate result of a injury sustained in the line of duty. PSOB benefits are available to employees of public agencies only. The new online application system provides a greatly streamlined process for submitting death benefit claims. For more information, go to www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/psob/psob_main.html
Safe Intersection Practices for Emergency Vehicles
Hepatitis C Fact Sheet
NAEMT Statement on Smallpox Vaccinations for EMS Personnel
CDC Smallpox Vaccine Fact Sheet
OSHA PPE Fact Sheet
Against Medical Advice Checklist
Patient Refusal Form (English)
Patient Refusal Form (Spanish)
Risk Reduction in Emergency Response (posted with permission from Federal Signal Corporation)
Patient Outcome Using Medical Protocol to Limit Lights and Siren Transport (posted with permission from Prehospital and Disaster Medicine)
NAEMT Recommended Operational Security Measures (Updated 8/16/04)
Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes
Get your health and safety information from the source. Click on any of the Web links below to explore information you can use:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov
EMS Close Calls
www.emsclosecalls.com
EMS Network, Ambulance Crashes
www.emsnetwork.org/artman/publish/ambulance-crashes.shtml
Home Safety Council
www.homesafetycouncil.org
International Consulting and Training Specialists
www.ICATS.net
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
www.nhtsa.gov
National Safety Council
www.nsc.org
National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH)
www.cdc.gov/niosh
Objective Safety
www.objectivesafety.net
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
www.osha.gov
Public Risk Management Association
www.primacentral.org
Responder Safety
respondersafety.com
Safe Staging at MVAs
www.emsresponder.com/interactive/category/safe-staging-at-mvas/
US Department of Transportation Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/HTM/2003/part1/part1a.htm
US Fire Administration (USFA)
www.usfa.fema.gov
US Food and Drug Administration, Compressed Gases
www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/cmgg89.htm
VFIS
www.vfis.com