Photo Courtesy Jennifer Larson
Photo courtesy Timmy Shin/Pipe Dream
FEATURED IN PATIENT CARE
- San Diego Fire-Rescue Executes Technical Rescue at Vehicle Accident Site
- Boston EMS Aid Subway Crash Victims
- NASCAR Fan Presents with Significant Chest Pain and Numbness
- Book on Talking to Unresponsive Patients Is Convincing
- Young Patient is Unresponsive with a Slow Heart Rate
- The Ins and Outs of Apneic Oxygenation
- Understanding Hyponatremia Key to EMS Providers at the Country’s Largest Bicycle Race
Flooded with Care
When major flooding hit the Broome County (N.Y.) area in September, Harpur’s Ferry Ambulance Service crew members rose to the challenge in their response. A student-run agency that does primary EMS response to the Bingamton University campus, the service is accustomed to a normal call volume of 850 calls annually, according to Chief Robbie Cohen. However, during those 11 days, Harpur’s Ferry Ambulance made contact with more than 250 patients and provided ALS care and transport.
This agency also acted as the primary EMS agency for an American Red Cross shelter housed at the Events Center on the Bingamton campus, which was transformed into a shelter for nearly 2,000 people.
We tip our hats to the Harpur’s Ferry Ambulance Service for going above and beyond their normal routine in the face of a crisis.
Heroes Among Us
The National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE) honored several outstanding individuals during this year’s NAEMSE Educational Symposium & Trade Show in Reno, Nev., in September. Recipients were nominated by their peers and were selected by a committee of NAEMSE members.
Rebecca Valentine was awarded the Unsung Hero Award, an honor given to an individual who makes a difference in the lives of those they teach in their local community. The Fallen Heroes award posthumously honors individuals in EMS education who had an effect on the EMS education community.
This year’s recipients were Jeffrey Mitchell of Alabama; Randy Jones of Tennessee; and Ginger Worlds of Illinois.
Thomas Platt, MD, of Pennsylvania, was awarded the “Legends that Walk among Us” award for his role in mentoring and supporting EMS education on a national level.
We applaud these individuals—and the many more unsung heroes out there—for their sacrifices and dedication to the field and for their role in educating a new generation of leaders.
Speedy Delivery
A couple from Norwood (Mass.) was on their way to the hospital to give birth to their first baby. But apparently, their baby girl wanted to start her life in the fast lane.
Lucky for her, a training ambulance from Boston EMS was nearby and responded to the couple’s call.
According to Field Training Officer Miguel Diaz, the crew, which consisted of two academy recruits and one field training officer, delivered baby Serene on Interstate 93 at Morrissey Boulevard on Oct. 12. The baby and mother did fine throughout the event.
We congratulate these trainees for getting their stork pens in such an exciting fashion. If this is a taste of the future, then their EMS careers are headed in the right direction. JEMS
This article originally appeared in November 2011 JEMS as “Last Word: The Ups & Downs of EMS.”
