The Green Machine

Emergency response vehicles represent one of the most significant costs for local governments. Most agencies demand 24-hour coverage, requiring long service hours for vehicles.

Seth C. Hawkins, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, FAWM

Letters

The Last Ride

EMTs and paramedics speak about their involvement before, during and after the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on 9/11.

A.J. Heightman, MPA, EMT-P

Worth a Thousand Words: How a single photo from a camera phone can ruin a career

EMS agencies need to create photography polices that specifically include camera and video phones due to their increasing prevalence.

Gary Ludwig, MS, EMT-P

Perilous Fall

EMTs and paramedics from the Oklahoma City Fire Department (OCFD) and Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) treat a fall victim at a construction site.

The Need for 12-Lead: A vague chief complaint turns out to be something more

This case demonstrates the importance of 12-lead ECGs, STEMI recognition and rapid door-to-needle time for proper intervention and recovery whenever a provider thinks the incident may be cardiac-related.

Resistance Is Futile

This article describes how baby boomer medics view the new generation.

Steve Berry

Last Word

Featuring: Saving Other Species, Rural EMS Could Reap $150 Million, and EMS Gets A Bad Rap

TP: Handy padding in a pinch

It turns out, toilet paper is versatile and the perfect solution for many problems.

Thom Dick

Anything But Routine: Responders Answer Unprecedented Evisceration Call

No one at Littleton Fire Rescue can remember a traumatic incident, like the one involving Victor Soto, having such a positive outcome.

Wayne M. Zygowicz, BA, EMT-P

Focus on Achievable Goals

It's that time of year when we all make New Year's resolutions and set personal goals, such as losing weight and paying off credit card debt. But what about setting professional goals?

A.J. Heightman, MPA, EMT-P

Record Deployment: FEMA activates plan to send hundreds of vehicles to Texas

American Medical Response was ready to fulfill its obligations to FEMA when asked.

Stealth Mode: Use of the Silent Approach

If an emergency vehicle operator accepts responsibility for the consequences of using warning equipment, they need and deserve the authority to make those decisions.

Thom Dick

Resuscitated Systems: Simple innovations radically improve cardiac arrest survival rates

New Protocol in NY: Make your own change by collecting evidence & taking action

Improving prehospital care is a partnership between providers and medical direction.„Concerns from paramedics and physicians drove changes in„New York protocol, including the introduction of fentanyl as an EMS analgesic.

Divvy Up the Cash: Why we must budget & also share the wealth

Does your volunteer organization struggle to maintain your building, equipment and basic needs? Or do you have so much money you aren't sure how to spend it appropriately, keep members happy and avoid turning into a commercial entity? This article offers a solution for volunteer organizations struggling with not enough or too much money.

Jason J. Zigmont, MA, NREMT-P

Miracle on 66th Street: Patient falls 47 stories and beats impossible odds

„A surviving victim of„a scaffolding collapse„fell approximately 47 stories into an alley between two buildings. The clinicians who cared for this patient called his survival and recovery nothing short of a miracle.

Problems & Solutions: Finding the best practices for your organization

This column, subtitled "Your Challenges, Your Solutions," gives volunteers a chance to think about themselves and their organizations.

Jason J. Zigmont, MA, NREMT-P