The majority of emergency medical services (EMS) and fire-rescue agencies provide emergency care for children, but pediatric calls are rare. In fact, most EMS and fire-rescue agencies see fewer than eight pediatric patients per month. Many EMS clinicians don’t feel comfortable or confident when caring for children. But being “pediatric ready,” or trained, equipped, and prepared for children in accordance with national recommendations, can help reduce anxiety, increase confidence, and potentially improve outcomes on pediatric calls.
The National Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project offers free tools and resources to help EMS and fire-rescue agencies become pediatric ready, including a national online assessment opportunity launching Wednesday, May 1. The assessment includes seven categories of in-depth questions designed to provide every EMS and fire-rescue agency with a picture of their current pediatric readiness and identify areas for improvement. After completing the assessment, which takes approximately 30 minutes, all respondents will receive a detailed report describing any gaps and benchmarking information. EMS and fire-rescue agencies will have until July 31 to complete the assessment.
To learn more about the assessment:
- Access a checklist and toolkit to help you prepare
- Register to join a free webinar on Tuesday, April 23 at 1 p.m. ET, “How Ready Is Your Agency to Provide Pediatric Care? Build Your Clinicians’ Confidence When Treating Children,” featuring representatives from the EMS for Children Program
- Contact the project’s leadership team at pprp@emscimprovement.center or connect with your state’s EMSC Program Manager to see what local resources may be available to support you, including workshops, trainings, and other assistance
About the Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project
The National Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project is a federally funded initiative of the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program in collaboration with 15+ national organizations. It empowers EMS and fire-rescue agencies that respond to public 911 calls to improve their “pediatric readiness” or capability to care for acutely ill and injured children. The PPRP provides EMS and fire-rescue agencies with free and open-access tools and resources for improvement. Learn more at https:/bit.ly/prehospitalpedsready.
