September, 2015 Marion County EMS Newsletter
DID YOU KNOW???
Adding
an ICE ("In Case of
Emergency") contact to your phone can help emergency personnel locate a
friend or family member, who can speak on your behalf if you become unconscious
or incapacitated. This simple idea was developed by a British paramedic, Bob
Brotchie, who recognized the need for speed when emergency personnel need
patient information or to contact next of kin. For people with preexisting
medical conditions and allergies, in particular, keeping your emergency contact
information close at hand could help save your life!
HELPFUL INFORMATION!!!
Do you know when
to MAKE THE RIGHT CALL TO 911??
Knowing when
to call for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) could save a life. Knowing when
NOT to call can also save lives by not wasting our community’s precious
emergency resources on – NON –EMERGENCY cases.
WHEN TO CALL 911
1. When you
think someone’s life is threatened.
2. When
someone faints or collapses.
3. When
someone has persistent chest pain or difficulty breathing.
4. When
someone is seriously injured.
5. When in
doubt.
Close Calls
Sometimes
it’s hard to decide whether to call for an ambulance instead of driving to the emergency
room yourself. The basic rule is: when in doubt, call 911. If you are not sure
what to do, you can make a better decision by asking yourself the following questions.
1. Does the
victim’s condition seem to be life-threatening?
2. Could
moving the victim on your own cause further injury to them or yourself?
3. Does the
victim need the skills or equipment of EMS?
4. Would the
distance and traffic conditions cause a significant delay in getting the victim
to an emergency room?
5. Could the
victim’s condition worsen and/or become life-threatening on your way to the
emergency room?
When NOT TO CALL for an Ambulance
1. Do NOT call Emergency Medical Services
for transportation to a doctor’s appointment.
2. Do NOT call EMS to get prescriptions
filled.
3. Do NOT call EMS to get quicker
attention in the emergency room. Emergency room patients are treated in the
order of severity of their illness or injury.
What to say when you call 911
Information you give the emergency dispatch operator helps EMS help
you!
1. Stay
CALM, speak clearly, and stay on the phone until the emergency operator tells
you to hang up.
2. Tell the
emergency dispatch operator WHERE to find the person needing emergency care.
3. Give the
exact location: use an address or nearby landmarks like intersections or
buildings that will help the ambulance crew find you.
Helpful ways to make it easier for the
ambulance to find your home:
1. Make sure
your house numbers are visible from the street, both day and night, BEFORE
there is an emergency.
2. If your
house is painted in dark colors, your house numbers should be painted a lighter color. If your
house is a light color, have your house numbers painted darker.
3. If
possible have someone turn on the porch light.
4. Tell the
emergency dispatch operator WHO is hurt or sick and WHAT happened. The operator
will also need to know the current condition of the victim and if any help is
being given.
What to do until HELP arrives
1. Follow
any instructions you have been given by the emergency dispatch operator.
2. DO NOT
try to move someone who is injured unless they are in danger.
3. Do try to
keep a victim as warm as possible.
4. If
someone else is with you, send them to meet the ambulance.
5. Make it
easy for the ambulance driver to spot you by turning on a porch light or making
your location with a flare, bright light or bright cloth.
Kansas WEATHER Preparation.
Storms bring the possibility of loss of electricity, loss of
heat or air conditioning, closing of roads and flooding.
Start preparing as soon as you know a storm is coming. Along with loss of
services, storms can lead to difficulty in receiving supplies both during and
after the storm. Here are a few suggestions to help you prepare (some of
these can be done well in advance of a storm and others several days before):
Have contact numbers available for your community medical services (police, fire and ambulance).
-
Have a supply of flashlights and batteries.
-
Fully charge all electrical equipment and batteries.
-
Do not use candles or any fire if you have supplemental oxygen in the home.
-
If you depend on Oxygen call your supplier for an additional 3-4 days’ supply.
-
Review the quantity of all the supplies you have at home. Make sure you have 3-4 days’ supply of fresh water.
-
Make sure you have a one to two week supply of all medications.
-
Have a travel bag easily available in case you lose power or need to leave your home.
-
Keep your wireless phone fully charged.
-
Consider having both a land line and a wireless phone. Sometime phone lines are down and sometimes cell towers are down.
UPCOMING NEWS
EMR (Emergency Medical Responders) classes are going to be
starting. October 6th, 2015 at the Hillsboro City Building. These classes will continue through February 4th,
2016. If you know of anyone who may be
interested please have them contact Brandy McCarty at 620-382-3271.
EMS CREW REMINDERS
-
Please get patients
signatures if able.
-
Please make sure that
reports are done timely (within 24 hours of the call).
-
When patients are refusing
care/transportation, please make sure you are asking/confirming x3.
-
Narrative DOCUMENTATION
should be a STORY of what happened during the entire call. CYA!!!!!
-
Remember the “CHAIN OF
COMMAND”.
-
If you are wondering or
not sure, Kansas Board of EMS has a website with regulations and statutes
available. “LOOK IT UP”!!!!!
-
Be kind to your crew
members. It is a lot easier to get along than to work at being hateful or
negative. Negativity only causes STRESS and stress is NOT HEALTHY.
Upcoming Birthdays-
Brian Clay 9-6
Jesse Brunner 9-8