FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo, 44, a 14-year veteran of the department and mother of five, was killed Thursday night in the line of duty. Her killer has been arrested and charged with murder. On Friday, like EMS providers everywhere, I tried to make sense of this terrible tragedy in an EMS1 article (Learning from the […]
Year: 2017
Can state lawmakers make EMS safer?
EMS is receiving a flurry of attention from state-level lawmakers. In a recent EMS1 article I cataloged some of the recently proposed legislation and the chance it will actually make EMS providers safer from violence, traumatic stress and vehicle collisions. What legislation will actually make EMS providers safer?
EMS Today 2017 Session Reports
EMS Today 2017 in Salt Lake CIty was a whirlwind of education sessions, exhibit hall traverses and visiting with friends. It was also an Italian food festival for me … I turned in receipts for Sbarro, Bucca De Boppa and Olive Garden. I attended conference sessions based on this loose criteria: Meeting an editorial opportunity […]
Foreword for City Life
Michael Morse has long been one of my favorite EMS authors. It was a true honor when he asked me to write the foreword to his book “City Life.” Reprinted here with Morse’s permission: — What kind of paramedic do I want to be? How do I want to treat patients? How do I want my […]
Fire Truck Zamboni
The Appleton ice arena Zamboni is skinned to look like a fire truck (or engine) and sponsored by Pierce Manufacturing. These are photos I took after my son’s team won two games against Appleton. My web search for an “Ambulance Zamboni” or a “Zamboni Ambulance” only returned this result. A Zamboni with a Patriot Ambulance […]
I met Luke Schneider, firefighter, paramedic and veteran, at the Wisconsin EMS Association conference last month. Luke is also a co-owner of Fire Dept. Coffee. He was kind enough to give me a one pound bag of beans, roasted by his company in Rockford, Illinois. This morning I am enjoying my first cup of Fire Dept. […]
EMS Today 2017 Preshow
Next week I am attending EMS Today 2017 in Salt Lake City. The annual education and trade show is hosted by JEMS. Here is what I am looking forward to: Applauding the accomplishments of EMS1o innovation award winners. Learning about the latest innovations in community paramedicine during the pre-conference. Writing articles about other conference sessions for […]
Here are five things that will make it really hard to become certified and ever employed as an EMT or paramedic. 1. Felony conviction for abuse Any felony conviction is bad. But a felony conviction for child, sexual or elder abuse makes it especially unlikely you will ever be employed as an EMT. 2. Drug […]
Email Tips to Manage the Tidal Wave
A colleague told me on Saturday he had already received 700 messages by mid-afternoon. I don’t have that same volume of inbound messages, but this is how I do my best to manage the tidal wave. 1. Unsubscribe from low value and no value messages At least once a day I unsubscribe from a news […]
Mail Bag: King Cake for Mardi Gras
FedEx brought me a cake yesterday from Gambino’s bakery. Big thanks for a NOLA friend for sending. It’s as good as it looks.