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EMS1 – Dallas Standoff – Gold Medal Norovirus – Opioid Epidemic Response Flounders

1. Dallas SWAT Steps Away from Killer for Hours (DallasNews.com)

Powerful. How the Dallas SWAT team cornered and killed the July 7 police shooter

Go inside with the Dallas SWAT team as they tracked, talked to and killed the man who had killed five police officers and injured nine others. Interviews with the SWAT officers are mixed with interactive visuals and fine details. 

“But first, in the darkness and chaos of July 7, 2016, a small group of elite cops had to gear up and get the shooter. This is the first full account of what happened inside El Centro College that night. It is based on documents, photographs and dozens of hours of interviews with the police officers who tracked down the gunman, engaged him in a fierce gun battle, negotiated with him and meticulously planned and carried out his death.”

2. 1,200 Olympic security officials off the job because of Norovirus (Reuters.com)

When planning for event medical and security at a mass gathering have you considered the challenge of keeping emergency personnel healthy? Norovirus is spreading through the Winter Olympics

1,200 private security staff have been sidelined as fear of a norovirus among some of them has forced organizers to replace them with military personnel pending medical tests.

The virus is highly contagious and causes vomiting and stomach cramps among other symptoms.”

Regular hand washing, the first step in disease prevention!

3. High hope to low hope to no hope …  Federal response to opioid overdose epidemic (Politico.com)

“White House counselor Kellyanne Conway has taken control of the opioids agenda, quietly freezing out drug policy professionals and relying instead on political staff to address a lethal crisis claiming about 175 lives a day. The main response so far has been to call for a border wall and to promise a “just say no” campaign.”

It’s great for Conway to have the ear and fleeting attention of the President. But there is still no obvious evidence of a coordinated, executive branch leadership on addressing the opioid overdose epidemic.

“Whatever Conway’s ties to the president, her career has been in polling and politics, not public health, substance abuse, or law enforcement.”

By Greg Friese

Greg Friese, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, is an author, educator, paramedic, and marathon runner.

Greg was the co-host of the award winning EMSEduCast podcast, the only podcast by and for EMS educators. Greg has written for EMS1.com, JEMS.com, Wilderness Medical Associates, JEMS Magazine, EMSWorld.com and EMS World Magazine, and the NAEMSE Educator Newsletter.