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NEWS NETWORK • A nearly full-height Star of Life on the side indicates the height of the vehicle. • The stripe is not horizontal but broken up, and extends to the front to indicate vehicle length. • A checkerboard pattern below the stripe further increases visibility. • Two Stars of Life on the front of the box provide additional visibility and indicate vehicle height from the front. In addition, the interior of the ambulance was originally equipped with two padded cabinets at the bulkhead and a net at the head of the bench seat. Thankfully, Santo Domingo has not yet experienced a crash, before or after the changes, but employees report a palpable feeling of safety while on scene at the roadside. This tiny rural EMS service, with desire and Internet research, created a striping design that stands out. They have succeeded where others have failed and many, in fact, have not yet tried. This is an example for all services around the country: Appropriate and cost-effective safety improvements can be accomplished by anyone, anywhere. David J. Turner, IC, NREMT-P, has more than 20 years of experience in EMS as a provider, fre/EMS lieuten- ant, feld supervisor, educator and author. He has been a member of the EMS Safety Foundation for fve years. Dave is currently a paramedic and educa- tor in Albuquerque, NM. Padded cabinets inside reduce head-strike risks, and a net flanks the bench seat. An Eye on Safety Safety is of paramount importance for EMS providers, and with Digital Ally's DVM-250 Video Event Data Recorder (VEDR), providers always have someone watching their back. That's especially important for Paford EMS, based in Hope, AR. In 2005 Paford EMS lost three crew members when its ambulance was struck by a train, says Clay Hobbs, Paford's director of communications. "Safety has been at our forefront since that point. And Digital Ally just made sense. Whatever we had to do to make sure the employees are safe, we're doing it." Hobbs says Paford EMS has integrated the Digital Ally DVM-250 VEDR with the ZOLL Road Safety System, allowing the camera system to activate automatically whenever an event occurs. "When we have an incident we get camera footage from 30 seconds before and 30 seconds after the event," he explains. "So, not only do we know that there was an event, such as a hard stop or excessive g-forces, but we can see it in full color. We don't have to speculate on what happened—we have the proof." And, notes Hobbs, the Digital Ally system lets Paford download information wirelessly through its existing network, eliminating the need for any new infrastructure or hardware. Another feature that appealed to Paford EMS was the ease of installation and maintenance that comes with the Digital Ally VEDR. "We service four states," says Hobbs, "so the installation and maintenance of the device was important to us because we didn't want to have to send someone out from our corporate ofce every time we had an upgrade or a maintenance issue with the device." Digital Ally's DVM-250 VEDR is designed with the entire video system integrated into a rear-view mirror in order to minimize space usage and not interfere with the driver's line of sight. The system easily replaces the factory mirror, if present, or the DVM-250 may be installed in alternative locations. The DVM-250Plus model additionally features a compact interface box to allow for more automatic recording trigger options and recording from up to 8 diferent cameras. Visit digitalallyinc.com. Vascular Access, When You Need It Most When time is of the essence, EMS providers need to know they have the right equipment to get the job done reliably every time. New Orleans EMS found just what it needed in 2005, when it began a pilot project using the EZ-IO Intraosseous Vascular Access System from Vidacare. Carl Flores, deputy director/chief of EMS, says the value of the EZ-IO System was quickly recognized while rendering emergent care to trauma and cardiac arrest patients. "Initially we had some concerns that our team would resist the application of the drill as previously IO needles were only used in pediatric patients," Flores explains. "Through hands- on training, our education division was able to ensure each New Orleans EMS paramedic was able to get focused assistance." The EZ-IO System provides immediate vascular access to central circulation within seconds, delivering medications, intravenous fuids and blood products to adult and pediatric patients alike. With a specially designed cutting IO needle and small power driver, the EZ-IO System allows the clinician complete control— avoiding the use of force. The EZ-IO System provides rapid, smooth entry into the bone's medullary cavity, creating an immediate conduit to the central circulation. "Once our team began to use the EZ-IO System in the feld, confdence grew in the application of the device and usage increased," says Flores. "As the device has evolved, so have our protocols in an efort to provide the best possible care by providing insertion options for our team. Today, one of the standards in our pit crew cardiac arrest approach is to insert the EZ-IO needle in the proximal humerus, allowing for quick access to central circulation." Vidacare is now part of Teleflex. Visit www.vidacare.com. David J. Turner PRODUCT APPLICATIONS FROM THE FIELD 16 APRIL 2014 | EMSWORLD.com EMS_14-17_NewsNetwork0414.indd 16 3/13/14 2:29 PM