EMS World

NOV 2017

EMS World Magazine is the most authoritative source in the world for clinical and educational material designed to improve the delivery of prehospital emergency medical care.

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10 NOVEMBER 2017 | EMSWORLD.com Another EMS World Expo is in the books. Las Vegas gave us a warm wel- come and a gracious hosting. With the tragic events of October 1 on everyone's minds, we remain dedicated to advanc- ing the profession of EMS by educating providers to be their very best. It is no secret that EMS providers excel at preparing and training for the "high- acuity, low-frequency" event, also known as "The Big One." Despite this dedica- tion, we can likely never predict the ele- ments of an active shooter event and its aftermath. Each unique incident brings a unique set of lessons. As a responder to the scene of the June 2017 Simpson Field shooting in Alexan- dria, Va., I learned my own set of lessons. Arriving as the last patient was being transported, I found myself in a unique position: as a witness to the immediate aftermath and more specifically, to the needs of the witnesses, bystanders and first responders. After checking in with the incident commander, I was tasked with verifying patient information: where they went, how they got there and whom they were. In true form, the rapidly evolving nature of these incidents often precludes the establishment of a true triage system. Shortly after, with a few bottles of cold water, I approached a group of police offi- cers who were staffing the perimeter of the scene and asked them if they needed anything. One officer replied, "Sunscreen. We're going to be out here for a while and I forgot my hat." Who knew? And what else don't we know? Have you been able to account for bystanders and witnesses who were not transported? In the Fort Lauderdale air- port shooting, some hid in closets and small spaces for hours, not knowing that the scene had been made safe shortly after the incident started. Are you ready for ever y potential weather scenario? If it is cold, can you set up a warming tent? If it is hot, as it was in June in Alexandria, do you have a place for people to cool down? These may be standard preparations for a structure fire, but consider the length of time an investi- gation may take; there may be long-term needs for which we haven't planned. Investigators in Alexandria asked wit- nesses to remain on the scene near the baseball field so they could be inter- viewed. We now had multiple older adults, recovering from witnessing a horrific trauma, crashing down from their adrenaline rushes, overheating in their long-sleeved polyester baseball uniforms in 90-degree heat. They needed water, shade, chairs, a kind ear, something to eat, reassurance and a medical assess- ment for the knee injuries and ankle sprains that began hurting once they had calmed down. Who could anticipate that there would be not one additional agency, but up to five working the Simpson Field incident? U.S. Capitol Police, Alexandria Police, the FBI and the Secret Service all had a stake in assessing the threats and the nature of the response. The Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando proved once again that our issues with communication have not been fully resolved: The police com- mand post was on the opposite side of the nightclub from the fire/EMS incident command post, forcing the use of the radio instead of the much easier face- to-face method. FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR By Hilary Gates, MAEd, NRP A Call to Educate EMS leads a community of responders that pull together before, during and aer a tragedy Photo: Alexandria Police Department

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