EMS News Briefs from Mike McEvoy

EMS Coordinator Mike McEvoy, Ph.D., NRP, RN, CCRN
NYSAFC EMS Committee

NAEMT Publishes EMS Staffing Paper
The National Association of EMTs, in collaboration with several other organizations (including the International Association of Fire Chiefs), published guidelines to aid EMS agencies in planning for responses and staffing needs for various medical calls. The document – Rethinking Emergency Medical Services: Applying Evidence and Data to Redesign Response Models for a Resilient and Sustainable Future – is available here. Multiple peer-reviewed publications that considered response times and EMS staffing shaped this guidance document.

IAFC Opens Heart Safe Community Awards Applications
The International Association of Fire Chiefs opened their Heart Safe Community Awards application site. The awards, sponsored by the PulsePoint Foundation, recognize fire departments with creative approaches for improving therapies for acute coronary syndromes and sudden cardiac arrest patients. The awards recognize two categories: one agency serving a large community (population of over 100,000) and one agency serving a small/mid-sized community (population under 100,000). Awardees will be recognized during Fire-Rescue Med (FRM) on May 7. Please visit the Heart Safe Community Awards webpage for the award criteria and application requirements. Award applications are due by March 7.