Preparing For Calls and Responding To Calls Lesson Materials
●Vehicle and Equipment Checks
○Sample checklists as supplemental and activity
●Safety
○Infectious Disease / PPE / BSI
■List the standard immunizations required by most EMS employers for all staff (and students!).
■What is one of the most simple yet most effective steps to take to prevent illness?
■Explain the proper method for hand washing.
■Describe what is meant by “standard precautions”.
■Describe how you will determine what the appropriate PPE will be on an EMS call. Be sure to include the “six foot zone” and how you will protect yourself from exposure via airborne, splash and contact with body substances Blloodborne Pathogens video playlist .
■The EMS workplace is one where needles and other sharps are frequently utilized. Describe how you should deal with used IV needles and syringe barrels.
■When must you wear gloves?
■When must you wear face protection?
■When must you wear long sleeves or a gown?
■If you choose to use your wildland shirt or a sweatshirt to cover your arms, what should you do if you get blood or vomit splashed onto that shirt?
■What should you do if you sustain an actual exposure?
■If you get blood or vomit on your arm while doing patient care, what should you do?
●Is that an exposure (blood on your arm)?
■What should you do with your gloves and mask after an EMS call?
■Near miss blood exposure
■Review the Infection Control article
○Fatigue / Stress
■EMS is a stress filled job. List some signs of stress that you might notice in yourself or a partner.
■What actions can be taken to help manage stress?
■List the various stages of grief that patients (and EMS personnel) experience.
●In what order do these stages occur?
■EMS work schedules include shifts during all hours. Even in the case where sleeping during duty hours is allowed, staff members are subject to calls. How can you limit the impact of these types of schedules on your physical well-being?
■Discuss the use of caffeine by EMS staff. How might it help and how might it not be helpful in dealing with the EMS work schedule?
○Weapons / Violence:
■The “scene is safe” is one of those statements that is frequently not true—even if law enforcement is present. Patients in custody have been found to have weapons hidden on them that were not found by law enforcement. If you find a weapon during your patient assessment, what must you do with it?
■Describe the concept of “contact and cover” that is frequently used by law enforcement. How could that concept be applied to EMS calls? Positioning around patients
■List some of the signs that a patient, family member or bystander is about to become violent. DT4EMS - Defensive Tactics for EMS
■Scene violence gunman in MVC Part 1 and Part 2
■Firefighter shot on scene
●Receiving a Dispatch / Dispatch Systems
○Be familiar with these terms:
■PSAP
■EMD
■MPDS
●predicted acuity
●pre-arrival instructions
●“ProQA” software in Boone County system
○Review the CAD Notes-Simple ME and Simple ME dispatch audio files.
●Locating the Call
○Familiar with how to utilize map books such as the one in use by BCFPD
○Familiar with mapping software / GPS applications
○Define the term: “cross street”
○Familiar with numerical addressing systems (dividing lines, evens and odds)
●Radio Systems and Radio Communication
○10-codes vs clear voice (plain English)
○Review Radio Traffic audio file
●Driving to the Call
○Driving Safety
○Be familiar with safe driving habits for both emergency response and non-emergency response
○Be familiar with the concepts of:
■stopping distance
■scanning ahead
■use of mirrors
■how to handle medians with full turn lanes
○Particular attention should be paid to:
■Speed
■how to handle “requesting the right of way
■consider special case of school bus with stop-arm deployed
●Staging
○Explain the concept of “staging” as it applies to unstable EMS scenes including when, where and why you would stage.
○Examples of CAD notes and Dispatch audio for review
■CAD Notes Suicidal Standby-Staging
■Unstable Scene audio file
●Scene Size-up
○Starts at dispatch
○look / listen / “feel” for hazards (“gut feeling”)
○constantly scan
○ask yourself “is it safe enough” throughout the call
○count the patients
○assess the MOI / ask about NOI (“what’s going on—how can we help?”)
○List common scene hazards for a roadway incident.
■Wires, Tires, Fires
■Chemical Suicide
○List common scene hazards for a residential incident.
■EMS call uncovers mobile home meth lab
■Review the HME and Meth Graphics document.
■Review the Knife Trap document.
○List some additional resources that might need to be requested after you assess the scene.
○Describe what responsibility you have for bystander safety.
○Responder Safety videos
■Air Bag Safety
■Electric vehicle safety
■Traffic safety
●Incident Management System
○Define the role and responsibilities of the:
■Incident Commander
■Operations Chief
■Logistics Chief
■Plans Chief
■Finance Chief
○Define the following (not just what it stands for):
■span of control
■unity of command
■Unified Command
■Incident Support Team
■PIO
■EOC
■IAP
○Differentiate section chiefs from command staff
○Differentiate groups from divisions
○Differentiate task forces from strike teams
●LIfting and Moving / Carts
○List at least five specific techniques to limit your risk of injury during lifting.
○What is the difference between an emergency move and an urgent move and a non-urgent move?
○When is rapid extrication appropriate?
○What is a “Four Point” carry?
○When should you use a stair chair?
○As you are moving a patient from a nursing home or hospital bed to your ambulance cart, describe the key things to do to limit your risk.
○During the process of removing a patient from a motor vehicle crash where extrication was performed, describe a common movement that you should avoid in order to limit your chance
○Describe proper lifting technique. Include the following: position of feet, back posture, where you should look and what communication should happen.
■Ferno Unloading a Cart
■Ferno Lowering a Cart
■Ferno Raising a Cart
■Ferno Loading a Cart
■Ferno Power Cart Loading
■Ferno Power Cart Unloading
■Stryker Stretcher video
○Ambulance Cart Operations video
○Stryker Stair Chair video
○Ferno Stair Chair video
○Thee two Stryker videos cover a lot of information, some of it isn’t relevant to initial education but is a very thorough review of the Stryker Power Pro XT system.
■Stryker Power Pro XT Part One
■Stryker Power Pro XT Part Two