| Paramedic’s Corner: Ambulance District trains emergency drivers |
By: Ambulance Director Gary Carmack
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Posted: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 8:24 am
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Ambulance Director Gary Carmack
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Pulaski County Ambulance District (PCAD) provided an emergency vehicle training program last week for all of the organization’s employees. This is a comprehensive emergency vehicle driver program designed to present the necessary classroom, competency, and testing for new and existing emergency vehicle drivers. The training will verify proficiency in the knowledge and the understanding of, as well as, the practical application to emergency vehicle driving.
Some emergency responses involve the suppression of hostile fire, responding to a crime, others require the delivery of emergency medical care. Whichever the need the one item common to almost all of these emergencies is the need of an emergency vehicle to respond to the scene of the incident.
Each year in the United States, a large percent of firefighter, police officer, or paramedic deaths in the line of duty are either responding to or returning from the scene of an emergency incident. It is the PCAD organizational culture to promote safe driving practices to protect the employees and the citizens of our district. Speeding in a reckless manner to an incident is more a tradition than a necessity and the culture of high speed and dangerous driving must be addressed by all emergency responders; be it in a police car, fire engine, or an ambulance.
The district is also presenting an advanced trauma course this week called Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS). This is a two day course followed by a tough competency exam, both written and practical. The course is a National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, and The Committee on Trauma of The American College of Surgeons course. PHTLS courses continue to proliferate across the United States and the U.S. military has adopted it, teaching the program to armed forces personnel at over 100 training sites worldwide. PCAD is proud to present this course to our employees.
PCAD responded 374 times to the sick or injured in February, bringing the yearly total of responses to date at 955 patients so far. The highest call area in February was Waynesville-St. Robert with 244 patients, followed by Richland at 37 and Crocker 30. PCAD responded to Laquey 8 times, Rolla 15, and Fort Leonard Wood 9 times. The Rolla and Fort Wood responses were mostly transfers.
The hospitals most requested and transported to: St. John’s-Lebanon 78, PCRMC in Rolla 75, GLWACH at Fort Leonard Wood at 51, and LRMC at Osage Beach at 18. Highest destination long distance was St. John’s Springfield at 6.
Please feel welcome to stop by any of our ambulance bases for free blood pressure, glucose, and vital sign checks. If the team is out on a call you might have to return or go to one of the other bases. For more information on CPR, EMT, or paramedic classes call (573) 774-5413 or 774-2807.
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