By Richard Marinucci

Recently, in Southeast Michigan, I have noticed many departments improving their Insurance Services Office (ISO) ratings. I think this is good news, but I wonder about the potential interpretations from the policymakers. I am not critical of any of the departments, but I think all of the ones I have seen are not what I would call well-staffed. I would think the reason for improvement would be in areas other than increases in staffing. What will be the fallout when policymakers, i.e. city managers, mayors, fire boards, and the like find out their ratings have decreased without improving staffing? I would guess that this can be used as an argument when increases are requested. Thinking like a politician, I would brag about the improvement and then limit increases in resources. If this is happening elsewhere, please let me know. I do commend those departments that have done what is necessary to work within the system.

Throughout this country you can see a big difference between the haves and the have nots with respect to a commitment to training. There are some departments that have great facilities and many resources to use to improve performance. They also are willing and able to send members outside their organization to learn and share. On the other end are departments that don’t have much with regard to facilities or funding. Some do their best with what they have while others may have taken the easy way out and don’t get very creative. In between are some departments who have some resources but for some reason skimp on training. I am not sure why this is. It would seem that in order to improve (or at least stay the same), you would have to invest. If you have funding and support and elect not to use it, what message does it send to the membership and community?

I recently had a chance to attend the Truman Fire Forum organized by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. I send my most sincere thanks to Ron Siarnicki and company for inviting me to participate. It was a great event. Besides the actual forum, I had a chance to see a lot of old friends. There remains many in the fire service who continue their passion for improvement and work very hard not only in their own organizations but also raise their hands to help whenever asked. On the flip side, I did not see too many from the next generation. This is a challenge for many organizations in the fire service—getting folks to take up the work when the current generation can no longer do so. This may be a combination of a lack of interest by some and a failure of support from leadership. In one of my previous organizations, there were some great individuals with talent and interest in the service. From my understanding, their participation outside their own organization has been greatly curtailed. Having been there, I know it is not a financial issue. Obviously, it is a decision made by leadership. I think it is too bad as these future leaders are not getting the opportunities and therefore are not in a position to participate. I am guessing there are other departments doing the same thing, which limits the pool needed to pass the baton.

When does a department workload become too much to provide quality service? I ask this question because I heard a presentation by my friend Garry Briese asking this question. The premise is that the fire service has a hard time saying no when asked to take on new assignments. Departments get to the point where they cannot commit the time to prepare and maintain competence. It is related to add-ons such as EMS, hazmat, technical rescue, etc. that require more time. There is a point where it becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible, to train, study, and educate to the level needed to maintain core competence. This certainly is good food for thought. Are ther

In March 2017, Memphis, Tennessee, based Baptist Memorial Health Care signed a master services agreement with Priority Ambulance for it to become the ambulance transport provider for the healthcare system. A few weeks later, Priority Ambulance had sent 10 ambulances and more than 60 employees to Baptist’s vice medical facilities in the greater Memphis area. A year into the relationship has yielded 31 vehicles and more than 300 ambulance employees providing medical transport to more than 30,000 patients per year. It also provides six communities with 9-1-1 service in Mississippi and West Tennessee.

The plan began in 2016, when the two organizations worked to define improvements for moving patients needing a higher level of care located at smaller regional locations across three states with the ultimate goal to delivery patient delivery at the right place at the right time, keeping patients as close to home as possible. A final goal was to improve patient flow efficiency through transportation. The two organizations achieved this by integrating Priority Ambulances dispatch center with Baptist’s bed management system/transfer center at the Patient Placement Center, which is staffed with experienced registered nurses that track the status and manage all 2,700 beds in the Baptist system. 

For more information on this integration, visit http://www.emsstrong.org/delivering-innovation-to-baptist/.

Via EMS Strong

One of the worst calls an EMS provider can experience is a child drowning. Fire captain and EMT Mike Filson of the Chula Vista (CA) Fire Department and his colleagues know this feeling all too well. After his department saw three drowning calls in four weeks, he knew something had to be done to thwart these preventable tragedies. 

“It became evident that the best way to save these children was through prevention,” he says. “We started a public awareness campaign in an effort to educate our citizens about drowning prevention.”

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Filson’s comprehensive drowning prevention program—called WARN—which stands for Water Awareness in Residential Neighborhoods, centers around high-quality education for both fellow EMS providers and the public. This complete training program features a slideshow, safety messages, brochures, handouts and “Water Watcher” tags. Filson garnered the support of the Fire Chief, the City Council, the Mayor and the Parks and Recreation Department—who have all helped promote his campaign throughout Chula Vista. 

A Far-Reaching Program

Not only is Filson’s campaign broad in scope, but it is far reaching. In the past few years, he has worked to provide awareness training to over 50 fire departments—including every department in San Diego County through the San Diego County Fire Chiefs Association. In an effort to ingrain his drowning prevention message, Filson and the City of Chula Vista set up an annual process to contact every household and business in the city that has a pool.

A recipient of the 2018 Nicholas Rosecrans Award (presented by the California Paramedic Foundation and EPIC Medics), Filson has made his entire WARN program available online so anyone can download the materials and customize them with their agency logos—all free of charge.  

Going Beyond the Call

Filson and the Chula Vista Fire Department’s willingness to go Beyond the Call—to step forward, build and spearhead a successful program—has made a lasting impact in the community. Clearly, Filson understands that EMS can play a major role in community care. “We have a duty to provide the best emergency care for our patients,” he says. “This entails more than the EMS skills we execute. We need to treat the whole person during our short time with the patient, not just the physical symptoms. We can also provide an important voice in our communities for public health and wellbeing.”

He also feels a sense of responsibility to use his leadership skills outside of his everyday job duties. “As EMS professionals we have the enviable position of respect in our community,” notes Filson. “I encourage you to use your voice. Find an issue in your community, gather the right people and you’ll be surprised how effective you can be.”

Learn more about the program and get everything you need to start your own WARN program HERE.

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