(NewsUSA) - When disaster strikes, the American Red Cross acts, responding to over 70,000 disasters -; fires, hurricanes, chemical spills, explosions, earthquakes, mud slides, tornadoes, transportation accidents -; each year.
The Red Cross fulfills people’s needs during such emergencies. The agency provides food, shelter and mental and physical health care for disaster victims. It runs blood drives, feeds volunteers, helps victims pay for basic needs and reunites separated families.
In a disaster, timing becomes vital. The Red Cross must coordinate volunteers and services for disaster relief across America quickly and efficiently.
Like many businesses, schools, banks and government agencies, the Red Cross decided to use the Immediate Response Information Service (IRIS) created by TechRadium, Inc.
When the Red Cross calls or e-mails an alert to IRIS, the system sends messages to the Red Cross’s contacts in 30 seconds. Volunteers, organizers and emergency response teams receive the Red Cross’ messages through their phones, pagers, PDAs, computers and fax machines. IRIS will continue dialing phone numbers until people receive their emergency alert.
IRIS users do not need to buy or install special software. The service translates messages into 10 languages -; English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Korean, Portuguese, German, Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian.
IRIS also proves reliable. The system uses many servers across the U.S. If one server should happen to go down, IRIS will still work.
IRIS aids the American Red Cross, but it can be suitable to any organization of any size. IRIS can quickly distribute nonemergency information, ranging from weather alerts to office closings. It can tell managers about a quickly scheduled meeting or a utility company about a major outage.
Natural and man-made disasters can devastate communities and slow responses to emergencies can cost lives. Americans should feel safe knowing that the Red Cross uses the most advanced alert system to coordinate its relief efforts.
To learn more about IRIS and to view a demonstration, visit www.useiris.com.
(ARA) – It’s a scary scenario that plays out in hospitals across the country thousands of times every year: A senior living alone suffers an incapacitating health crisis. Paramedics rush her to the hospital where medical professionals do their best to sustain her until they can locate a family member or other responsible party authorized to make decisions on her behalf.
“When a medical crisis occurs for a senior, time is of the essence,” says Lawrence Meigs, CEO of Visiting Angels, an organization that provides in-home care for thousands of seniors across the country. “Anything that delays critical decisions can mean the difference not only between life and death, but quality of life for the victims after they survive their crisis.”
More than 10 million seniors live alone in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics. The good news, Meigs says, is that seniors don’t have to live in fear that medical professionals won’t be able to reach decision-making loved ones in case of an emergency. Peace of mind can be had courtesy of three simple digits: “ICE.”
The acronym stands for “In Case of Emergency.” When programmed into a cell phone along with the contact number for a relative, friend or other responsible party, “ICE” can help emergency responders quickly and easily reach someone authorized to make decisions on a senior’s behalf.
Conceived by Cambridge, England paramedic Bob Brotchie, the ICE system also enables you to provide multiple emergency contacts. Simply enter “ICE1,” “ICE2,” etc. into the phone to designated primary, secondary or even tertiary emergency contacts. Across the country, emergency responders are being trained to check cell phones for ICE, and some cell phone manufacturers are already making phones pre-programmed with the function.
After encountering hundreds of emergency situations with the people they take care of, Visiting Angels now promote ICE to all their clients. Meigs and his team offer the following tips for using ICE:
* Talk to your emergency contact and be sure they’re aware you’ll be programming their information into your phone under the ICE designation. They should have a list of people to contact on your behalf, including relatives, your personal physician and employer.
* Program your phone with every number your contact person uses – home, cell and office. That way if your ICE partner works a full time job, emergency responders won’t waste time trying to reach them at home during the day.
* Be sure to alert your ICE partner to any medical conditions, such as allergies or current medications, that could affect your emergency treatment.
* Always include the first name of your ICE partner when entering information into your phone. For example: ICE_Heather.
* If your preferred contact is hearing impaired, enter ICETEXT before the name of your contact. This lets responders know to use a special communications device that allows a speaking person to make a call to a non-hearing individual.
* Place an “ICE” sticker on or near your photo ID or directly on the cell phone.
* Consider setting your phone’s wallpaper to read “ICE Loaded” to alert emergency personnel that the emergency contact system is in place on your phone.
“We strongly urge everyone, but especially seniors, to use the ICE system,” says Jill Stewart, who heads the Charlotte, N.C. branch of Visiting Angels. “Recently we had a client with dementia who got up every morning to visit his wife in a nursing home about a mile away from his house. One day the highway patrol found him traveling 70 mph on a state route with a posted limit of 45. He was 50 miles from home and only pulled over because he realized he was lost. He never noticed the flashing lights or sirens of the police cruiser.”
“Needless to say in his state of confusion it took a long time for the highway patrol to figure out who he was, where he was from and who to contact,” she says. “If he had ICE, it would have made a huge difference.”
For a free brochure on the ICE system, visit www.VisitingAngels.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
RALEIGH, N.C. - Wake Tech’s new Public Safety Training Center opened to serve the growing needs of area law enforcement and other public service agencies. The Center, at 321 Chapanoke Road in Raleigh, will train law enforcement officers, firefighters, corrections officers, and emergency medical service providers. It is the first centralized facility for training of this kind in Wake County.
“Safety is paramount,” said President Scott, “a concern for every individual, every family, and the whole community. Our Public Safety Training Center will train and prepare the safety professionals we depend on and will need even more as our region keeps growing.”
Wake Tech currently provides in-service training to more than 4,500 law enforcement and fire safety personnel each year. Enrollment in law enforcement classes alone has more than doubled in just the past five years - from 7,100 to 14,400. (These figures include personnel who return to Wake Tech for repeat training in a variety of areas.) Until now that training, for local police departments, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the State Highway Patrol, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the N.C. Department of Corrections, has taken place at 16 locations around Wake County.
The training of fire and rescue personnel is also on the rise. Enrollment in these classes has grown 33 percent over the past five years - from 8,600 to 11,500. Due to the nature of the training, much of it will continue to be offered on site at fire department facilities across the county.
Right now, the Public Safety Training Center occupies just 18,520 square feet of the Chapanoke Road facility’s total 100,666 square feet. Wake Tech purchased the building and completed Phase I renovations - offices, classrooms, and a weight training facility - with approximately $5 million in funds from the 2004 county bond referendum.
Design on Phase II renovations will begin next year, with completion planned for 2010. Wake Tech plans to make the Center a model regional training facility with the addition of a mock courtroom and jail, a booking center, and additional classrooms for forensics and other instruction. Emergency Medical Training will be added as well. Nearly $14 million in bond funds, approved in October of this year, will support these renovations.
“Our officers and instructors have waited a long time for a facility like this,” said Anthony Caison, Wake Tech’s Dean of Public Safety Training. “It will offer the latest technologies and high quality training they need - all under one roof.”
The Public Safety Training Center will begin with courses offerings such as Crime Scene Investigation, DWI Detection, and Field Training Officer instruction.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
ARA) – Worn tires are blamed for the death of an Irving, Texas, police officer killed in a crash on his way to a call this past April; and in Greenville, S.C., two ambulance workers were recently injured and a patient killed when their vehicle flipped after the rear tire tread came off .
First responders put their lives on the line every day to help others; never expecting to run into problems with their equipment, but it happens. In an effort to show appreciation for the work firefighters and EMS personnel do, Michelin North America is encouraging individuals and communities to nominate a first responder to win a new set of tires, ensuring that safe and reliable tires will be on the community’s emergency response vehicle. This year, 50 winners will be awarded a set of new tires, double last year’s prize. To nominate a local hero, visit www.MichelinMan.com and either e-mail a nomination prior to November 23, or print and mail the form postmarked by November 15.
Ryan Sutter, reality television star from “The Bachelorette” and full-time firefighter for Vail Fire and Emergency Services is working with Michelin to raise awareness of the importance of tire safety for first responders.
“Tire maintenance is essential to emergency responder vehicles and many fire departments and EMS units struggle to maintain their vehicles,” says Sutter. “Through this Michelin program, communities have the opportunity to recognize the brave efforts of local first responders and help them maintain vehicle safety by nominating them for new tires.”
Last year Linda Embry of Marietta, S.C., submitted her nomination, husband David Embry, as the community’s hero and he became the first winner to receive a new set of Michelin tires for his vehicle.
“My husband David works selflessly to help the people of our community. People know they can call him at home at anytime and he will drop what he is doing and get to them. Right now he is at the church “Trunk or Treat,” operating a borrowed smoke house to teach children fire safety,” Embry wrote in her nomination. “I know he’s my husband, but I can’t imagine anyone more deserving of being recognized as a local hero. And I can’t imagine anything making him any happier than winning a new set of Michelin tires for his beloved fire department.”
Many local fire departments are under funded and sponsor chili cook-offs or hold pancake breakfasts to raise money for vehicle maintenance and repairs. New tires are a necessity that many departments cannot afford. Take the time to nominate an individual or team and help ensure the safety of the people who generously and selflessly keep their communities safe.
Remember, tire safety is important for the safety of emergency responders, but also for individuals too. Here are some things to think about for all vehicles:
* Air Pressure
Keeping tires properly inflated is essential for the maximum performance and longevity of the tire, as well as the ride quality and safety of the vehicle. Tires carry the entire weight of the vehicle and when under inflated or over inflated, they cannot do their job properly. Check pressure once a month.
* Tread
Looking at the wear and tear of the tread of a tire can tell its history. Tread is important to help the vehicle properly grip the road. Wear in the middle of the tire indicates over inflation for a significant amount of time, as wear on both outer edges indicates under inflation.
* Rotation
Regular rotation extends the life of the tires, saving both time and money in the long run. For rotation, each tire and wheel is removed from the vehicle and replaced in a different position. This ensures that all of the tires wear evenly and last longer.
*Alignment
Alignment generally refers to the adjustment of a vehicle’s front and rear suspension parts. Proper alignment not only ensures that the vehicle handles correctly but it will also help increase the life and performance of the tires. Check alignment after hitting an object, when wear patterns develop on the shoulders of the tires or if there is a difference in vehicle handling.
For more information visit www.MichelinMan.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
RALEIGH, N.C. - WakeMed Health & Hospitals and the Trauma Services Capital Regional Advisory Committee (CapRAC) are pleased to announce they have been awarded a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to conduct disaster preparedness training exercises throughout the four county CapRAC region.
The grant was awarded to execute three disaster response drills over the next calendar year to practice and evaluate coordination of services and communication between affected hospitals and responding organizations. At least two hospitals, two emergency medical services (EMS) agencies and one public health agency will participate in each drill. The drills will evaluate the coordination between agencies, testing the effective use of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) guidelines.
Volunteer patients, “paper” patients and computerized patient human simulator manikins will be used as victims. The simulators, infant through adult, will be used to study the physiology of the effects of evacuation on multiple critically ill patients when resources are limited.
“The primary goal of the project is to strengthen the capabilities of the CapRAC hospitals to be able to perform partial or complete evacuations and for the receiving facilities to have increased capabilities to manage the resulting surge of patients,” commented Dr. Barb Bisset, executive director of the WakeMed Emergency Services Institute. “The region has experienced a number of evacuations in the recent past, including the evacuation of a long-term care facility related to the Apex fire. However, there have been no evacuation drills conducted between health care facilities in this region in the past 30 years.”
“North Carolina is vulnerable to tornadoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters that could compromise our community’s health care resources,” said Dr. Bill Atkinson, president and CEO, WakeMed. “The best way to be prepared is to learn from experience. Real-life disaster simulation can ensure we are ready to respond, regardless of the situation. These drills will enable multiple health care organizations to practice coordination and communication under challenging circumstances.”
The program is entitled Project MoVEs (Modeling Via Evacuation Scenarios). The grant monies were awarded as part of the 2007 Healthcare Facilities Partnership Program and were supported by numerous public officials and organizations, including U.S. Senator Richard Burr, the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services and Wake County Human Services.
“Last year, WakeMed was selected as one of five Best Preparedness Practice hospitals in the United States by the National Foundation for Trauma Care,” continued Bisset. “Specifically, WakeMed was recognized for its plans to manage sudden patient surges and the resulting impact on the Emergency Department and inpatient capacity. We are looking forward to sharing our expertise with others in the CapRAC region.”
In 2007, WakeMed’s Emergency Service Institute (ESI) was asked by the North Carolina State Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) to develop a surge capacity template that could be used in all hospitals in North Carolina. In 2008, ESI will be coordinating efforts with the North Carolina Hospital Association and with OEMS to provide training workshops for hospitals to assist hospitals in the development of their surge plans.
About CapRAC
CapRAC comprises a four county (Wake, Franklin, Harnett and Lee counties) metropolitan and rural planning region located in central North Carolina established by the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services to promote the coordination of trauma care. The CapRAC also serves as a disaster medical response planning region, utilizing local, state and federal resources to improve disaster medical response in Raleigh and surrounding areas. The region includes 360 health care facilities with 8,700 state licensed acute care beds. The health care facilities include six hospitals, four county EMS agencies, four county health agencies, three mental health hospitals, 104 nursing homes and 243 mental health homes. WakeMed Health &Hospitals serves as the lead trauma center for the CapRAC.
Read More:News & Observer
RALEIGH - WakeMed has introduced a new air ambulance service to transport critically ill and injured patients from Eastern North Carolina.The service, to start Nov. 1, is expected to make 530 flights in its first year. Officials gathered at the helipad at WakeMed Raleigh Campus on Tuesday to showcase the helicopter ambulance.
WakeMed Air Mobile will transport people injured in traffic accidents, as well as stroke patients, sick infants and others with life-threatening illnesses to medical centers where they can get specialists’ care.
Read More: News & Observer
Many suffer injuries from lifting heavy people
CHAPEL HILL - As North Carolina waistlines expand and people get heavier, emergency medical service workers feel the strain.
EMS agencies are treating growing numbers of obese patients and answering more “lifting assistance” calls. To cope, they’re having to use extra personnel, buy special equipment and reinforce training to prevent injuries.
Neither the state Department of Labor nor the Office of Emergency Medical Services tracks injuries to EMTs. The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians doesn’t either, but in 2005 it surveyed 1,356 of its members. Nearly half had suffered a back injury on the job.
“We have some morbidly obese patients, 500 pounds,” said Kim Woodward, Orange County EMS operations manager. Often a two-person ambulance crew has no choice but to call for extra help, she said. In some jurisdictions, a dozen people may be sent in response to a morbidly obese person’s need for emergency help. But for some older EMTs, those measures may be too late.
Marcia Adams, a 28-year veteran of Orange County EMS, has been on light duty for months. She is in physical therapy to treat lifting-related shoulder injuries accumulated over her decades on the job.
“When I first started out, you didn’t have any special equipment for lifting people,” said Adams, a paramedic. “We ran into quite a few patients in excess of 350 pounds. And we lifted them. We didn’t have a choice.”
After Adams fell at home in February, X-rays revealed old shoulder injuries that had worsened. She is eager to return to field work, but her doctors have said surgery won’t help.
“I want to continue doing it,” she said. “Right now, it doesn’t look like my shoulders are going to allow me to do it any more.”
Adams comes from an older generation of EMTs, from an era when literally pulling your weight was important — especially for women struggling to earn the respect of male coworkers, she said.
“They send a lot more people nowadays,” she said. “It’s not so much of a macho game, where if you couldn’t lift them you couldn’t do your job.”
But waiting for extra help delays getting a person to the hospital.
In Wake and Durham, where fire companies respond to medical calls as first responders, EMS agencies have taken additional steps to speed things up.
Wake County’s new dispatch system “flags” addresses where EMTs have needed extra help to move someone. If a second call goes to that address, extra help is sent automatically. Durham has a similar system.
On normal medical calls, an ambulance and firetruck are sent, said Jeff Hammerstein, Wake EMS district chief. The response for a bariatric patient adds a ladder truck, an EMS supervisor and a technical rescue truck with tools and a tarp to move patients. That level of response puts 10 to 12 people on the scene, and it’s not too many, he said.
Wake’s dispatch system has sent out that extra help for obese patients 37 times this year, Hammerstein said.
But deploying extra personnel means those people are not available for other emergencies. While not a major concern, that has to be taken into account when allocating resources, officials said.
In Durham, emergency services treated at least 489 bariatric patients last fiscal year, though complete figures are not available, EMS director Mike Smith said. Durham EMS classifies anyone over 250 pounds as a bariatric patient.
“We’ve been paying attention to it for a while, because it got to be really an issue,” Smith said. “I only have two people responding on the trucks.”
In some cases, Smith’s agency might spend as long as three hours getting bariatric patients out of houses, all while treating them. One person within the last five years weighed more than 1,000 pounds, he said
Read More: News & Observer
(ARA) – From quenching forest fires and homes set ablaze to assisting in personal injuries and beloved pets stuck in trees, emergency responders are an important part of the community. In fact, according to the California Performance Review, the United States 911 system handles 500,000 calls daily or about 183 million annually. These first responders, the majority volunteers, often risk their own lives to help others in need. They make individuals feel safe in times of crisis and deserve thanks and recognition.
Michelin North America is encouraging individuals and communities to show their appreciation for firefighters and EMS personnel by nominating a first responder to win a new set of tires, ensuring that safe and reliable tires will be on the community’s emergency response vehicle. This year, 50 winners will be awarded a set of new tires, double last year’s prize.
Ryan Sutter, reality television star from “The Bachelorette” and full-time firefighter for Vail Fire and Emergency Services is working with Michelin to raise awareness of the importance of tire safety for first responders.
“Tire maintenance is essential to emergency responder vehicles and many fire departments and EMS units struggle to maintain their vehicles,” says Sutter. “Through this Michelin program, communities have the opportunity to recognize the brave efforts of local first responders and help them maintain vehicle safety by nominating them for new tires.”
To nominate a local hero, visit www.MichelinMan.com and either e-mail a nomination prior to November 23, or print and mail the form postmarked by November 15. Last year Linda Embry of Marietta, S.C., submitted her nomination, husband David Embry, as the community’s hero and he became the first winner to receive a new set of Michelin tires for his vehicle.
“My husband David works selflessly to help the people of our community. People know they can call him at home at anytime and he will drop what he is doing and get to them. Right now he is at the church “Trunk or Treat,” operating a borrowed smoke house to teach children fire safety,” Embry wrote in her nomination. “I know he’s my husband, but I can’t imagine anyone more deserving of being recognized as a local hero. And I can’t imagine anything making him any happier than winning a new set of Michelin tires for his beloved fire department.”
Many local fire departments are under funded and sponsor chili cook-offs or hold pancake breakfasts to raise money for vehicle maintenance and repairs. New tires are a necessity that many departments cannot afford. Take the time to nominate an individual or team and help ensure the safety of the people who generously and selflessly keep their communities safe.
Remember, tire safety is important for the safety of emergency responders, but also for individuals too. Here are some things to think about for all vehicles:
* Air Pressure
Keeping tires properly inflated is essential for the maximum performance and longevity of the tire, as well as the ride quality and safety of the vehicle. Tires carry the entire weight of the vehicle and when under inflated or over inflated, they cannot do their job properly. Check pressure once a month.
* Tread
Looking at the wear and tear of the tread of a tire can tell its history. Tread is important to help the vehicle properly grip the road. Wear in the middle of the tire indicates over inflation for a significant amount of time, as wear on both outer edges indicates under inflation.
* Rotation
Regular rotation extends the life of the tires, saving both time and money in the long run. For rotation, each tire and wheel is removed from the vehicle and replaced in a different position. This ensures that all of the tires wear evenly and last longer.
*Alignment
Alignment generally refers to the adjustment of a vehicle’s front and rear suspension parts. Proper alignment not only ensures that the vehicle handles correctly but it will also help increase the life and performance of the tires. Check alignment after hitting an object, when wear patterns develop on the shoulders of the tires or if there is a difference in vehicle handling.
For more information visit www.MichelinMan.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
