telecommunicators

First Comprehensive Assessment of Pediatric Prehospital Care Launches May 1  

National assessment aims to improve prehospital care for acutely ill and injured children  

While the majority of emergency medical services (EMS) and fire-rescue agencies provide emergency care to children, pediatric calls are rare. In fact, because many agencies see fewer than eight pediatric patients per month, EMS clinicians often don’t feel comfortable or confident when caring for children. Pediatric readiness can reduce anxiety and increase confidence, and research suggests it may also improve outcomes. But what is pediatric readiness, and how do you know if your agency is really ready to take care of children?

The National Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project is launching an assessment Wednesday, May 1, that can answer these questions—and more. The goal of this national project is to […]

This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. Every year it takes place during the second week of April as a way to recognize the 911 telecommunications personnel and communications specialists like our own STAT COM who selflessly serve the public. With that, here are some ideas on how you can say thank you to those that continue to keep our communities safe. 

1. Send a thank you card. Simple, yet so meaningful. A handwritten thank you card can go a long way when it comes to showing appreciation. 
2. Share positive stories on social media. The power of social media is strong when it comes to celebrating those in public safety. You can share your own personal story or simply raise awareness about the important work that they do.  
3. Spread awareness about this week. If you don’t work in […]
   

In case you didn’t already know this, May 7-13 is National Hospital Week. This recognition initially began as a day, created in 1921 to promote confidence and education in hospitals following the Spanish flu. The President of the United States at the time, Warren G. Harding saw this as a way to rebuild the public’s trust in the city hospitals after the Spanish flu claimed more than 675,000 Americans.  

In 1953, National Hospital Day was changed to include an entire week in order to help educate the public about medical examinations and treatments. Now we use this week to also help honor those who work in a hospital setting, and recognize all of the day-to-day hard work, especially throughout the pandemic.  

This week, May 6-12, we also recognize National Nurses Week, in honor […]

Last week was National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. It’s held annually during the second week of April to honor public safety telecommunicators for their commitment, service and sacrifice. NPSTW originated in 1981 with longtime dispatcher, Patricia Anderson, of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office in California who stood up for her fellow “dispatchers” and acknowledged how hard they work.  

One afternoon in 1981, Contra Costa County Sheriff Richard Rainey wanted to acknowledge his administrative staff by treating them all to lunch. Traditionally, the administrative staff was never to let their lines go unanswered, so they would transfer their calls to dispatch after hours. Dispatch would just tell the caller to call back during business hours, which generally didn’t impact the dispatch center because the volume was very low, but it did on this one particular instance.  

As April comes to a close, we want to remember the importance of this month; It’s National Donate Life Month. In the United States, every nine minutes someone joins the national transplant waiting list. Unfortunately, every day in the United States, 17 people on that list pass away waiting for an organ. It’s truly a sad statistic, but there is hope, thanks to organ donors.  

Living donation is a transplant option that can reduce wait times on the transplant waiting list and save lives with those who are in end-stage liver or kidney failure. The liver has the unique ability to regrow in just a few months, giving both the donor and the recipient a fully functioning liver. In addition, we may be born with two kidneys, but our body is capable of living with only one, […]