In light of the bombings at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, a debate has started among lawyers, legislators, law enforcement, and public safety professionals over the decision not to read the primary suspect, Dzhokar Tsarnaev, his Miranda rights.

A CNN article titled “What are the Boston suspect’s legal rights?” explores the reasons behind the federal authority’s decision not to mirandize the suspect:

“…the federal government is invoking the public safety exception, a Justice Department official told CNN on condition of anonymity. It’s a designation that allows investigators to question a suspect before apprising him of his rights when they believe there is an imminent public safety threat.”

The public safety exception is further explained in a 2011 FBI Bulletin.

To fire fighters, EMTs, paramedics, and other emergency care professionals, public safety is of the utmost concern in an emergency situation. As a public safety professional, do you feel this was a fair decision?

Attention Fire Instructors:
We Want to Hear From You!

The Fire Science Division at Jones & Bartlett Learning would like to ask you for a few minutes of your time to help us create the best resources available for the Principles of Emergency Services FESHE associate-level core curriculum. We are eager to work with you in creating resources that will better meet your needs.

Please help us get started on the Fifth Edition of Introduction to Fire Protection and Emergency Services by Robert Klinoff by completing this survey by May 1, 2013.

Thank you in advance for your support and assistance.

Visit www.FESHESolutions.com for a complete list of Jones & Bartlett Learning training solutions for the National Fire Academy’s Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) programs.

By: Firefighter Michael O. McLeieer, President – E.S.C.A.P.E. Inc.
Adjunct Instructor National Fire Academy,
Training Coordinator Massachusetts Firefighting Academy
(Article from ECSI eNews: February 2013)

Injuries, especially those to children, occur when we least expect them. In fact, many children cannot seem to complete a day without the occasional scrape, bruise, or bump.

As an ECSI instructor, one of the most frequently asked questions I receive from students is, “How do you properly and effectively treat injuries to children?”

The specific treatment will depend on the type of injury or illness , and what type of pain tolerance the child possesses.

Children are likely to become less verbal, crankier, and louder when they are injured or in pain. This can make talking to the child and determining what is wrong quite difficult.

Here are some tips you might share with your students when discussing childhood injuries:

1. Assess the scene to make sure it is safe to approach the child.
2. Approach the child slowly and determine the mechanism of injury.
3. Use a calm voice when speaking with the child and be aware of your own feelings. Children may sense the charged emotions of adults.
4. Many children are afraid of emergency medical responders because they are strangers. Children may also become scared when injured. Great ways to build rapport include providing stuffed animals to younger children, or bringing up interesting topics to older children, to distract them from their injury or illness.
5. Acknowledge how the child feels. An injured or ill child will calm down more readily if the child feels that he or she has been heard and that the first aid care provider understands. Sometimes simply saying, “I know,” or, “Uh huh,” is enough. Too many words can be distracting to a young child.
6. When adults are injured and there are children present (eg,  in an automobile crash), provide a stuffed animal to the uninjured child. This can provide a calming effect.
7. Most children respond favorably to humor, a song, or a game during the assessment or treatment process.
8. Depending on the injured child’s maturity level, consider allowing him or her the opportunity to assist in the treatment process (eg, holding a bandage or placing a burn under cool water).

Finally, it will be essential to know the location of the nearest emergency department  equipped to handle pediatric cases that require advanced medical attention.

Remember, caring for a child requires pre-planning, remaining calm, and using good common sense when the unexpected occurs.

Are you participating in the Do 1 Thing initiative?

The Do 1 Thing program is a free, 12-month emergency preparedness program that aims to break down the daunting task of preparing for the unexpected. Each month of the year has been assigned a topic and includes simple, easy to follow steps one can take to become better prepared.

A list of the 12 Do 1 Thing topics for 2013 can be found here.

Endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Do 1 Thing is a non-profit organization made up of professionals from different emergency-related fields (including emergency management, human services, etc.) who want to better prepare communities for emergency and disaster response. Do 1 Thing believes:

“When people in our community are prepared, emergency responders can help more people. When people are prepared themselves, they can help their neighbors.”

To learn more or to to get started today, visit: www.do1thing.com.

By: Sally Becker, President, EMT I/C
Becker Training Associates
(Article from ECSI eNews: January 2013)

Do you remember the “Vial of Life” and “File of Life” initiatives, started in the early 1980s? These two programs were created to remind people of the importance of having their medical information easily accessible in case of an emergency. The programs, still used today, encourage people to keep their medical information in a “vial” inside of their refrigerator, or in a “file” on the front of their refrigerator. Both initiatives create a simple way to give EMS providers, and other medical personnel visiting a home, an up-to-date
medical history, a description of prescription medications, and some information about other pertinent issues that the patient might have. With this information in hand, the medical providers may be able to deliver more accurate patient care.

Asthma Action Plans are similar to the Vial and File of Life programs in that they focus on quickly providing accurate information to caregivers and EMS providers in order to help a patient receive more accurate care during an emergency. Each color on an Asthma Action Plan helps to determine the status of the asthmatic. The patient’s family and caregivers can use the color system to decide whether there is a need to transport the patient to the family provider, or to activate the 911 system.

When teaching students, make sure they are aware of asthma facts, and encourage them to talk about Asthma Action Plans with their own medical providers. EMS providers should be sure to ask each patient or family about their Asthma Action Plan – and encourage them to ask for one if they don’t have one already!

Part of our job as educators is to educate our students! They in turn will educate their family, friends, and patients!

Asthma is a chronic disease that can be serious and sometimes life threatening, and can start at any age. It is important that patients are educated about and understand asthma triggers such as allergens, viral infections, air pollution, and aerosolized irritants. Patients should also know how to monitor their symptoms with a peak flow meter. Poor management of asthma can cause airway changes, which can result in permanent scarring and obstruction of the airway.

Asthma Action Plans guide self-management. They should include the patient’s name, emergency contact, medical provider, asthma severity classification, and a list of personal triggers. Symptoms should be outlined, including: cough, wheeze, chest tightness, decrease in daily functional level, and/or increase of symptoms at night.

Levels of an Asthma Action Plan include the following:

• The GREEN ZONE patient is asymptomatic. This zone is where a patient should be on a
daily basis.

• The YELLOW ZONE patient presents with symptoms that are relieved with quick-acting meds.

• The RED ZONE patient has severe symptoms that cannot be relieved by short acting beta agonist drugs. This patient requires immediate medical evaluation or intervention.

The Asthma Action Plan should include a list of medications and indications for using them, as well as directions for what to do in an emergency – call 9-1-1!

Encourage patients to place the Asthma Action Plan on their refrigerator and to have it ready for quick access by EMS.

EMS providers, and family and friends of the patient can ask what ZONE the patient is in. The answer tells it all – it can make a difference in the care and transport of the patient, and can determine the need for advanced level providers. Having an Asthma Action Plan can help eliminate unnecessary 9-1-1 calls, and it can help patients feel that they have more control over their asthma.

Source: American Lung Association.

Bill Kimball, Founder/Owner, Safety Management & Response Training Associates

By: Bill Kimball, Founder/Owner
Safety Management & Response Training Associates
(Article from ECSI eNews: December 2012)

On December 14, 2012, a lone gunman stormed the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT and unleashed a torrent of violence, the likes of which the state had never experienced. When the shooting ended, twenty children (all under the age of 10) and six adults were dead.

As a native of Connecticut, a parent of two children ages 4 and 7, and the author of last September’s ECSI article entitled “Active Shooter Survival,” I feel compelled to put aside the typical “tips and tricks” article and instead address the mass murder which occurred.

While these types of senseless crimes seem to have become our new reality, the events at Columbine, Virginia Tech, Century Aurora, and now Sandy Hook Elementary have shown that “everyday citizens”—those likely to be the first on scene—can be responders, even placing themselves in harm’s way in the defense of others.

As the confusion and chaos of December 14th begins to settle, stories of sacrifice, courage, and heroism from these lay-rescuers have emerged. These are stories of teachers and school administrators who didn’t hesitate to take action, protecting the children in their charge without regard for their own safety.

As emergency services providers, it’s in our DNA to solve problems, ease suffering, and prevent harm. If you’re anything like me, one of the first questions on your mind after learning about the Connecticut shooting was likely, “What can I do to help?”

My answer to you is that you’re already helping. Every time we teach a lay-rescuer course as emergency care educators, we are empowering our constituents to handle emergencies. It is our solemn privilege and responsibility to continue teaching these civilians—who are increasingly called upon as the nation’s true first responders—how to react in the face of crisis and ambiguity.

Newtown, CT has now joined a small but rapidly expanding club, membership to which no one asked for. We must pause to mourn the innocence lost, to pray for the ones who survived, and to keep good thoughts for our brother and sister responders who bore witness to this unspeakable tragedy.

Next month we’ll return to the standard format for providing tips, tricks, and training ideas to help ECSI education centers enhance their offerings. For now, however, let’s all take a moment to hug our own children just a little tighter.

December is just around the corner and the holiday season is now in full swing! Did you know that home fires most often occur in the winter?

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have teamed up to provide a number of safety tips on how to protect you and your loved ones from tragedies related to winter fires. Learn more about how to stay safe this winter:

Heating | Candles | Winter Storms | Electrical | Cooking | Holiday Decorations | Carbon Monoxide

With colder temperatures, winter storms, holiday parties and decorations, the risk for residential fires are higher than ever. Take the first step in staying safe this season and be sure you have a properly installed smoke alarm. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA):
“Every year in the United States, about 3,500 people die in home fires.
Most of these deaths occurred in homes that didn’t have a working smoke alarm.”

Remember: Winter fires can be prevented!

Share this life-saving information with family and friends and stay safe this holiday season!

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is pleased to announce that the Pediatric First Aid for Caregivers and Teachers (PedFACTs), Second Edition program resources are now available! The PedFACTs course is designed to give caregivers and teachers the education and confidence they need to care effectively for sick or injured children.

New to the Second Edition, instructors can choose to teach the entire course onsite or to host a hybrid course. In a hybrid course, students obtain foundational knowledge online before participating in the onsite skills and scenarios.

Each participant manual contains an access code that unlocks:

• Pretest (onsite and hybrid students)
• Precourse Module (hybrid students)
• Final Examination (hybrid students)

Please visit the new PedFACTs web site at www.PedFACTsonline.com for more details. Call 1-800-716-7264 or email our Membership Office to get started with PedFACTs today!