PulsePoint launches in Johnson County, calling on people to help cardiac arrest victims (IA)

PulsePoint launches in Johnson County, calling on people to help cardiac arrest victims (IA)

 

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KWWL) – Fifty-seven percent of all U.S. adults say they have some kind of CPR training, but only 11% say they’ve ever actually used it.

Those numbers are according to PulsePoint, a smart phone app trying to use the community at large to save lives during sudden cardiac arrest.

“The goal of our campaign is to increase survival; through providing CPR training and promoting the use and distribution of AEDs,” Dr. James Merchant said with the Rotary-Kerber HeartSafe Community Campaign…

Looking Back at Washington County Communications Center’s First Year (IA)

Looking Back at Washington County Communications Center’s First Year (IA)

 

It’s been a little over a year since the new Washington County Communications Center began operations, and in the past year it’s already proved its worth in different ways.

Safety was no concern for the dispatch staff in their tornado shelter-grade building when the December derecho came through Washington County, and Washington County Sheriff Chief Deputy Shawn Ellingson says they’ve hosted several agency trainings in the new building this past year that they weren’t able to previously. 911 Supervisor Cara Sorrells says having more dispatcher desks than in the previous center on West 2nd Street allows continuous response through shift changes, but like other local emergency response agencies Sorrells says they’ve had to work around staff shortages this past year…

Durham 911 Center begins assessment to renew accreditation amid staffing shortage (NC)

Durham 911 Center begins assessment to renew accreditation amid staffing shortage (NC)

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Just because something is routine doesn’t make it any less rigorous.

“It all boils down to consistency, best practices, continual improvement and constantly looking at your policies and procedures,” Zeta Fail, a lead assessor at the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), told ABC11. “It’s accountability, it’s preparedness, and it’s just, it’s professionalism.”

On Monday, CALEA formally began its assessment of the Durham Emergency Communications Center (DECC), which last received its accreditation in 2018…

Groups Issue Joint Statement on EMS Lights and Siren Responses

Groups Issue Joint Statement on EMS Lights and Siren Responses

The photo shows the front of an ambulance with its emergency lights on.

Editor’s Note: Thirteen associations have released a joint statement on lights and siren use in emergency medical services response. The statement is posted below verbatim.

The National Association of EMS Physicians and the then National Association of State EMS Directors created a position statement on emergency medical vehicle use of lights and siren in 1994.1

In 2009, there were 1,579 ambulance crash injuries,2 and most EMS vehicle crashes occur when driving with lights and siren (L&S).3 When compared with other similar-sized vehicles, ambulance crashes are more often at intersections, more often at traffic signals, and more often with multiple injuries, including 84% involving three or more people…

Dispatch mix-up sends emergency crews to Toledo for fire in Sylvania (OH)

Dispatch mix-up sends emergency crews to Toledo for fire in Sylvania (OH)

SYLVANIA, Ohio (WTVG) – Residents of Sylvania have questions after several people called about a potentially deadly car fire last week and emergency crews were sent to Toledo instead. This is coming as Lucas County has implemented a new county-wide 911 system that some already had concerns about.

When that call came in last Friday morning just after midnight, Sylvania firefighters should have hit the road but they were never told about the fire right away. It was a fire that was less than a mile away from Station One…

911 dispatch training bill considered (IN)

STATEHOUSE – Legislation sponsored by State Rep. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) creating minimum training requirements for 911 dispatchers could soon be law.

Frye, chair of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public Safety, said 911 dispatchers are already required to complete certain trainings, but there are no statewide requirements.

He said Senate Enrolled Act 158 would require local jurisdictions to set basic and continuing education requirements…