Our newest in-house paramedic class

Great looking group!

Acinetobacter update from Mack

I have at least one call a day on Acinetobacter. This stuff is really no threat to us “healthy” healthcare workers. Spreading it to the immunosupressed, it critical and we have to do our part to prevent this. Taking it home to our families is not a good idea either!

Acinetobacter (ass in ée toe back ter) is a group of bacteria commonly found in soil and water. It can also be found on the skin of healthy people, especially healthcare personnel. While there are many types or “species” of Acinetobacter and all can cause human disease, Acinetobacter baumannii accounts for about 80% of reported infections.

Outbreaks of Acinetobacter infections typically occur in intensive care units and healthcare settings housing very ill patients. Acinetobacter infections rarely occur outside of healthcare settings.

What are the symptoms of Acinetobacter infection?

Acinetobacter causes a variety of diseases, ranging from pneumonia to serious blood or wound infections and the symptoms vary depending on the disease. Typical symptoms of pneumonia could include fever, chills, or cough. Acinetobacter may also “colonize” or live in a patient without causing infection or symptoms, especially in tracheostomy sites or open wounds.

How do people get Acinetobacter infection?

Acinetobacter poses very little risk to healthy people. However, people who have weakened immune systems, chronic lung disease, or diabetes may be more susceptible to infections with Acinetobacter.Hospitalized patients, especially very ill patients on a ventilator, those with a prolonged hospital stay, or those who have open wounds, are also at greater risk for Acinetobacter infection. Acinetobactercan be spread to susceptible persons by person-to-person contact, contact with contaminated surfaces, or exposure in the environment.

How is Acinetobacter infection treated?

Acinetobacter is often resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics. Decisions on treatment of infections with Acinetobacter should be made on a case-by-case basis by a healthcare provider. Acinetobacter infection typically occurs in very ill patients and can either cause or contribute to death in these patients.

What should I do to prevent the spread of Acinetobacter infection to others?

Acinetobacter can live on the skin and may survive in the environment for several days. Careful attention to infection control procedures such as hand hygiene and environmental cleaning can reduce the risk of transmission.

· Treat ALL patient contacts with careful attention to infection control procedures

· If you know your patient has a Resistant Strain Infection, put on your GLOVES, GOGGLES, GOWN AND MASK.

· Do proper environmental cleaning. Complete must “soak” on the surface after applied to medical equipment for 10 minutes to be effective.

· Be conscious of: your radio, mic, handheld, tablet, door handles, steering wheel, ink pen, fingers, French fries, etc…

And above all…..just like mom always told us……

“WASH YOUR HANDS!”

Atta Boy From Capt. Barry Cook

I would like to go on record and officially give all of the night crews Atta Medics. I have always bragged on and enjoyed working with the crews in Faulkner County because from day one, they have worked as a team. I have now worked on nights for about two years and through last year especially the long busy summer, the night crews all work together as a team. I consider it an honor and privilege to with all of the night crews. Night crews should be congratulated and saluted for their team work and effort.

Sincerely,

Capt. Barry D. Cook

Fatal Ambulance wreck in Deleware

One person was killed and three Sussex County emergency medical workers were injured this morning in a crash between a sport-utility vehicle and a fire company ambulance near Angola, officials said.
The driver of a 1999 Jeep Cherokee was killed in the collision at Beaver Dam and Indian Mission roads. State police identified him as 44-year-old Michael A. Martin of Georgetown.

The Millsboro Fire Company ambulance was returning from Beebe Medical Center in Lewes when the crash occurred about 6:15 a.m. The 2002 Ford ambulance was westbound on Beaver Dam Road, stopped at the intersection of Indian Mission Road waiting to turn left, state police said.

Martin failed to negotiate a curve and left the east side of the road, striking the right rear side of the ambulance. He suffered massive head injuries and was declared dead at the scene, police said.

Folks once again BE CAREFUL OUT THERE !!! After looking at the box closer, I do wonder what brand it was? It does not look like an Excellance. Greg
Link to rest of story

MEMS 511 invloved in accident

Major Lee send me pictures this AM of the wreck of 511 last evening. The crew (Brett S. and Allen E.) were responding to an MVA at I/40 and I/440 when they were hit by a wrecker that slid on the ice.
The crew as well as the wrecker driver report no injuries.
511 suffered significant damage to the rear doors which means it will have to be shipped to Excellance.

I know we had ice, but with the LIfeNet MVA and now ours, it serves to warn us again, it is dangerous out there, Be careful!

Life Net Ambulance Wreck

A LifeNet ambulance, transporting a pregnant Ashdown woman to a Texarkana hospital Friday morning, crashed into a flatbed tractor-trailer rig and then caught on fire.

The pregnant woman and the ambulance crew survived without life-threatening injuries.

The ambulance was southbound of U.S. Highway 71 about two-miles north of the Texarkana city limits when the accident occurred about 6:40 a.m.

Link to story

New Major

As you may have heard Major Harold Shray has accepted a position with UAMS as an instructor. We support Harold as he enters this new chapter in his life, but are very sad at his leaving.

As Major Shray moves a new Major position has opened. Congratulations to Captain Janie Brown who will now be promoted to the rank of Major. Major Tabor will be moving from Metro to Faulkner county, Janie will assume her new duties in Major Tabor's old night metro position.

Ryan Tyler sent in this aritcle he found. He wrote:
Came across this footage of an ambulance service in Memphis, letting unlicensed personnel handle patient care and letting the patient ride shoot gun.

Link to story

Unit Status

As you may have seen in the parking lot, "502" is back from Excellance. We are pushing to get it on the street, post haste. It should go the Health Department on Thursday this week.

132 is at Excellance getting the left rear door on the box replaced after it was hit.

609 was due to be back several weeks ago, however a crack was found in the box wall that required the box to be dismounted to be repaired. It's fate is still up in the air.

IO Drills

As you know we field tested the "East IO Drill" on several trucks for a while. At the end of the study we placed the drills on the Faulkner County trucks only. This was for several reasons, such as Hospital desire/cooperation in Conway and cost, to name only two. This tool has proven to be truly a "life saver' in some cases. With this in mind, we have just made the purchase of IO Drills for all the units. We still face the issues of cost for the needles that are in the $100.00 each range. We are developing a protocol for needle replacement that will be similar to replacing narcotics. We are also setting training protocols and procedures for all those who did not receive the initial training. Stay tuned, more on this topic.

Janie Brown.

I don’t know how many of you knew that Janie Browns home was hit by the tornado Tuesday. We are very fortunate that Janie or her family were not home at the time of the event. She suffered damage to her other livelihood, her chicken houses as well as damage to barns, their shop, fences etc… The home with the tree on it is an aunts that is next to theirs. I asked her to allow me to share this with you. It is not often (thank God) that these kinds of event hit our families. Janie we are glad you are OK.

Pictures from the top- Shop, Aunt's house, shed

Not dead yet???

Thanks to Tony McSpadden for this story. He writes: It is a story about a paramedic in San Antonio who did not check for a pulse on person involved in a Signal 41. She was covered up with a tarp while still breathing.



Link to Story

Eat when you can

I just down loaded my camera and discovered that I had a lot of pictures, and many that needed comment for example.......
So there we were, Auxor Arms has just blown up, people every where, smoke, debris, (you get the picture) but after a bit when the smoke had settled a bit, I walked around an ambulance and caught the distinct smell of Chinese food, I opened the door to find the pictures you see.


















You got it, FOOD! Oh well, is was cold, no patients, the food was cold but the truck was warm and I don't remember being asked if I wanted any............

New Video Added

Ralph does it again. We have the MEMS Christmas party video for 2007 on the web now. We are working to build a library of training and other Christmas videos for the web. This is the second in the series, the first being how to bag an updraft.

Link to 2007 Christmas Video

A-Train

I don't know if you have seen the posting in the hall at station one for the "A-Train" courses or web site. I wanted to pass on the info to you if you haven't. It is a very interesting site that allows you to search for free or for cost classes. It allows you to track them on line, as well as take many of the classes on line. Covers a whole host of topics. Neat resource!

Link to A-Train

San Antonio - Fire Truck Hits, Kills Handicapped Woman

Fire Truck Hits, Kills Handicapped Woman 32-Year SAFD Veteran Didn't See Victim

POSTED: 5:38 pm CST January 1, 2008
UPDATED: 12:05 am CST January 2, 2008


SAN ANTONIO -- A 32-year veteran of the San Antonio Fire Department is being kept from driving after he struck and killed a wheelchair-bound woman Monday evening.

Diane Rosenbaum was riding her motorized wheelchair after leaving a nearby pharmacy when she crossed paths with the departing fire vehicle.

The firefighter, whom fire officials have not identified, was behind the wheel of a brush truck headed to a grass fire from station No. 44 on Horal Drive on the city's west side.

The driver reportedly stopped at a Wells Fargo Bank parking lot at the intersection of Marbach Road and Horal to ask for directions from his dispatcher. When he departed, Rosenbaum was struck and briefly dragged.

The firefighter originally thought he had debris lodged under his vehicle, but reportedly didn't see anything until he noticed sparks coming from underneath the truck near Highway 90 and Loop 410.

When he stopped to check the vehicle, he found an empty wheelchair under the vehicle. When he returned to the scene after hearing a dispatch call go out for the victim, investigators said, he found the victim lying in the street.

The driver of the fire truck is unlikely to face any charges, a police investigator said, but witnesses and the driver of the truck were taken to police headquarters for further questioning.

"There's absolutely no probable cause or reason to believe this firefighter was intoxicated in any way, again, just an accident," San Antonio Police Sgt. Gabe Trevino said.

SAFD District Chief Randy Jenkins said the incident is under investigation.