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This Week:

Medic in the Media

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Driver Restrictions

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Budget Update 4

Apparatus Accidents

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Coming Soon! 6

Performance Pay 7

Training Schedule

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Medic Calendar 8

News From The Front Line March 8, 2010

The MEDIC Dispatch

Mecklenburg EMS

Agency

Dates to Remember:

March 15th

ACLS Training

1300-1700

March 18th

ACLS Training

1800-2200

March 19th

ACLS Training

1300-1700

March 22nd

ACLS Training

1300-1700

March 25th

ACLS Training

1800-2200

March 26th

ACLS Training

1300-1700

Safety Hazard Reminder for Medics & First Responders!

While any suicide can have devastating effects on the community, an alarming new suicide method from Japan called

“detergent suicide” now poses a very serious and direct threat to Medic and first responders.

The detergent suicide method first appeared in Japan in 2007. By September 2008, detergent suicide was ruled as the cause

of death for more than 800 people in that country.

Due to the accessibility of the internet, detergent suicide has recently emerged in the United States. The detergent suicide method uses H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide), a highly toxic chemical

substance, as one of its main ingredients. H2S can be found in such common household items as toilet bowl cleaners, bath salts and insecticides. Inhalation of H2S acts as an asphyxiant and is lethal enough to kill a person in just one breath. Skin that comes in contact with H2S may result in severe burns.

Medic and first responders arriving on the scene of a suicide are at a greater risk of becoming victims due to the toxic concentrated levels of H2S. The gas is extremely flammable and is most concentrated in small spaces such as cars, bathrooms, outbuildings, etc.

In late February, Emergency Responders in Cary responded to a call about an unconscious

victim in a vehicle. Fire personnel noticed a sign on the dashboard of the vehicle that read “Call Police and Hazmat.” When Hazmat arrived on the scene and opened the vehicle door, test monitors measured H2S levels of 340 ppm—the immediate danger to life and health level (IDLH) for this substance is at 100 ppm. The victim inside the vehicle committed

suicide by mixing the H2S substance with an organic phosphate inside a 5-gallon bucket.

“My concern is that someone won’t be so kind next time and post notes on the car as a warning, or that the warning won’t be seen until it’s too late,” says Skip Kirkwood, Deputy Director for Wake County’s Department of Emergency Medical Services.

In May 2009, Idaho officials spotted a Toyota Scion parked alongside a local highway. “Hazardous Materials” signs, warnings of H2S and “one breath can kill” were all taped to the outside of the car. Officials were also able to see the body of a young male slumped over in the

driver’s seat.

Awareness and education are key to saving lives. Medic personnel who arrive first on scene are encouraged to exercise care and take the necessary precautions to avoid possible exposure

to a hazard situation of this nature.

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In February, the Medic PR Department celebrated American Heart Month by peppering the media with many heart-friendly stories. These stories included heart-healthy website additions such as CPR cell phone applications, a cardiac survivor reunion with three Medic employees, a STEMI protocol story with both hospital systems and an AED donation announcement with CMS and the Lucky Hearts Campaign.

In addition to American Heart Month, Medic’s field crews were also mentioned in several media stories largely due to the unpredictable winter weather. The PR department gathered several media stories during the two February winter storms. Stories included crews responding to multiple patients with fall-related injuries to crews responding to multiple vehicle accidents (MVA’s). During one winter storm, Medic employees dispatched or responded to a total of 78 MVA’s in a 7-

hour period. The media noted this and took into account that, on average, Medic responds to 23 accidents in a 24-hour period. Hopefully, the winter weather has passed and we will start to enjoy spring-like temperatures soon.

The chart below shows the total number of times Medic was mentioned in the media during the month of February:

In all, Medic and our employees were highlighted in the media 226 times. The amount of media coverage was quite impressive considering that February is the shortest month of the year. Several media stories have been ordered for all employees to see. These clips, as well as last month’s clips, will be uploaded to the Medic website no later than

Wednesday, March 11th. These stories include:

New Year’s Coverage, CMED/Dispatcher CPR Certification Story, Sprinter Community Update, Medic’s Winter Weather Preparedness, Cardiac Patient Survivor Story, STEMI story with hospitals, Pedestrian Safety Investigation and much more!

In all, 12 media stories will be uploaded to the Medic website. We invite all employees to check out any stories you may have missed and share them with your family and friends!

A heart-felt thank you to the following Medic employees who participated in Medic’s American Heart Month stories: David Brown, Trevor Taylor, Tiffany Nash, Kevin Caldwell, Emily Little and Mali Green. Your participation made our

February media coverage a success!

If you have a story that you would like to see covered or if you have any suggestions, please be sure to swing by the PR department and see Kristin Young or contact her directly at ext. 6165 or kristiny@medic911.com.

Medic in the Media

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The month of March not only marks the start of spring, but also marks the official start of Medic’s new restrictions regarding first responder driving of Medic ambulances. Please be sure to adhere to this new policy – there are no exceptions.

We appreciate those who took the time to constructively question

the need for this new policy; the direct feedback has been fairly reasonable and well thought out.

Most employees walked away with a better understanding of the liabilities and associated consequences the Agency would have

continued to expose its staff and patients to had we not taken definitive action now. Some considerations that led to the new policy include:

• Medic employees have frequently expressed concern about the quality and safety of ambulance rides by first

responder drivers. As a result, many Medic employees often asked for road safety points to be waived from their report due to first responder driving tactics.

• Quality care cannot be delivered when the ride is not smooth, stable, safe and conducive to rendering effective care.

• A nationwide, Medic-initiated survey to large EMS systems about their driving practices netted 17 responses. Only 2

of 17 systems allow non-employees to operate their ambulances.

• Some first responder personnel are allowed to drive Medic ambulances that are not even allowed to drive their own

first responder department vehicles.

A crew chief who allows an untrained operator behind the wheel of a Medic ambulance may be subject to legal action should that driver injure others.

Comprehensive driver training for first responders on Medic’s ambulances was considered as an option, but was later found to be unrealistic due to costs, amount of required training, frequency, recertification and the resources required to conduct ongoing driver record checks.

Medic will conduct ongoing equipment location training/orientation on our ambulances for all first responders to help

improve their ability to support our Paramedics with patient care.

Off-duty Medic employees who have been trained and certified to drive our ambulances can step in and drive while acting in their capacity as a first responder.

If a Medic crew is faced with a particularly challenging set of circumstances that requires the presence of another Medic

EMT or EMT-P in the back of the vehicle, the Crew Chief can call for a supervisor or another unit if they believe the situation is beyond their capacity to handle effectively. Following such a call, the Supervisor will direct the Crew Chief to document/explain the rational for such requests and supervisor will critique each case with crew chief.

If a supervisor gets on board an ambulance – the first responder is allowed to drive the supervisor’s vehicle (NON-EMERGNCY) to the hospital or back to their station.

Please remember that there are no exceptions to this policy. Violations will be treated as a safety/conduct issue and will result in appropriate disciplinary action. If you have additional questions or concerns regarding this policy, please see your

Supervisor.

Dental Plan/Minute Clinic Info. Policy Reminder: First Responder Driver Restrictions Take Effect!

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On Tuesday, March 2nd, the Mecklenburg County Manager and Budget Director invited Medic to participate in their presentation to the Board of County

Commissioners (BOCC) as part of their budget process. Medic, the County Health Department and Carolinas Healthcare presented information to the BOCC covering

topics like demand for service, progress vs. performance measures and budget management. The Commissioners asked questions to clarify their understanding, enabling them to get a handle on the community’s return for the

investment made in each of these County funded entities.

The services provided to this community by each of these organizations is very much appreciated and needed; this point was made very clear by all of the members of the

BOCC. That matters, and we’re hopeful it translates into continued and further support for Medic as the County funding scenario develops for the upcoming fiscal year.

As further developments affecting Medic come to light,

we’ll share them with you immediately and clearly so you know exactly where we stand.

Thank you all for the outstanding work you do to serve the diverse EMS needs of this community. Medic would not be

the high performing Agency it is without you. — Joe Penner

Budget Update

To better serve the Agency, Medic employees and the community, the PR department has undergone some significant changes over the past two months.

The torch has been passed and the updated Medic PR department roles are as followed:

Nikkie Perry—is now the internal communications contact for the

department. Please be sure to contact Nikkie at nikkiep@medic911.com or ext. 6178 for any information related to the Medic Dispatch, website postings or demos.

Kristin Young—is now the external communications contact for the department. Please be sure to contact Kristin at kristiny@medic911.com or ext. 6165 for any Lucky Hearts Campaign, Public Relations or Media-related

information.

Jeff Keith—will continue in his role as Director of Public Relations overseeing all PR activities for Medic and within the PR department.

Please be sure to contact a member of the PR department if you have any questions.

Passing the Torch

Here are a few tidbits from our quality improvement processes:

1. When confirming appropriate placement of an endotracheal tube, the first method is obviously direct visualization. Following this, quantitative end-tidal CO2 is the second most important confirmatory check. There have been a few cases where capnography was not successful. When this occurs, please use the colorimeter method to verify. As always, malfunctions should be immediately reported to your

supervisor.

2. When treating congestive heart failure, strongly consider sublingual nitrates instead of nitropaste. The onset of action is much faster with sublingual.

3. Remember to always code or categorize patient as Signal 9 Cardiac Arrest whenever any vital sign is lost, regardless of

duration. In other words, any patient who stops breathing or looses pulses and resuscitation is attempted should be coded as Cardiac/Respiratory Arrest. Thanks for the good work you do! — Dr. Blackwell

Dr. Blackwell’s Monthly Update

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How many of us have been involved in an apparatus accident while in reverse? More than half of all accidents witnessed or investigated have involved an apparatus in reverse. Apparatus’ have hit mailboxes, parked cars, trees, bay doors and even the gas meter on the side of the firehouse. Although most incidents were minor in nature, accidents

continue to cost the Agency down time of personnel and apparatus for investigation repairs. In 2005, two firefighters were killed when they were ran over by a fire truck in reverse.

A human backer/spotter is an easy way to reduce and possibly eliminate accidents while

backing up. When reversing an apparatus — whether it’s 2 or 20 feet — a firefighter should stand behind and guide the driver with hand signals and voice commands to prevent an accident. By using a backer/spotter, the driver of the apparatus has another set of eyes that he or she can use to help safely maneuver the apparatus.

• A backer/spotter must be easily identifiable; they must wear proper reflective clothing so they’re visible to all motorists. • A portable radio should be used to relay instructions or commands like “stop”, if necessary.

• Using a flashlight at night is also very beneficial. • Policy should require that anytime the driver loses sight of the backer/spotter or needs to check his or her opposite mirrors, they should stop backing up.

HAND SIGNALS: Straight Back: One hand above the head with palm toward face, waving back. Other hand at your side (left or right hand optional).

Turn: Both arms pointing the same direction with index fingers extended. (Driver will advise the spotter which way the turn will be made. The spotter then assists the driver in backing apparatus. The driver’s intentions must be verbally

communicated to the spotter.)

Stop: Both arms crossed with hands in fist. Be sure to yell the stop order loud enough so the driver/engineer can hear the warning.

For more information on workplace safety or ways you can help reduce the number of apparatus-related accidents, please contact Alan Maness, Safety & Risk Specialist at alanm@medic911.com or ext. 6095.

Reducing Apparatus Accidents

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Help make a difference in your community by volunteering as a Rape Crisis Companion for United Family Services.

The Volunteers respond to survivors of rape and sexual assault through a 24-hour crisis line and accompaniment at

local hospitals to provide emotional support, information, advocacy and education.

The non-profit agency is in need of daytime and night time volunteers.

UFS will hold its next Rape Crisis Companion training in the Mecklenburg County office on March 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, and 27. Tuesday night training sessions will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday sessions will take place

from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The training sessions are open to individuals in all counties who are interested in providing support and resources to victims of rape and sexual assault through the agency’s rape

crisis hotline and hospital accompaniment.

For more information or to request an application, please contact United Family Services’ Volunteer Coordinator Joey Honeycutt at 704.367.2734 or jhoneycutt@ufsclt.org.

United Family Services provides hope and solutions for people in crisis.

Interested in Volunteering?

According to the IRS, the average tax refund has exceeded $2,500. Here are some ideas to help you stretch your dollar.

Pay off credit cards. This is likely the debt with the highest

interest rate. Think of all the money you'll save in interest alone.

Fund your retirement. Did you know if you take $2,000 and invest it in an IRA comprised of stocks that earns 11% (the historical stock market average), it can grow to $53,416 in 30 years? Put in $2,000 every year for

30 years and you're looking at $495,736!

Establish a rainy day fund. Try to have at least three months of living expenses on hand for unexpected situations, like a layoff or health problem. Earn a higher

interest rate than a savings account by putting the money in a Credit Union Money Market Account and restrict ATM access.

Invest in your home. The housing market may be down

now, but it won't stay that way forever. In the meantime, increase your home's value with a new roof or bathroom upgrade. It will pay off later.

Tax Refund

The Medic Honor Guard is

pleased to announce that they will be marching in Charlotte's St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The parade will start at 11am

on Saturday, March 13th. The parade route will begin at Tryon and 9th Streets and run south along Tryon through downtown. The Medic Honor Guard will be marching in

formation with sabers along with a Medic ambulance. For more information on the parade and festival, go to www.charlottestpatsday.com.

Please come enjoy a parade, festival and support your

Medic Honor Guard!

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Please be sure to mark your calendars for the following

important dates. Stay tuned to the Medic Dispatch as we prepare to celebrate with a bang! More exciting details to come!

Telecommunicator Week: April 11th—17th

EMS Week: May 16th—22nd

Coming Soon!

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The second Performance Pay

tracking period ended on February 28th. The only reporting area that is not completely accounted for as

of right now is Patient Satisfaction. Patient Satisfaction surveys generally run two weeks behind – so

we should have our final patient satisfaction score by the March 12th (the end of this week). As soon as this

performance number is available, everyone will be notified immediately.

Assuming our Patient

Satisfaction scores finish at present levels or better,

performance payouts will be made to all full time Medic employees (who have been with the Agency for the entire tracking period) in the first pay period immediately following the release of the final numbers.

Thanks to everyone for their hard work that led to such outstanding performance this tracking period. Don’t forget, the last tracking period for this fiscal year started on March 1st. Let’s get out of the gates quickly and off to a strong start!

Performance Pay

2010 Holiday Calendar

New Year’s Day

Friday January 1

Martin Luther King Day

Monday January 18

Good Friday Friday April 2

Memorial Day

Monday May 31

Independence Day

Monday July 5

Labor Day Monday September 6

Thanksgiving + Day After

Thursday & Friday November 25 November 26

Christmas Holiday + One Day

Friday & Monday

December 24 December 27

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Visit Us on the Web! www.medic911.com

MEDIC Mecklenburg EMS Agency

4525 Statesville Road Charlotte, NC 28269

Tel: 704-943-6000 Fax: 704-943-6001

March 2010 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 B 2 B 3 A

4 A 5 B

6 B

7 B 8 A

9 A

10 B 11 B 12 A

13 A

14 A 15 B

ACLS Training 1300 - 1700

16 B

Everyone Has a Story

1800—2200

17 A

Everyone Has a Story

1200—1600

18 A Everyone Has a Story

1200—1600 ACLS Training

1800 - 2200

19 B Everyone Has a Story

0800—1200 ACLS Training

1300 - 1700

20 B

21 B 22 A Everyone Has a Story

0800—1200 1800—2200

ACLS Training 1300 - 1700

23 A

24 B

Everyone Has a Story 1000—1400 1800—2200

25 B

ACLS Training 1800 - 2200

26 A

ACLS Training 1300 - 1700

27 A

28 A

29 B

30 B

31 A

In-Service

Training

Medic Events

Holidays

Recertification Testing

Medic Calendar 2010 Training Schedule

AHA Refresher Classes at Medic

CLASS TIME: 1300-1700 **except where otherwise noted

CPR

April - 9, 12, 16, 19 / 22, 29 ** 1800-2200

July - 9, 12, 16, 19 / 22, 29 ** 1800-2200

Oct - 8, 11, 15, 18 / 21, 28 ** 1800-2200

PALS

FEB - 5, 8, 12, 15 = 1300-1700 / ** FEB 18, 25 1800-2200

MAY - 7, 10, 14, 17 = 1300-1700 / ** MAY 20, 27 1800-2200

AUG - 6, 9, 13, 16 = 1300-1700 / ** AUG 19, 26 1800-2200

NOV - 5, 8, 12, 15 = 1300-1700 / NO NIGHT CLASSES

ACLS

MAR - 15, 19, 22, 26 = 1300-1700 / **MAR 18, 25 1800-2200

JUNE - 4, 7, 11, 14 = 1300-1700 / ** JUNE 17, 24 1800-2200

SEPT - 10, 13, 17, 20 = 1300-1700 / ** SEPT 23, 30 1800-2200

DEC - 3, 6, 10, 13 = 1300-1700 / NO NIGHT CLASSES

NC Scope of Practice Recertification Testing

**YOU MUST RECERTIFY DURING YOUR TEST MONTH**

ALL CON ED must be up to date at time of testing.

To schedule a test appt date and time, email Robin Pariso at robinp@medic911.com

APRIL 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19 (Expiration Dates MAY – JULY 2010 )

JULY 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19 (Expiration Dates AUG – OCT 2010)

OCT 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 18 (Expiration Dates NOV, DEC 2010, JAN 2011)

DEC 10, 11, 13, 17, 18, 20 (Expiration Dates FEB – APR 2011)

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL CLASSES. ALL CLASSES HELD IN MEDIC AUDITORIUM