Saturday, July 27, 2013

Well, well, well....





And if many lives will be saved now by Station 4, how many lives have been lost in Peoria over the last twenty years because upgrades like this have not occurred?

I think there is a lot of explaining to do to the people of Peoria.


  
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Peoria Fire Engine 4 approved for advanced life support upgrades

 

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By JESSE O'BRIEN (jobrien@pjstar.com)
Journal Star
Posted Jul 26, 2013 @ 08:30 PM
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Business News
PEORIA —
The Peoria Fire Department announced Friday that Fire Engine 4 has been granted approval to upgrade from a basic life support unit to an advanced life support medical response unit.
The upgrade means the truck now can hold 24 different medications, up from the previous seven allowed, establish IV access and perform treatment that can show a more in-depth look at a heart. The truck also could soon be allowed to transport patients to the hospital.
"It's definitely going to be a huge lifesaver," Local 50 EMS Committee Chairman Josh Martin said.
Martin was joined by Peoria fire Chief Kent Tomblin, Advanced Medical Transport CEO Andrew Rand and division chief Phillip Maclin in making the announcement before media and the public Friday afternoon. Mayor Jim Ardis also was in attendance.
By expanding the tools and medicines available to paramedics on the truck, it is expected first responders will be more adept at handling cases of strokes, heart attacks and gunshot victims on-scene while waiting for an ambulance to take the patient to the hospital.
Martin said the truck has been operating as an advanced life support vehicle for about a week, and in the first two days of ALS service already had responded to 15 such calls.
"This is a high call volume area," he said. "I believe Engine 4 runs the second most amount of calls in the city, so it's definitely going to be used. It's going to save lives."

Jesse O'Brien can be reached at 686-3257 or jobrien@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @jesseobrien.
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John A Carroll
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John A Carroll
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John A Carroll
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I have a couple of questions: 

I am just curious where the OSF physicians who have controlled EMS in Peoria were yesterday. Why were they not present at this announcement? They stated many times over the years that things were fine in Peoria and there was no need for the Peoria Fire Department to upgrade to Advanced Life Support and transport. 

Where was the current OSF Project Medical Director who controls whether Engine 4 could upgrade? Why was this OSF doctor not present? 

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John A Carroll
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Well, well, well... 

If many lives will be saved now due to this upgrade, how many lives have been LOST during the last twenty years because of the EMS delays, lack of advanced life support, etc?
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Joe Kozlevcar
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So where is this truck stationed?
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Pat Ford
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They are now as well trained as any AMT employee, they should be transporting on a nonprofit basis by a city owned Ambulance. The firemen do the vital work the city should get the pay, not AMT.
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John A Carroll
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@Pat Ford Exactly.
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Read more: http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1293265812/Peoria-Fire-Dept-engine-upgraded-for-advanced-life-support#ixzz2aMprJfvG
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dr. Carroll,

I have long sympathized with your concerns about conflict of interest in PAEMS and I don't have a problem with ALS engines, per se. However, if PFD completely takes over EMS operations in Peoria--this seems to be your desire--what about newly licensed EMT's like me who don't have any particular desire to be fire-fighters? Are we SOL? Do the concerns of the FF union (to save fire-fighter jobs due to the smaller number of fires) take precedence over the advancement of the EMS system?

Let's face it doc, fire-fighter and EMT/Paramedic are different jobs. There are parallels of course, but should we be forcing EMT's/medics to be FF's and vice versa? Is this in the best interest of the patient?

If you have any research showing that EMS affiliation with fire departments has advanced EMS in the US (real research, not IAFF propaganda) I'd be glad to read it. But, I've never seen any such evidence. Are fire medics better trained, medically, than plain ol' paramedics? Just mention the idea of requiring paramedics to get college degrees (at least an associate's) and watch the fire chiefs run for the exits!

I am just not convinced that the continuing conflation of EMT/medic with fire-fighter is good for EMS and patient care? But I suppose if Peoria goes this route I'll just have to pack my bags and find a community that appreciates EMT's and paramedics for what they are.

Regards,

Dave, BA, EMT-B

August 1, 2013 at 4:51:00 PM PDT
John A. Carroll said...

Dave,

Sorry to be so late responding to your comment.

I want the patient who needs medical care to get the best medical care by the earliest responding person who can provide the best medical care.

If a private agency arrives first with a paramedic, go for it. If the PFD arrives first with a paramedic, they should not be held back from providing care.

The AMT run sheet was frequently the first thing and most important thing I looked at on the patient's chart. I just hate to see conflict of interest in Peoria hold back the EMS system to the detriment of the patient.

Best,

John

August 30, 2013 at 6:19:00 AM PDT

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