Download - Maryland EMS News

EMS NewsEditor's Note: Stroke is a medicalemergency. It occurs when a bloodvessel that carries oxygen and nutri-ents to the brain is either blocked by aclot or bursts. Brain tissue that doesnot receive oxygen dies, often withdevastating effects for patients even ifthey survive. This article is the first ina series of two that will bring you upto date on developments in Marylandfor the treatment of acute stroke.

MIEMSS recently designated hos-pitals statewide as Primary StrokeCenters (PSCs). These hospitals com-mitted resources to improving carefor acute stroke, which affects700,000 Americans every year and isthe third leading cause of deathnationally. This is an important stepin developing coordinated stroke sys-tems of care within Maryland.

Primary Stroke Centers provide

benefits for patient care. Through acoordinated approach, they reducecomplications such as infections andblood clots. They increase the use ofstroke therapies and improve long-term outcomes. Patients reportgreater satisfaction with their care.

Stroke kills more than 150,000Americans per year. Patients whohave had strokes are likely to haveadditional strokes. The AmericanStroke Association (ASA) offers thefollowing stroke warning signs:• Sudden numbness or weakness of

the face, arm, or leg, especially onone side of the body;

• Sudden confusion, trouble speak-ing or understanding;

• Sudden trouble seeing in one orboth eyes;

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness,loss of balance or coordination, or

• Sudden, severe headache with noknown cause.

Early recognition is vital. Sometreatments depend on being in thehospital within two hours of warningsigns. EMS serves a vital role in get-ting stroke patients to the right care.The acute stroke protocol includesthe following critical actions:• Providing oxygen and checking

blood glucose levels;• Administering the Cincinnati

Prehospital Stroke Scale (assessingfacial droop, arm drift, and slurredspeech);

• Administering the FibrinolyticTherapy Checklist for IschemicStroke, and

• Consulting with the receiving hos-pital early to allow them to pre-pare to receive the patient.

For All Emergency Medical Care Providers

Maryland

Vol. 33, No. 5 June 2007

Stroke Centers Are Coming

EMS Week (May 20-26, 2007) is a national celebrationthat is held annually. Each year Maryland joins the nation inrecognizing its prehospital care providers (30,000 statewide).Events sponsored by numerous EMS providers are heldlocally across the state. Many focused on the national theme"Extraordinary People, Extraordinary Service," which empha-sizes the responsiveness and compassion of Maryland EMSproviders whose timely and attentive intervention savescountless lives.

“Working as an emergency medical services provider isdifferent from any other career,” said Dr. Robert R. Bass,Executive Director of MIEMSS. “You get tremendous satisfac-tion from helping others and knowing you have made a dif-ference between life and death. Our Maryland EMS providersperform a vital service for the community 24 hours a day, 7days a week.”

In a two-part ceremony on May 23, MIEMSS honoredchildren from across the State and also presented its annualStars of Life Awards to honor EMS personnel, citizens, andEMS programs. The ceremony was held at the Joint HearingRoom of the Legislative Services Building in Annapolis. BrianR. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State)representing Governor Martin O'Malley and Lt. Governor

MIEMSS Kicks Off EMS Week

Brian R. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State),representing Gov. Martin O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown,presents the Maryland EMS Week 2007 Proclamation to Donald L.DeVries, Jr., Esq. (Chairman, Maryland EMS Board) and Robert R.Bass, MD, FACEP (Executive Director, MIEMSS).

Anthony Brown, assisted with the ceremony. Photos of thewinners receiving their awards, as well as summaries of whythey received them, appear on pages 3-9. At the EMS awardsceremony, the Governor's proclamations designatingMaryland EMS Week (May 20-26) and Maryland EMSC Day(May 23) were also presented.

(Continued on page 9)

New Trauma Decision Tree

2 Maryland EMS News

The recently published Resources for the Optimal Care of the Injured Patient 2006 by the American Collegeof Surgeons' (ACS) Committee on Trauma includes a new algorithm for prehospital triage of traumatizedpatients. MIEMSS has incorporated ACS recommendations into the Maryland triage protocol, with modifica-tions so that the algorithm will work within the Maryland system and optimize appropriate patient destina-tion. The result is a new trauma decision tree (shown below) that was approved by the EMS Board and canbe implemented immediately. MIEMSS is conducting training to cover this revised Trauma Decision Tree inan effort to reduce under-triage of the elderly meeting trauma decision tree criteria and patients with pelvicfractures, as well as to optimize appropriate utilization of transport options. Both BLS and ALS providersmust complete the Trauma Decision Tree, System Resource Utilization, Special Considerations andProtocol Clarification course by July 2008.

Measure vital signs and level of consciousness and assess for major injury

Category A

Assess for other injuries.

Evaluate for evidence of mechanism of injury and

high-energy impact.

Transport to trauma center or specialty center per protocol; alerttrauma team; consider helicopter transport if quicker and of clinicalbenefit (Refer to II GPC I).

When in doubt, take patient to an appropriate Trauma Center

YES NO

Transport to trauma center or specialty center per protocol; alerttrauma team; consider helicopter transport if quicker and of clinicalbenefit (Refer to II GPC I).

YES NO

Evaluate for other considerations.Transport to Trauma Center; alert trauma team. Patients within a 30-minute drive time of the closest appropriate trauma/specialty center shall go by ground unless there are extenuating circumstances.Consider helicopter transport if of clinical benefit (Refer to II GPC I).

YES NO

q GCS less than or equal to 8 or Systolic BP less than 90 (Adult) less than 60 (Peds) or Respiratory rate less than 10 or greater than 29

q Flail chest

q Rapidly declining GCS

q 2 or more proximal long-bone fractures

q Pelvic fracture

q Paralysis (spine)

q Penetrating injuries to head, neck, or torso

q Open or depressed skull fracture

Category B

q GCS 9 - 14

q Paralysis or vascular compromise of limb

q Amputation proximal to wrist or ankle

q Crushed, degloved, or mangled extremity

q Penetrating injuries to extremities proximal to elbow or knee

q Combination trauma with burns

Transport according to protocol.Consider medical direction and transport to trauma center. Patients withina 30-minute drive time of the closest appropriate trauma/specialty center shall go by ground unless there are extenuating circumstances.Consider helicopter transport if of clinical benefit (Refer to II GPC I).

YES NO

Category D

q Age less than 5 or greater than 55

q Patient with bleeding disorder or patient on anticoagulants

q Dialysis patient

q Burns without trauma mechanism go to burn center

q Pregnancy greater than 20 weeks

q EMS provider judgment

Category C

q High Risk Auto Crash

• Intrusion greater than 12 in. occupant site; greater than 18 in. any site

• Ejection (partial or complete) from vehicle

• Death in same passenger compartment

• Vehicle telemetry data consistent with high risk of injury

q Falls greater than 3 times patient’s height q Exposure to blast or explosion

• Rollover without restraint

• Auto v. pedestrian/bicyclist thrown, run over, or with significant (20 mph) impact

• Motorcycle crash greater than 20 mph

TRAUMA DECISION TREE (NEW ’07)

On May 23, MIEMSS honored five children and teens;each had assisted in providing a life-saving service to some-one. Their actions had ensured that people had received the“right care when it counts.” Brian R. Moe (Deputy Secretary,Office of the Secretary of State), representing GovernorMartin O'Malley and Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, assistedwith the ceremony, joining MIEMSS Executive DirectorRobert R. Bass, MD, FACEP, EMS Board Chairman Donald L.DeVries, Jr., Esq., Cyndy Wright-Johnson, MSN, RNC (EMS forChildren Program Director at MIEMSS), and Dr. Joseph L.Wright, MD, MPH, FAAP (Associate State EMS Director forPediatrics at MIEMSS).

The following received special certificates for “givingthe right care when it counts.” Unfortunately, Jacob Miller,Camden Casey, and Devon Taylor were unable to attend, sotheir photos are not available.

Jacob Miller (Allegany County): On April 27, 2006,Jacob Miller awoke to hear his mother yelling “the houseis on fire.” Then 13 years old, Jacob ran into his one-year-old brother's bedroom, grabbed him, and started downthe stairs. Within moments the stairs collapsed underthem both, yet neither Jacob nor his brother was hurt andthey made their way outside to safety.

Camden Casey (Washington County): On February10, 2006, Camden Casey (then 5 years old) heard his babybrother crying–but this time their mother did not go tothe baby. Because his family had prepared him, Camdenknew to go find his mother and when she could notrespond due to a diabetic crisis, Camden picked up thephone and dialed “9-1-1.” The dispatchers were very sur-prised when Camden not only asked for help but alsoknew his address and what was wrong with hismother–her blood sugar was low.

Devon Taylor (Baltimore County): Late last fall,Devon Taylor was at the right place and knew the rightactions to take to save his 9-year-old sister Dejae. She hadbeen blowing out a candle when her long hair caught onfire. Devon, then 12 years old, immediately helped his sis-ter to “Stop, Drop and Roll.” When the flames were out, hesprayed her with cold water and called both 9-1-1 and hismom. While waiting for the ambulance, Devon put his sis-ter into a cool-water tub to stop the burning process. Dejaewas treated at the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Burn Center.

3Maryland EMS News

Donald L. DeVries, Jr., Esq. (Chairman, Maryland EMS Board), BrianR. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State), LisaArceneaux, PhD (Johns Hopkins Pediatric Center) who accepted theaward for Devon Taylor, Cynthia Wright-Johnson, MSN, RNC (EMSCProgram Director, MIEMSS), and Joseph L. Wright, MD, MPH, FAAP(Assoc. State EMS Director for Pediatrics, MIEMSS).

Donald L. DeVries, Jr., Esq. (Chairman, Maryland EMS Board), BrianR. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State), awardwinner Charlie Hudson, Cynthia Wright-Johnson, MSN, RNC (EMSCProgram Director, MIEMSS), and Joseph L. Wright, MD, MPH, FAAP(Assoc. State EMS Director for Pediatrics, MIEMSS).

(Front row) Award winner Alize Spry with sister Layla and brotherFreddie. (Back row, l-r) Chief Thomas Carr (Montgomery County Fire& Rescue Service),Donald L. DeVries, Jr., Esq. (Chairman, MarylandEMS Board), Brian R. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretaryof State), Fire Captain William Richards (EMD who answered Alize's9-1-1 call), Cynthia Wright-Johnson, MSN, RNC (EMSC ProgramDirector, MIEMSS), Joseph L. Wright, MD, MPH, FAAP (Assoc. StateEMS Director for Pediatrics, MIEMSS), and Alize's parents Mr. & Mrs.Fred Spry holding their twin daughters.

EMS Recognizes Children for Giving ‘Right Care When It Counts’


4

On May 23 in Annapolis, MIEMSSpresented its annual Maryland Stars ofLife Awards that honor EMS personnel,citizens, and EMS programs statewide.Brian R. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office ofthe Secretary of State), representingGovernor Martin O'Malley and Lt.Governor Anthony Brown, assisted withthe presentation of award plaques thatrepresented nine categories of recogni-tion. Two award winners were selectedfor the Maryland EMS-Geriatric Award, forthe EMD of the Year Award, and for theMIEMSS Director's Award for Excellencein EMS. Photos and summaries of theachievements of the award winners fol-low. Brian Thrasher, Steve Keirle, andKen Correale were unable to attend theEMS Awards ceremony, so their photosare not available.

EMS Star of Life Award• Joe Besche, CRT-I, Calvert ALS• Joshua Jones, EMT-B,

Calvert ALS• Donald Inscoe, EMT-B, Huntingtown Volunteer

FD/Calvert ALS• Lisa Renee Dickerson, EMT-B, Huntingtown Volunteer

FD/Calvert ALS• Michael Nasti, FF/EMT-B, Huntingtown Volunteer FD• Brian Thrasher, FF, Huntingtown Volunteer FD• John Dorsey, FF/EMT-B, Huntingtown Volunteer FD

On October 31, 2006, units from Huntingtown, PrinceFrederick, the Naval Base, and North Beach responded toa single-story wood-frame house and found heavy fire inevery room and several people trapped inside.Firefighter/EMT Nasti, from Huntingtown Volunteer FireDepartment and the officer-in-charge, entered the burninghouse to begin searching for those trapped. Almost imme-diately he was able to locate the body of an unconsciouswoman under a bed in a rear bedroom. With the help ofFirefighter Thrasher, also from Huntingtown, he was ableto remove her from the house and bring her to the EMScrews, where she was found to be pulseless and notbreathing, with burns covering more than 70 percent ofher body. EMT-Bs Don Inscoe, Lisa Renee Dickerson, JoshJones, and John Dorsey initiated CPR, and CRT-I JoeBesche began ALS intervention. The patient regained herpulse and started breathing on her own at the scene. Shewas immediately transported to a local hospital and latertransported to the Burn Unit at Washington HospitalCenter in Washington, DC. The patient has since made afull recovery; unfortunately she lost her 13-year-old son inthe fire, and her husband was also severely burned in thefire.

EMS Provider of the Year AwardSergeant H. B. Martz, EMT-P

Sergeant H. B. Metz, a flight paramedic with theMaryland State Police, is not only an outstanding leader atthe Maryland State Police Aviation Command'sCumberland Section, but also in the community.

Maryland EMS Stars of Life Awards

Maryland EMS News


Charles Hudson (Wicomico County): One afternoonthis past winter, 12-year-old Charlie Hudson was ridinghome on the school bus when he heard other childrenshouting and realized that 8-year-old Dylan waschoking–he was already blue. Charlie immediately went toDylan on the bus and performed the Heimlich maneuvertwice. Dylan coughed up the candy and began to breath.Charlie had learned this life-saving action from reading aposter while waiting in the lunch line at Pittsville MiddleSchool.

Alize Spry (Montgomery County): On February 3,2007, Alize (12 years old) heard the smoke alarm go off.She found her four younger siblings and dialed “9-1-1.”Smoke in the house made it impossible for them to godown the stairs, so Alize listened to the dispatcher'sinstructions. She made sure all her siblings were in oneroom, placed a sheet at the bottom of the door to the hall,and described their location so firefighters could reachthem through a window. Alize's family previously hadpracticed home fire escapes, so Alize knew exactly whatto do.

EMS Recognizes Children for Giving ‘Right Care When It Counts’ (Continued from page 3)

Maryland Star of Life Award (l-r): Bobby Balta (President, MSFA), Joe Besche, JoshuaJones, Donald Inscoe, Lisa Renee Dickerson, Michael Nasti, Richard Hayes (stand-ing in for Brian Thrasher), John Dorsey, Donald L. DeVries, Jr., Esq. (Chairman,Maryland EMS Board), and Brian R. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary ofState).

5

He believes strongly in public awareness and sub-stance abuse prevention, and has given countless classes,courses, and lectures in Western Maryland and parts ofWest Virginia. In addition, after witnessing his lecturesfirst-hand, the Allegany County Board of Education recruit-ed him to serve as an advocate on their Substance AbuseTask Force. He has discussed the perils of impaired dri-ving and the importance of making good decisions withstudents in numerous schools. Sergeant Metz also assiststhe Allegany County Sheriff's Department with their “Cops& Kids” program.

In addition, he works to bring about positive changein the EMS community. He helped develop and implementa new rescue squad for District 16 Fire Department. He isalso an Advanced Cardiac Life Support instructor forWestern Maryland Health Services and a paramedicinstructor in Region I.

Maryland EMS-Geriatric AwardOak Crest EMS

Oak Crest EMS responds to the emergency calls of aretirement community with a resident census of 2,300 anda staff/visitor population of approximately 600 per day. In2006, Oak Crest EMS, a commercially licensed ambulanceservice, responded to more than 1200 calls for service,and it also works with Oak Crest staff on a daily basis.

Oak Crest EMS actively trains the EMT-B securityteam to improve their ability to support the ALSproviders. Security officers must obtain their EMT-B certi-fication within one year of their hire date. Oak Crest EMShas also worked with social workers at Oak Crest toensure that residents complete the Vial of Life programinformation which ensures that medical information isavailable in a standardized location when EMS arrives.

Oak Crest EMS is also trained to access the electronicmedical records of residents when they respond to anemergency and to print reports to provide to the emer-gency department physician upon arrival at the hospital.In addition, they conduct injury prevention classes forinterested Oak Crest residents. They also participate intwo emergency preparedness exercises each year andoffer clinical ride-along programs to community collegestudents to give them an opportunity to experience thechallenges of geriatric emergency care.

Maryland EMS-Geriatric AwardMary Alice Vanhoy, MSN, RN, CEN, NREMTP, EmergencyServices Educator/EMS Coordinator at Shore HealthSystem

As a nurse and paramedic, Mary Alice Vanhoyassesses and treats many senior adults. But she is alsoone of their strongest advocates, working to educate pre-hospital and hospital providers about the changing needsof adults as they age and to teach the elderly themselves,especially about injury prevention.

Since 2001, she has developed and conducted disas-ter preparedness training that has been offered in work-shops across Region IV in partnership with the AARP (theAmerican Association of Retired Persons) and other advo-cacy groups for the elderly. She also speaks to groups ofsenior adults about safety and health promotion, injuryprevention, stroke, and cardiac wellness.

For many years, Mary Alice has incorporated geriatriccare into all of the EMS courses she taught to ALS and BLSproviders. She has also championed for geriatric work-shops at past regional and state EMS conferences. She

Maryland EMS News

EMS Provider of the Year Award (l-r): Maj. Andrew McAndrew(Commander, Aviation Command, MSP), Donald L. DeVries, Jr.,Esq. (Chairman, Maryland EMS Board), Sergeant H. B. Martz,Brian R. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State),and First Sergeant Tobin Triebel (MSP, Western Region Supervisor).

Maryland EMS-Geriatric Award to Oak Crest EMS (l-r): Donald L.DeVries, Jr., Esq. (Chairman, Maryland EMS Board), Ethan Freyman(Sr. Paramedic, Oak Crest), David Lebowitz (EMS Programs andEmergency Preparedness Manager, Erickson Retirement Communities),Joe Gilpin (EMT-B, Oak Crest), Eric Trautman (Security Manager, OakCrest), Joyce Malone (General Services Director, Oak Crest), and BrianR. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State).


(Continued from page 4)

Maryland EMS Stars of Life Awards(Continued)

“formalized” some of this specialized training a few yearsago when she became certified as an instructor inGeriatric Education for Emergency Medical Services.

Maryland EMS for Children AwardRetired Lieutenant Dennis Beard, EMT-B (HowardCounty Fire & Rescue Services)

Many years ago, when the call came from both thenational and state Safe Kids' offices to start a local coali-

tion in Howard County, Dennis Beard stepped forward. Hepulled together a team that includes experts throughoutHoward County, reaching public safety career and volun-teer personnel, hospital and health departments, schools,and community organizations. He led major activities thatincluded car seat checks, child passenger safety training,poison prevention activities, fire prevention school pro-grams, and annual Safe Kids Week events.

Three years ago, Maryland received a Risk Watchaward from the National Fire Protection Association tointegrate their curriculum into schools and child careactivities. Dennis again stepped forward, and HowardCounty was one of the first five communities to embraceRisk Watch. In 2005, Dennis retired from full-time work inHoward County and after a very brief vacation, herejoined the Fire Service on a part-time basis to continuekeeping the Safe Kids and Risk Watch programs alive. Thispast year, he transitioned those two programs to newleadership in Howard County.

In his new retirement, Dennis continues to be activein the Sykesville Volunteer Fire Department and remains astrong voice and advocate in safety for children, families,and public safety providers. Much of the success thatMaryland has enjoyed in reducing children's injuries fromfire is due to the strong system of life safety educationthat Dennis has worked tirelessly to develop and imple-ment in Howard County and across the state.

Emergency Medical Dispatcher of the Year AwardFire Capt. William Richards, EMD, Montgomery Co. Fire& Rescue Service

On February 3, 2007, Fire Capt. William Richardsanswered a 9-1-1 call from 12-year-old Alize Spry (theyoung girl who received a 2007 Right Care When It CountsAward). She said that she and her 4 siblings–1-year-oldtwins, 3-year-old sister, and 7-year-old brother–weretrapped on the second floor. Neither of her parents wasthere.

Dispatcher Richards kept Alize on the phone. Hereceived good information from her about the location ofher house and what had happened–she had taken her sib-lings to the second-floor bedroom and closed the doorafter the smoke alarm went off and she saw flames in aroom on the first floor. There was heavy smoke. She hadthen dialed 9-1-1. Dispatcher Richards prompted her tokeep talking and provided life-saving instructions. He toldAlize to have the children stay low to the floor since thesmoke would rise high, and to take the sheet from the bedand stuff it under the door so the smoke would not get in.Alize was able to listen and calmly follow his instructions.She told 3-year-old Layla and 7-year-old Freddie to standby the window. She got the twins into the bedroom closetand put blankets over them.

6 Maryland EMS News



Maryland EMS-Geriatric Award (l-r): Donald L. DeVries, Jr., Esq.(Chairman, Maryland EMS Board), Mary Alice Vanhoy, and BrianR. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State).

Maryland EMS for Children Award (l-r): Bobby Balta (President,MSFA), Donald L. DeVries, Jr., Esq. (Chairman, Maryland EMSBoard), Retired Lieutenant Dennis Beard, Brian R. Moe (DeputySecretary, Office of the Secretary of State), Cynthia Wright-Johnson,MSN, RNC (EMSC Program Director, MIEMSS), Joseph L. Wright, MD,MPH, FAAP (Assoc. State EMS Director for Pediatrics, MIEMSS).


7Maryland EMS News

Firefighters arrived minutes later, entered the house,located the children on the second floor, and were able torescue them. It was only then that Dispatcher Richardswas able to breathe easy.

Emergency Medical Dispatcher of the Year AwardWayne Oursler, EMD, Carroll County EmergencyCommunications

It was 3:20 PM on April 19, 2006, that Wayne Oursler,a dispatcher at the Carroll County EmergencyCommunications 9-1-1 Center, answered Donna Hansen'semergency call for help. Her 7-year-old daughter Estellehad been run over by a lawn tractor and had lacerated

her hand badly. Dispatcher Oursler entered the informa-tion and Sykesville Medic #128 was dispatched oneminute later. But then the details that Mrs. Hansen wasgetting and repeating to Dispatcher Oursler started get-ting worse. When Estelle had been run over, both of herfeet and her left hand had been amputated. Oursler quick-ly upgraded the severity of the injuries, dispatched addi-tional equipment, and alerted the Maryland State PoliceMed-Evac helicopter about the young child's injuries.Within 30 seconds, Trooper 8 was dispatched.

While the land and air units were en route, DispatcherOursler began to give Mrs. Hansen pre-arrival instructionson how to control her daughter's bleeding. Prehospitalproviders arrived 7 minutes after dispatch. They preparedEstelle for Med-Evac transport, properly packaging her fin-gers and using a thermal imaging camera to find the partsof her feet for transport. Trooper 8 arrived 20 minutesafter dispatch.

Although Estelle was on life-support at Johns HopkinsPediatric Center for days, she recovered enough to visitthe Sykesville Fire Department several months later tothank everyone who helped her. After several surgeries,Estelle is now able to walk; her successful recovery is duein part to the quick thinking of Dispatcher Oursler whenhe answered Mrs. Hansen's call.

Leon W. Hayes Award for Excellence in EmergencyMedical ServicesEltonio “Tim” Collins, NREMTP

Tim's dedication to EMS and his excellence in patientcare and teaching have been demonstrated consistentlyover the years. He works three jobs in EMS–employed full-time by the Princess Anne Volunteer Fire Company, part-time by Lifestar Ambulance Company, and as a volunteerwith the Lower Somerset EMS Squad in Crisfield. He isalso a BLS and ALS instructor for Peninsula RegionalMedical Center for the Eastern Shore area. In addition, asSomerset County's jurisdictional representative, he is theliaison between approximately 135 EMS providers,McCready Hospital, Peninsula Regional Medical TraumaCenter, and MIEMSS.

According to his employers, he is extremely knowl-edgeable about EMS skills, equipment, and patient careprotocols and always willing to share his knowledge andhelp others enhance their skills. He often teaches continu-ing education classes on the Eastern Shore on suchdiverse topics as patient handling, diabetic awareness,CPR recertification, BLS protocol updates, the FernoStretcher, and HIPPA regulations. He also started an IVtech program for Somerset County that will especiallybenefit such rural areas as Smith and Ewell Islands.


EMD Provider of the Year Award (l-r): Donald L. DeVries, Jr.,Esq. (Chairman, Maryland EMS Board), EMD Wayne Oursler, andBrian R. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State).

EMD Provider of the Year Award (l-r): Chief Thomas Carr(Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service),Donald L. DeVries, Jr.,Esq. (Chairman, Maryland EMS Board), Fire Captain WilliamRichards (EMD), and Brian R. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office ofthe Secretary of State).



8

One final addition to this description of Tim'swork–he not only practices his emergency skills in thefield, but also is an integral member of the PeninsulaRegional Medical Center Emergency Department. Heassists in teaching ED staff the many skills related to hos-pital/prehospital care.

Outstanding EMS Program AwardNaval District WashingtonFire & Emergency Services DivisionNaval Air Station, Patuxent River District

andMaryland EMS Citizen Awards Scott Van HornSteve KeirleKen CorrealeKim Tierno

For several years the Naval Air Station at PatuxentRiver has been a “Heart Safe Community,” with over 140automated external defibrillators (AEDs) installed in vari-ous buildings. CPR and bystander AED training coursesare offered to employees on a regular basis. Last yearthree cardiac arrest patients were saved by using the EMS“chain of survival.” For their outstanding AED programthat demonstrates team effort in the workplace and hasresulted in several saves, the Naval Air Station at PatuxentRiver received the Outstanding EMS Program Award.

In addition, four employees at the Naval AirStation–Scott Van Horn, Steve Keirle, Ken Correale, andKim Tierno–received Maryland EMS Citizen Awards fortheir response to the apparent cardiac arrest of a 55-year-old colleague who was a contract worker. He was notbreathing and had no pulse. Without hesitating, the fouremployees initiated the EMS chain of survival. One dialed9-1-1 while the others assessed their unresponsive co-worker and initiated CPR. When fire/EMS personnelarrived, the patient was re-assessed, CPR continued, theAED on the pumper was retrieved, and 6 shocks wereadministered to restore pulse and breathing. St. MarysCounty's ALS unit arrived, initiated care, and transportedthe patient to a hospital via Navy ambulance. Followingadvanced treatment, the patient has returned to work, andwas able to attend the EMS awards ceremony.


Maryland EMS News


Outstanding EMS Program Award & Maryland EMS CitizenAwards (l-r): Donald L. DeVries, Jr., Esq. (Chairman, MarylandEMS Board), Scott Van Horn (EMS Citizen Award), JohnRandolph (cardiac arrest victim who was saved), NAS PatuxentRiver Fire Chief George Kennett (receiving Outstanding EMSProgram Award for Patuxent Naval Air Station), NAS PatuxentRiver Executive Officer Andrew Macyko, Kim Tierno (EMS CitizenAward), and Brian R. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of theSecretary of State). Missing from the photo are EMS Citizen Awardwinners Steve Keirle and Ken Correale.

Leon W. Hayes Award for Excellence in EMS (l-r): Bobby Balta(President, MSFA), Donald L. DeVries, Jr., Esq. (Chairman,Maryland EMS Board), Paramedic Tim Collins, Brian R. Moe(Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State).


9

MIEMSS Director's Award for Excellence in EMSThe Maryland ClubandAndrew Cordova (Maryland Club Staff)

The Maryland Club in Baltimore has participated inMaryland's Public Access Defibrillation program since2002, and has a model Public Access DefibrillationProgram. To date, they have trained 17 out of 45 peopleon their staff. Katherine Mandaro is the AED Coordinatorof the Maryland Club's AED Program, and Dr. James D'Ortais its Sponsoring Physician.

On August 1, 2006, Sandy Martin was playing squashat the Maryland Club. After his game, he suddenly wentinto cardiac arrest and collapsed. Maryland Club staffAndrew Cordova was nearby and immediately responded.Mr. Cordova called 9-1-1, performed CPR, and used theMaryland Club's AED until Baltimore City EMS providersarrived. Mr. Martin was transported to the hospital andlater underwent emergency observation and received aninternal cardiac defibrillator. For using skills learned inCPR and AED training which led to saving Mr. Martin's life,Mr. Cordova also received the MIEMSS Director's Awardfor Excellence in EMS.

Maryland EMS News


MIEMSS Director's Award for Excellence in EMS (l-r): DonaldL. DeVries, Jr., Esq. (Chairman, Maryland EMS Board), KatherineMandaro (AED Coordinator of the Maryland Club's AED Program),Sandy Martin (cardiac arrest victim who was saved), AndrewCordova (Maryland Club staff member who used AED to saveSandy Martin), and Brian R. Moe (Deputy Secretary, Office of theSecretary of State).


Capt. Charles “Chuck” T. King, Jr., Howard CountyDepartment of Fire & Rescue Services, has been selectedto receive the American Legion–Department of MarylandCareer EMS Award. The competition is open to fire depart-ments throughout the State of Maryland and recognizesEMS providers who continually perform “above andbeyond the call of duty” in terms of heroism, training andexperience, and volunteer service to the community. Thisis the fourth consecutive year that this statewide awardhas gone to a member of Howard County's career fire ser-vice.

Capt. King, a U.S. Army veteran, began his career withHoward County as a firefighter in 1988. He has been therecipient of four "Gift of Life" awards, presented to an indi-vidual who has treated a victim who had ceased breathingand had no heartbeat. He or she must then successfullyrevive the victim and, following transport and hospitaliza-tion, the victim must leave the hospital as a complete sur-vivor. In 2005, Capt. King's work was also recognized withhis department's Meritorious Service Award.

“Chuck King is a highly skilled professional in everysense of the word,” said Howard County Fire Chief JoeHerr. “His life-saving skills are well documented, and hecontinuously provides great service to the citizens ofHoward County, both day-to-day and in his work as ourspecial events coordinator. Chuck follows a long line ofHoward County paramedics who have been recognized bythe American Legion for their professionalism and serviceto our County.”

Prior Howard County Department of Fire & Rescuewinners of the American Legion Award include: BattalionChief John Jerome (2005), Captain John Butler (2004), andCaptain Kevin Buker (2003).

Howard Co. EMS ProviderWins American LegionStatewide Award

Stroke Centers Are Coming

Children with suspected strokes have special consid-erations. Review the Stroke: Neurological Emergenciessection of The Maryland Medical Protocols for EMSProviders for more details.

Later this summer, MIEMSS will implement routing tothe designated Primary Stroke Centers to complete theprotocol. The second article in this series will identifythese hospitals, discuss some of the required elements,and describe future directions.


June 22, 2007

MEDICATION ALERT

TO: All EMS Operational ProgramsAll EMS Operational Program Medical DirectorsAll Base Stations

From: Richard Alcorta, MDState EMS Medical Director

RE: Removal of Verapamil and Availability of Lyophilized Diltiazem

In response to the EMS community's need for Diltiazem in lyophilized (dry) form, two companies havestepped forward to provide an alternative to the syringe-based injector system that is no longer beingmanufactured. Hospira (Diltiazem HCL) and BD [Becton, Dickinson & Company] (Monovial™) are manu-facturing Diltiazem (Cardizem®) in lyophilized (dry) form, which has a shelf life of over two years. TheDiltiazem comes in a 100 mg vial which is to be reconstituted in 100 ml of normal saline making a con-centration of 1mg/ml.

The essential components are:Diltiazem 100 mg vial $7.70NS 100 ml bag $2.0030 cc syringe to reduce risk of overdoseUniversal vial adaptorNeedle-less connector for administrationSealable plastic bag to contain medication and components

The reported cost for this administration system is under $12 per patient (even if one patient needs mul-tiple doses). The previous Diltiazem injector system cost about $27 per single 25 mg dose.

Jurisdictions that have implemented Verapamil should convert to this Diltiazem system as soon aspossible and discontinue the use of Verapamil since Diltiazem is the superior medication for the treat-ment of the symptomatic atrial fibrillation/ atrial flutter patient. Providers may also want to check withHospira and BD to see if training programs are available to EMS personnel.

Providers should remove the new blue Page 248-1 “Verapamil” from their Maryland MedicalProtocols for EMS Providers packets that they will be receiving in a few weeks. They SHOULD NOTplace the blue Verapamil page in their binders.

Maryland EMS News

September 21Peninsula Regional MedicalCenter Trauma ConferenceClarion HotelOcean City, MarylandInformation: Lynn Holloway, 410-543-7328

September 25Mid-Atlantic Life SafetyConferenceJohns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, Laurel, Maryland Information: Office of the State Fire Marshal, 410-653-8980/800-525-3125.

October 12–14Pyramid 2007Holiday Inn Select Solomon’s Island, Maryland Information: MIEMSS Region V Office301-474-1485; 1-877-498-5551(toll free)

Mark the Date

10

Maryland EMS News

Volunteer Fire and RescueCompanies throughout Allegany andGarrett counties will receive assis-tance in the recruitment of new mem-bers and retention of current mem-bers thanks to a recent grant award.The Assistance to Firefighters GrantProgram recently awarded $294,980under its Staffing for Adequate Fireand Emergency Response (SAFER)Act grant for recruitment and reten-tion efforts in Allegany and GarrettCounties.

The Allegany-Garrett CountyVolunteer Fire and RescueAssociation was the leading support-

er of submitting an application forthe grant. The idea of the grant “is toadd to the efforts that theAssociation's Recruitment and Retention Committee have concen-trated on for several years. The prob-lem has been that it is such a largeundertaking that no volunteer hasenough time to put toward this sizeof a project,” said Robert Ritchie, theAssociation's President. The effortswill benefit all fire and rescue depart-ments in the two counties, includingthose who do not belong to theAllegany-Garrett County VolunteerFire and Rescue Association. “This

grant provides a wonderful opportu-nity to collectively work togetheracross jurisdictional boundaries torecruit the next generation of fireand EMS providers in WesternMaryland,” stated Richard DeVore,Chair of the Allegany County Fire andRescue Board and EmergencyManagement Division Chief.

The decline of volunteer fire-fighters and ambulance personnel,which leads to delayed and failedresponses, has become a growingproblem in both counties. In an effortto analyze the problem, a year-longStrengths, Weaknesses,Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)study was performed in both coun-ties and concluded in May 2006 withseveral recommendations made tothe local elected officials. “This willcoincide very nicely with the recom-mendations of the SWOT study andwill be an excellent tool to assist inthose efforts,” stated David Ramseyof the MIEMSS Region I Office, whowrote the successful grant.

The Allegany CountyCommissioners served as the submit-ting agency and will therefore admin-ister the grant for the two-countyproject. “This is a 100% grant fromthe Federal Government and will notrequire any funding from local fireand rescue departments or countygovernments,” said Steven Kesner,EMS Division Chief for AlleganyCounty, the grant administrator.

The grant provides funding forone full-time contractual person whowill work at least 40 hours a week,including evenings and weekends, forfour years. “Recruitment and reten-tion activities in Allegany and GarrettCounties will be the only responsibil-ity of this person,” stated Kesner.The person filling this position willdevelop and distribute numeroustypes of media material such asbrochures, billboards, theater ads,and print ads throughout both coun-ties to be used for recruitment andretention; and will visit schools, com-munity groups, and other locations

Recruitment and Retention Help

Chief John R. FrazierJohn (Jack) R. Frazier, Bureau

Commander of the Baltimore CityFire Department and former EMSBoard member, died April 6, 2007after an unexpected medical crisis.

Chief Frazier was an originalmember of the Maryland EMS Boardappointed by former GovernorWilliam Donald Schaefer in 1993, andserved until 2005. During his tenurewith the EMS Board, he served as Co-Chair of the Joint EMSBoard/Statewide EMS Committee andof the Finance Subcommittee. He wascurrently serving on the HelicopterReplacement Committee, the Statewide Infection ControlCommittee, the MIEMSS LegislativeCommittee, and the AutomatedExternal Defibrillator (AED) TaskForce.

Chief Frazier's tenure with theBaltimore City Fire Departmentspanned more than 50 years.

Two months after Chief Frazier'sdeath, the Baltimore City FireDepartment received an 87-foot long,state-of-the-art fireboat that it namedthe “John R. Frazier.” In addition tobeing used in Baltimore, it will beused for Homeland Security, for suchthings as terrorist threats and decon-tamination, and will be multi-jurisdic-tional.

George H. LinnellGeorge H. Linnell, who served in

EMS in Landover Hills in PrinceGeorge's County for more than 20years, died April 13 after a long ill-ness. Last year MIEMSS awarded Mr.Linnell the Leon W. Hayes Award forExcellence in EMS.

Randal “Robert” Orff & Jonathan Orff

Randy Orff and his son Jonathanlost their lives in a tragic motor vehi-cle crash on the Bay Bridge May 10.They both were members ofCrumpton Volunteer FireDepartment. Funeral services wereheld May 16 at the Fire Department.Memorial donations may be made to:Brandon's Educational Fund c/oMercantile Eastern Shore Bank, 101East Main Street, Sudlersville, MD21668. In addition, all proceeds fromthe Randy Morris Memorial GolfTournament, to be held July 9, will goto benefit Randy and Jonathan Orff.For more information, contact ChiefJim Hurlock @ 1-302-354-5950 or [email protected]

In Memoriam


11

ACEP Presents Gainer With EMS Award

Pat Gainer, JD, MPA, a Deputy Director at MIEMSS,received the Maryland Chapter of the American College ofEmergency Physicians "EMS Provider of the Year Award."This award is given to individuals who have contributedto the advancement of Emergency Medical Services andcontributed to the improvement of the emergency care ofpatients within Maryland.

MIEMSS, Maryland EMS News653 W. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21201-1536

Governor Martin O’MalleyLt. Governor Anthony Brown

Copyright© 2007 by theMaryland Institute

forEmergency Medical Services Systems653 W. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21201-1536

www.miemss.org

Chairman, EMS Board: Donald L. DeVries, Jr., Esq.Executive Director, MIEMSS: Robert R. Bass, MD

Managing Editor: Beverly Sopp (410-706-3248)Design & Layout: Gail Kostas

Photography: Jim Brown, Dick Regester, Brian Slack, FernandoTosti (unless noted otherwise for specific photos)

where recruitment of new volunteers is possible. Effortswill be made to secure business discounts and other ben-efits for volunteers, and seminars designed to recruit andretain volunteers will be conducted. “This is an excellentfirst step in the western region of addressing the criticalemergency service needs and hopefully will lead to anemergency services system that is viable and sustainablefor the future,” stated Brad Frantz, Garrett CountyDirector of Emergency Management.

Volunteerism has seen a steady decline nationwide,and the Allegany-Garrett County area has been no differ-ent. This grant will serve to reverse this trend and pro-duce new growth of volunteerism in public service.

Recruitment and Retention Help

Hogland Honored

12 Maryland EMS News

(L-r) Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH (president of Maryland ACEP),Pat Gainer, and Richard L. Alcorta, MD, FACEP (vice-president ofMaryland ACEP & State EMS Medical Director, MIEMSS).


John W. Hogland, Director Emeritus of the Maryland Fire andRescue Institute, recently retired after 42 years of faithful service tothe fire service. During a ceremony held at MFRI in May, a class-room was dedicated in his honor. He is seen here with Dr. RobertR. Bass (Executive Director, MIEMSS) receiving recognition fromMIEMSS for his dedicated time to Maryland's emergency services.

Download - Maryland EMS News

Top Related