Contact info Contact LifeGuard through your local dispatch or by calling (800)223-6627 Preferred frequencies to use when speaking with LifeGuard are: · 155.340 VMED 28

(State EMS) · 155.475 VLAW 31 (Law

Mutual Aid) Identify who will be speaking with LifeGuard

Disasters As I am writing this, the storm (Hurricane Harvey and then Tropical Storm Har-vey) that blasted into Texas is dwindling. Many of us have been affected by it, whether we had family members there, or we responded as volunteers, or we watched it unfold via TV. As Harvey winds down, Hurricane Irma is moving up the eastern coast and is predicted to be more devastating than any other storm before. On the opposite end of the spectrum and country, there are major forest fires raging in the northwest. We react to disasters in many different ways. We feel sympathy, we cry, we judge, we blame, we send money and supplies, or we tend to our own homes and lives in order to improve our readiness. In order to improve our own readiness, we must first understand the types of disasters that can occur here. In other words, do not prepare for a hurricane when you live in the Midwest. Instead, prepare for ice storms, tornadoes, flash floods from heavy rains, straight line winds and snowstorms. When you make a plan, discuss it with your family/household members. They might have ideas too, and the plan needs to be understood by all. Consider specific needs in your household. Does your household consist of 2 adults or 2 adults with several chil-dren? 1 adult with one baby? Elderly parents? Do they have special needs and/or special equipment that must be considered? What do you need to pack for these individuals? Do you have service or therapy animals? Fill out a Family Emergency Plan which is avail-able on www.fema.gov/media-library-data and practice it. Once you’ve made the decision to leave your home, make sure that you also have your important documents/valuables with you. If you have pets with you, make sure that they are micro-chipped, have their vet records available, and that they have collars and tags with names and phone numbers on them along with their leashes. Wherever you are going, confirm that they will accept animals. You can do this by going to www.gopetfriendly.com/ Do not leave your pet chained or tied up outside as this is as dangerous for them as it would be for you. It has been shown that not nearly enough Americans stock up on disaster sup-plies. 61% of Americans plan to depend on First Responders within the first 72 hours of emergencies. This is not a good plan, as we all know. If you’re leaving your home, make sure you have enough food and water for everyone for a minimum of 3 days. Along with these supplies, put together a first aid kit. Go to www.preparewise.com to find a "GoBag", or survival kit, that is already packed with essentials to take with you in case of a disaster. Remember to take your cell phones and chargers. Inform your extended family that you are leaving so there will be less worry. Keep in touch with them. Along with basic needs, have cash on hand as ATM’s and credit cards may not work. I have been in touch with my family member every day since Harvey descended on Texas. It has been difficult, to say the least, listening to the news reports, watching Houston flood along with many other towns and cities, and then to hear that my sister lost her home. But I know that she and her children are safe. She was able to prepare ahead of time and gather supplies and clothing. She knew where they were going. It also allowed her to take her pets. She had her financial, insurance and medical information readily available. She’s moving for-ward, slowly but steadily. If you don't know where to start when thinking about emergency preparedness, go to www.fema.gov to begin. There are many resources available to start your plan today. Don't wait for the disaster to happen. Have your plan made. 1. Disaster Prep Month (09/10/2014) Huffington Post 2. The Open Company (2012) Huffington Post

Volume 13, Number 3

LifeGuard OutReach

The LifeGuard Outreach schedule is

posted on our Facebook page. If you’d like more

information or would like to host an Outreach

event, call 319-369-8995.

October 2017

Eastern Iowa’s only not for profit Air Medical Service

Educational Opportunities 10/4 Altered Level of Consciousness NIACC 10/4-10/5 TNCC NIACC 10/6 ATLS Refresher EMSLRC 10/9 Emergency Med Technician NICC/ Dbq and Oelwein 10/10 EMS Instructor Update NIACC 10/11 ACLS Provider KCC 10/12 Wisdom at the Winery by LG Cedar RidgeWinery, Swisher 10/17 EMS Evaluator Workshop NIACC 10/20-10/21 Tri-State Conference Dubuque 10/26 -10/27 TNCC EMSLRC 10/30 GEMS EMSLRC 11/21 ACLS Renewal KCC 11/28 EMS Safety EMSLRC 1/9/2018-5/9/2018 Paramedic II NICC/Peosta 3/3/18 2018 EMS Symposium NIACC

Did you know… October is Adopt a Shelter Dog, American Pharmacist and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The 1st week of October is dedicated to Getting Organized, the 2nd week is Fire Prevention and the 3rd week is Pastoral Care Week. October 6 is Physician Assis-tant's Day, October 9 is Fire Prevention Day and October 21 is National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day. November is Aviation History, Child Safety Protection and National Caregivers Ap-preciation Month (give them a break if you can), November 2 is Men Make Dinner Day, November 4 is Book Lovers Day and November 10 is United States Marine Corps Day (OOH RAH!!) On December 3, the church season of Advent begins, December 5 marks the end of Prohibition with Repeal Day (enjoy your drink), the 6th is Mitten Tree Day, the 7th is Pearl Harbor Day and December 21st is Winter Solstice.

Requesting LifeGuard:

Remember if you are unsure you’ll need

LifeGuard, you may tell dispatch that you would like to place LifeGuard

on “stand-by”. The crew will prepare for lift-off

while awaiting the “go-mission” call. This saves minutes on lift-off time because the crew is already at the helicopter,

and ready for lift-off. You can also request

LifeGuard to be an “in air” standby. This is a good option for when

calls are a distance away. There is no charge if

LifeGuard is cancelled.

Director’s Corner Wow! Summer has flown by! Kids are back in school and the cooler evenings and mornings of fall are upon us. Since 2001, September has held a different meaning for Americans. We reflect on the selfless sacrifice of the first responders, EMTs, paramed-ics, law enforcement and fire personnel, and common citizens as they lived up to the truest definition of the word ‘hero’ on such a great day of tragedy. This September has brought added challenges, with our nation facing back-to-back hurricanes, wildfires in the west, and drought in the Midwest. While the natural disasters have been horrific in the scope of damage and loss of life, they have, much like September 11, once again given our country a chance to show its truest character -- one of compassion, service, respect, and a desire to help ease the suffering of those around us. The inspirational stories of those who have responded to these disasters and others serve to remind us that, regardless of race or creed, regardless of income or status, regardless of geography or politics, we have a privilege and a duty to respond with brotherly kindness to our fellow man. We see these values on display around us every day as we are honored to work with you in the field and in outlying hospitals. Thank you for your dedication to your fellow man and your desire to bring excellent medi-cine to your communities. As you continually strive to improve the level of care you give, we invite you to join us for an outstanding evening of education as we host our first “Wisdom at the Win-ery” on October 12th at the Cedar Ridge Winery in Swisher. Please see our FaceBook page for more information regarding the evening. Thank you again for what you do, because what you do MATTERS!

You can follow LifeGuard: https://www.facebook.com/LifeGuardAirAmbulance

To contact LifeGuard for a Safety Training or PR event, call (319) 369-8995 and ask to speak to a member of the flight crew.

LifeGuard Safety Training—Please call 319-369-8995 to schedule your Safety Training class today. We recommend these every year as there are always changes being made

to the aviation industry and EMS membership is rapidly changing.

Dr. Josh Pruitt