Seminar Topics
OSHA and EMS
OSHA has specific guidelines to protect healthcare workers who provide patient care. EMS services have a responsibility to protect both its patients and staff from injury and illness during procedures, and to keep its workers safe at its facilities. However, does OSHA apply to EMS agencies?
The Black Hole – Challenging Crisis Communications **KEYNOTE ADDRESS**
Communication is a fundamental block of emergency management and yet an inherent struggle during disasters. By walking through an incident response, we will discuss how operationalizing theoretical communication strategies can cripple the best laid plans.
Emergency Planning for Mass-Spectator Events
This session will be of interest to emergency management and first responder staff who act in support of fairs, festivals, rodeos or large sporting or concert events in their community, as well as members of those organizations that hold these types of events.
Triumphs and Challenges of a Mandatory Evacuation
180,000 people were directed to evacuate during the Oroville Dam crisis, which inevitably affected more persons than residents. Attendees will hear what worked and what didn’t, case studies of ensuring accountability, how medical care continued and lessons learned during their recovery.
Emergency Planning for Mass-Spectator Events
This session will be of interest to emergency management and first responder staff who act in support of fairs, festivals, rodeos or large sporting or concert events in their community, as well as members of those organizations that hold these types of events.
Pediatric Transport in Disasters
Are your local and regional emergency medical transportation assets ready to accommodate pediatric patients? This session will describe current capabilities and gaps, as well as lessons learned from previous disaster evacuations. Learn how to plan for and respond to pediatric mass transportation issues.
Spinal Motion Restriction
Long spine board use has been engrained as a skill in the EMS profession for decades. However, research does not support the use; the use of LSB is not recommended for a majority of traditional field applications. We will investigate the true need for spinal motion restriction, model policies and the changing environment for the use of long boards.
SPM – Bariatric Emergencies
Bariatric procedures have increased 400% in the past decade. Public safety professionals are tasked with simple but complex responses of calls for service relating to the safe patient mobility (SPM) of bariatric patients. This presentation will address the common challenges, call makeup and requirements for pre-planning when treating the morbidly obese.
Slam it! Opioid Overdose
Opioid overdose is a serious public health issue. It continues to be a major public health problem in the United States. It has contributed significantly to accidental deaths among those who use, misuse or abuse illicit and prescription opioids. Such deaths are very often preventable, so long as a witness/responder to an overdose recognizes what is happening and knows how to respond appropriately.
Pedi Pat – Back to the Basics
Assessing the pediatric patient can be one of the most challenging and stressful tasks for prehospital providers. Typically the clinician’s anxiety is inversely proportional to the size of our patient. We will review the basic concepts for an effective pediatric assessment and the appropriate interview techniques including Broselow®, APGAR, Pediatric Assessment Triangle and more.
Pipelines Safety for First Responders
This course is designed to help first responders safely and effectively respond to pipeline incidents and emergencies. The purpose is to provide the first responder with the knowledge and understanding how pipelines operate, common products that may be transported and tactical response considerations that will facilitate a safe response by public safety professionals.
Explosive Recognition – Realistic Approaches for First Responders
This course will introduce participants to explosives (commercial, military, homemade), improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and bomb response management for non-law enforcement personnel. The purpose of the course is to provide audience members with basic identification and familiarization of explosive materials as well as considerations for responding to incidents.
Technology down, eyes up
Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving. All distractions endanger driver, passenger, and bystander safety. Public safety professionals are at an all time high for distracted driving with the advent of new technology. Realistic, best practices that make for a safe response will be presented.
Shoot it, Smoke it, Snort it: EMS detection of drugs that impair **POPULAR**
The presentation aims at improving an EMS responder(s) ability at recognizing a patient(s) who portrays reasonable suspicion of using or is under the influence of a controlled substance and how to take appropriate action, patient assessment and safety measures. Review the physical indicators of impairment and how those signs can be misinterpreted. The primary target audience of the lecture is non-law enforcement personnel, i.e. first responders and EMT’s without full-fledged detection training, to help them understand the importance of accurate detection and the safety consequences of not applying quality basic patient assessment skills.
Zombie Driver…Shift of the Living Dead
Fatigue is often ranked as a major factor in causing road crashes although its contribution to individual cases is hard to measure and is often not reported as a cause of crash. Driver fatigue is particularly dangerous because one of the symptoms is decreased ability to judge our own level of tiredness. Public safety professionals are not exempt from the symptoms of drowsy vehicle operation.
ChemSucs – Responder Tactics Dictate Responder Survival
If you have not been called to a chemical suicide, you will be. It is essential that you recognize the clues of H2S, maintain a safe distance, and approach only with appropriate PPE and proper atmospheric monitoring. If treatment is needed, EMS providers should be prepared to deliver care while protecting themselves from exposures. It is inexcusable for any responder to be exposed during a response to a chemical suicide.
Domestic Terrorism – Not in my back yard
This course traces the history, emergence, and growth of domestic terrorist and extremist groups within the United States. Students will assess various groups’ intentions, capabilities, and activities within contexts of and ramifications on political, national security, and legal paradigms. Topics include current and active domestic groups; their organizational structure, philosophies and networks. The discussions will examine the interrelationships and interactions of presently known groups.
A little bit of this, a little bit of that, a pinch of health, a bushel of death
One of the most common causes of poisoning among seniors is accidental medication overdose. Drug overdose often happens as a result of the use of multiple drugs with counter indications simultaneously. The instructional and training requirements, psychological issues and caring techniques for aiding seniors in medication usage will be discussed through a case study approach. Care actions performed in pre-hospital settings for dramatic patient impact will be presented.
Excited Delirium – a True Medical Emergency; Not a Crime **POPULAR**
Historically, a naked, screaming and agitated individual standing in a roadway during heavy traffic required only police response. Law enforcement were expected to remove the subject from the roadway and take them to an appropriate facility. When force was used to subdue the subject, injuries were commonplace and EMS responded at the request of the police to treat the injuries. Medical treatment was focused upon clearing the subject for incarceration at a jail facility. Unfortunately, this scenario often resulted in the untimely and unnecessary death of the subject.
Post It! – Exploring how Social Media can Aid & Hinder
This presentation will highlight the current state of social networking and where this dynamic engagement is heading, demonstrate some of the more commonly used technologies and highlight case studies on how these tools have been used in a variety of jurisdictions. We will also discuss policies, regulations, 1st Amendment claims and many issues that employees mistake as “rights”.
“I’m Sorry I can’t Share that information with you” – Exposing the myths of HIPAA
What exactly can I tell a cop about my patient? This presentation will provide a simple, concise explanation of how HIPAA applies to EMS/Law Enforcement collaboration. Drunk Drivers, Domestic abuse & suspected crimes, are all areas health care providers find themselves reluctant to share vital information. The “myths” of HIPAA can bring communication to a halt and they can compromise appropriate clinical care and public safety. HIPAA is not meant to create a significant barriers, it provides tools that agencies should use in developing policies on sharing information.
CSI: [Insert Conference/State Name] EMS – An awareness program for non-forensic personnel
The presentation aims at raising awareness of the importance of good practices in crime scene investigations and the nature and relevance of physical evidence. It covers issues related to the work at the scene, from the actions of the first responder(s) to the submission of evidence to the laboratory. The primary target audience of the lecture is non-forensic personnel, i.e. first responders and any person involved in the crime scene investigation process without full-fledged training, to help them understand the importance of their actions and the consequences of not applying basic principles of good practice.
Domestic Violence – an EMS approach **POPULAR**
This presentation is provided, as a guide to equip EMS Providers with the information needed to understand the issues involved in responding to domestic violence calls. While pre-hospital providers are trained in patient assessment and the care of physical illness and injuries, scenes of domestic violence can include issues often outside the provider’s clinical training.