EMS Response to the Active Shooter

摘要

FIRE DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY medical services (EMS) have had to evolve to better serve the community. We have added many life-saving treatments and medications to our toolbox, and paramedics are more highly skilled than in any time in our history. Greater demands continue to be placed on us by the public, creating an even more challenging and perilous working environment.One example of a current challenge is the size of our patients. Obesity is at an all-time high, with nearly 40 percent of adults and 19 percent of children classified as obese.1 Many times, EMS is required to lift, move, and carry these patients, increasing our risk for back, shoulder, and knee injuries. To meet the needs of this population, EMS has responded with special bariatric equipment, stretchers, and transport units to facilitate caring for these patients.