Congrat's CEMLEC!

The West Hartford Police Department held it's 7th annual CT SWAT Challenge last week, 8/21-8/23. The team finished in 7th place among 37 teams. There were 6 shooting events and the grueling 5.5 mile PT Challenge with 33 stations was the toughest one yet.

Here, the team loads up for the multi-gun challenge. The tent was loaded with tear gas, a stray wind had the crowd of spectators coughing and giggling at the same time.

If an accident or injury should occur, the competitors had some of the best tac-medics going to take care of them.

Also of note, my friends with the Worcester Police SWAT came in a respectable 11th place. Very good for their second year out. 

The MA State Police STOP Team fought hard to defend their 2011 win but fell just shy to the CT State Police. 

 "It was a privilege to see the skill, precision, tactical prowess and camaraderie that we saw in these teams this year. " CSC 2012

A New Forum

I found a new forum looking to discuss all that is EMS in the commonwealth. It's new and there isn't much happening yet. So if you work in MA as an EMT, I, or P; go sign up. You can add your $.02 or just lurk. It's an easy way to connect with colleagues across the state.
Here's their address: http://www.emsinmass.com

Benchmarking Public Safety in Worcester: 2012

The news is good for WEMS and Worcester. 


EMS TRENDS
Since 1991, UMass Memorial EMS has provided emergency ambulance services in Worcester at no cost to the City.11 The all-paramedic, hospital- based service operates a fleet of six ambulances staffed by 50 full-time and 25 part-time paramedics.
Over the last ten years, the EMS workload has risen and response times have declined (Chart 812 and Chart 9). UMass Memorial responded to over 30% more incidents in 2011 than it did in 2002. During the same period, its average response time to all incidents has declined by 55 seconds. Its average response time to so-called priority one calls (life-threatening injuries or illnesses) went down 3 seconds to 5:05.

UMass staff believes that improved response times in recent years could be the result of the employment in April 2009 of new global positioning system (GPS) and CAD (computer aided dispatch) system technologies. These allow dispatchers to view the exact location of each EMS vehicle, and automatically identify street routes and calculate drive times. Also, in 2009, UMass Memorial EMS added six field supervisors to the system for purposes of better quality oversight and better integration with fire and police services, and in 2010, it added a Quality Assurance/ Performance Improvement specialist to oversee the preparation and analysis of metrics as well as monitoring the performance of paramedics. These and other recent improvements, which total millions of dollars, were undertaken and fully funded by UMass Memorial at no cost to the City of Worcester.
It should be noted that, with the exception of cases of cardiac arrest, rapid response times do not necessarily enhance a patient’s survival chances.


The whole report here:
http://www.wrrb.org/files/downloads/ongoing/benchmarking/pub_safety/2012/benchmarking-public-safety-in-worcester-2012.pdf

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

May 21, 2012

PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION -- EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK, 2012

EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK, 2012
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Day and night, in communities across our country, men and women providing emergency medical services (EMS) stand at the front lines of our public safety and public health systems, ready to respond with care and efficiency at a moment's notice. During Emergency Medical Services Week, we honor their essential contributions to our health and safety, and we recommit to supporting all EMS personnel as they carry out their courageous work.

Representing a diverse array of professions and skill sets, EMS practitioners are united by their devotion to building a stronger, more resilient Nation. They serve in both the public and private sectors -- from the first responders, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics who arrive at the scene to 911 dispatchers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and professionals throughout our health care system who work together to ensure those in need receive the highest level of emergency service. Thousands of Americans have dedicated their careers to saving lives as EMS practitioners; thousands more serve as volunteers, going above and beyond to sustain the health and safety of their communities. As they tirelessly pursue that critical mission, my Administration remains committed to working with partners across government and industry to strengthen our EMS system and bolster preparedness in homes and hospitals across America.

Emergency medical services personnel demonstrate a profound commitment to our country and to our common humanity. Day after day, they answer the call to serve -- to step into crisis and spark hope where it grows dim. This week, let us pay tribute to these selfless individuals and renew our promise to provide them with the support and services they need to protect their communities.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 20 through May 26, 2012, as Emergency Medical Services Week. I encourage all Americans to observe this occasion by sharing their support with their local EMS providers and taking steps to improve their personal safety and preparedness.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

Rodney Witkos EMT-P/T

Providence St. EMS Station

Found this new blog

Painfully true:

http://www.doomdiary.com/


Rodney Witkos EMT-P/T