Alton Memorial Celebrated Emergency Medical Services Week May 16-22
Honors First Responders Who "Anytime, Anywhere, We'll be There"
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) kicks off its 37th annual Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week with community and national events with the theme, "Anytime. Anywhere. We'll be there."
Alton Memorial Hospital Emergency Medical Services marked EMS Week with a picnic for its personnel Friday, May 21, at the EMS headquarters.
Alton Memoral gave special recognition and thanks to the various EMS agencies that are out in the area every day, including:
- Alton Memorial Ambulance Service
- Alton Fire Department
- Alton Volunteer Emergency Corporation
- Bethalto Fire Department
- Brighton Fire Department
- Conoco-Phillips Refinery
- Cottage Hills Fire Department
- Dorsey Fire Department
- East Alton Fire Department
- Fosterburg Fire Department
- Godfrey Fire Department
- Hartford Fire Department
- Holiday Shores Fire Department
- Meadowbrook Fire Department
- Prairietown Fire Department
- Raging Rivers Water Park
- Rosewood Heights Fire Department
- Roxana Fire Department
- South Roxana Fire Department
- St. Louis Regional Airport
- Wood River Fire Department
EMS providers include paramedics, emergency medical technicians, first responders, fire fighters and police. National EMS Week features hundreds of grassroots activities coast-to-coast, including safety demonstrations, fire truck and ambulance tours, blood pressure screenings and educational programs.
Child Safety and Injury Prevention Day was May 19. This annual observance draws attention to the specialized need for pediatric emergency care to ensure that every child in the nation receives the highest quality emergency care possible.
"People know when they call 911 they'll get help, no matter what their circumstance," says Angela Gardner, MD, president, American College of Emergency Physicians. "One of the great rewards for every rescuer is to be part of the effort that saves a life. The less dramatic actions of EMS responders are just as important to a patient or family who are facing the unknown with fear and pain. Their presence and caring can have an impact far beyond the expert clinical care they provide."
Always call EMS if someone needs immediate medical treatment. To make this decision, ask yourself these questions:
- Is the person's condition life-threatening?
- Could the person's condition worsen and become life-threatening on the way to the hospital?
- Does the person require the skills or equipment of paramedics or emergency medical technicians?
- Could the distance or traffic conditions cause a delay in getting the person to the hospital?
If your answer to any of these questions is "yes," or if you are unsure, it's best to call EMS. Paramedics and EMTs can begin medical treatment at the scene and on the way to the hospital and alert the Emergency Department of the person's condition en route.
When you call for help, speak calmly and clearly. Give your name, address and phone number; give the location of the patient and describe the problem. Don't hang up until the dispatcher tells you to, because he may need more information or give you instructions.
Be ready to help while you wait for emergency services to arrive. Action can mean anything from applying direct pressure on a wound, performing CPR or splinting an injury. It may also mean keeping the person calm and telling emergency responders what you know of the person's accident, illness or medical history. Never perform a medical procedure if you're unsure about how to do it.
Do not move anyone involved in a car accident, injured by a serious fall or found unconscious unless he or she is in immediate danger of further injury. Do not give the person anything to eat or drink. If the person is bleeding, apply a clean cloth or sterile bandage. If possible, elevate the injury and apply direct pressure on the wound.
If the person is not breathing or does not have a pulse, begin rescue breathing or CPR. If you do not know how to, or have concerns about performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the American Heart Association has endorsed "hands-only" CPR. This means "pushing hard and fast in the middle of the victim's chest with minimal interruptions," at a rate of 100 compressions per minute. The pop song "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees is approximately 100 beats per minute, which is a helpful way to remember how fast to perform compressions. Continue chest compressions until the ambulance arrives.
