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IAFC MEMBER ALERT

Contact: IAFC Strategic Services Department

* www.iafc.org

http://iafc.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0xMDQwNzY2JnA9MSZ1PTEwMDQzNjA1MDUmb

Gk9NDIyOTE3MA/index.html>

Data from EMS Deployment Field Experiments Now Available

Study Reveals Data on Crew Size and Configuration Impact

Fairfax, Va., Sept. 30, 2010... A new EMS deployment study

http://iafc.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0xMDQwNzY2JnA9MSZ1PTEwMDQzNjA1MDUmb

Gk9NDIyOTE3MQ/index.html> has been issued by a broad coalition in the

scientific, firefighting, EMS and public-safety communities. The study

shows that the size and configuration of an EMS first responder crew and

an advanced life support (ALS) crew has a substantial effect on a fire

department's ability to respond to calls for emergency medical service.

The Fire Fighter Safety and Deployment Study's Report on EMS Field

Experiments

http://iafc.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0xMDQwNzY2JnA9MSZ1PTEwMDQzNjA1MDUmb

Gk9NDIyOTE3MQ/index.html> is the first attempt to investigate the

effects of the following on the task completion times for ALS-level

incidents:

* Varying crew configurations for first responders

* The apparatus assignment of ALS personnel

* The number of ALS personnel on scene

The increasing number of EMS responses point to the need for

scientifically based studies to measure the operational efficiency and

effectiveness of fire departments responding to medical calls. Fire

departments typically deliver first-on-scene, out-of-hospital care

services, regardless of whether they provide transport. The design of

fire service-based EMS systems varies across communities. Some

departments deploy only basic life support (BLS) units and personnel,

others deploy a mix of BLS and ALS units and personnel, and a few

departments operate solely at an ALS level.

This study emphasizes that every one of those system-design decisions

affects emergency medical response and care when each second counts.

The study's principal investigators were Averill of NIST, Lori

-Merrell of the International Association of Fire Fighters and

Kathy Notarianni of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Other organizations

participating in this research include the International Association of

Fire Chiefs, the Commission on Fire Accreditation International-RISK,

the Urban Institute and the University of North Carolina.

The report was funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,

Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters

Grant Program.

Additional information on the Fire Fighter Safety and Deployment Study

http://iafc.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0xMDQwNzY2JnA9MSZ1PTEwMDQzNjA1MDUmb

Gk9NDIyOTE3Mg/index.html> can be found online.