The lives of people with disabilities have changed dramatically over the past 50 years. Just decades ago, many individuals with disabilities would have been institutionalized; hidden away from society. But with greater understanding and broader social support, those with physical and mental challenges are now leading fuller, longer, and more active lives. Which means that as EMS responders, you will encounter these individuals with greater frequency.

It was a typical hectic Monday. Traffic was backed up; the young father was running late, and he was scheduled to give a presentation at the office in less than an hour. At the last minute, his wife asked him to drop their two-year-old off at daycare. As he sat in traffic, he reviewed his presentation in his head. When traffic finally got moving, he made a beeline for the office.

Anybody in emergency medical services knows the critical role pre-planning plays in the success of your operations. As an emergency responder, you must be ready to confront a wide range of critical situations. It is not enough to learn from your mistakes—you must actively pursue training and educational opportunities that provide real-world situations and responses.

Each change of season brings special challenges for EMS professionals. Depending on where you live, and the climate in which you respond, temperature extremes can dictate specific precautions when it comes to equipment maintenance. In the extreme north, where heavy snowfall impedes response, specialized gear such as tires and protective clothing may need to be employed.

The Heroin Epidemic Impacts EMS

Anyone working in EMS can attest to the dramatic rise in opioid emergencies. It seems the heroin epidemic has spread to every corner of our country, and as it impacts the public, so it impacts emergency responders charged with treating and transporting these patients.

We tend to think of prehospital suctioning as a simple, straightforward treatment. You assemble your equipment, prep the patient, turn on the unit, and get to work clearing the airway. Easy, right?

You never know what a shift might bring. Each time you report to duty, you have no idea what the day will hold. Which is why you must be prepared for anything. Whether it’s a natural disaster that suddenly descends on your community or an MCI on the interstate, sending critical patients to area hospitals and closing major thoroughfares, you and your crew must be ready for whatever unfolds.

As you approached the patient, you could see instantly that he had multi-system trauma. While darting across a busy interstate, the young man had been struck by a pickup truck, which was now parked farther up the roadway, its windshield and front bumper exhibiting the damage of a high-speed impact. The patient was unconscious, his limbs splayed. He had massive head and facial trauma and deformity to both legs. Each gasping exhalation produced a bloody froth. Your mind immediately inventoried the injuries and you set to work.

Emergencies can happen anywhere. Wherever humans go, medical emergencies will follow, regardless of time of day, year, or location. It would be nice if every EMS call occurred indoors, under well lit and environmentally stable conditions. But that's usually not the case. In fact, some medical emergencies are the result of the patient being exposed to extreme weather, which affects not only the patient, but also the rescuers and their equipment. And in the case of vital tools like your portable suction unit, they, like you, had better be up to the task.

Welcome to our SSCOR monthly newsletter. Each month, we will focus on the latest EMS preparedness news, keeping you up on the latest trends in emergency response, education, and training.