Medical Emergency Preparedness
By MBFPD Lieutenant Karl Wallischeck, EMS Coordinator
Fire Districts and other emergency response agencies
owe their existence to you, the public, who recognized the need for a 9-1-1
system, and thus created it to assist in times of emergencies. Very often, the
actions taken by you before our arrival will have a greater impact on the
outcome of an event than our actions will. It therefore becomes our role to
educate you - through preventative education and as first responders - to reduce
the potential losses in a medical emergency. This article will outline some of
the ways to better prepare yourself and your family.
Prevention is the Best Cure
As the old adage implies, healthy living is
the key to better health. Even ancient cultures recognized the need for
balancing of mind a body. So often in today’s fast paced world, the portion of
time devoted to the body is reduced, and we start to lose this balance. It
eventually shows in our health and reduced energy, and limits our potential -
both mentally and physically. The environment here at Lake Tahoe is well suited
to maintaining this balance. Exercise and proper diet can actually be fun here -
go ride a bicycle or hike, and follow it up with a barbecue with friends (no
greasy burgers, of course.) The fatigue after a good, fun workout followed by a
good meal can be blissful. Talk about stress reduction!
Talk with your physician and learn about your
"risk factors". They can help you design a diet and exercise plan that
matches your needs.
What About Emergencies...
The unforeseen can occur suddenly. A fall
down the stairs, chest pain, choking on a piece of carrot, what would you do?
Your house is "child-proofed", you listened and followed all your
doctor’s advice, yet the unexpected still happens. The minutes it takes the
9-1-1 responders to arrive will seem like hours. Many people have been saved by
the prepared citizen that would not have survived otherwise. Learn CPR! You can
make the difference (with a minimal commitment of time to learn simple and basic
techniques) between a horrible loss, or a life-saving experience. Learn the
basics of first-aid. Bleeding and broken bones are facts of life. Knowing
"what to do", is much better than "what do I do?". Education
in these areas is available through many agencies and schools such as the Red
Cross or American Heart Association.
Maintain a first-aid kit in you home and car, and have
it easily available in the event of an emergency. Place it somewhere visible,
like you do with a fire extinguisher.
Do your children know how to dial 9-1-1?
Hopefully these suggestions will help you realize that
the ability to prevent and provide the initial action in most emergencies lies
more with you than it does with the emergency response agencies. If you would
like assistance in developing a medical emergency plan for your household, feel
free to contact me, Karl Wallischeck, Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Coordinator at Meeks Bay Fire Protection District, at 530-525-7548, or
contact the EMS coordinator at your local fire agency for information.
Pre-Planning for Medical Emergencies
By MBFPD Lieutenant Karl Wallischeck,
EMS Coordinator
In addition to the preventive steps you can take
regarding health and safety in your household, are the steps to take in
pre-planning for emergencies. First aid training and availability of a first aid
kit are one way you can prepare your household. Responding medical agencies
benefit greatly from any information about the emergency they can obtain.
Whether prior to, en-route, or upon arrival - it all helps in providing the most
appropriate medical assistance. This is especially true with persons that are
under regular medical care for a known disease or condition requiring special
care.
How do you help emergency responders to be aware of
this critical information? There are several ways:
 | Medical Alert Tags These are worn on the body (around the neck, wrist
or ankle) to alert responders to medical conditions such as Diabetes,
Epilepsy, or Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders.
|
| Medication Lists Persons requiring regular medication should keep a
list readily available to provide to responders in the event that they are
unable to communicate the information themselves. Others living with or
caring for these individuals should know the location of these lists and
actual medication. Lists should be up to date and accurate as to what
medications are being taken, for what condition(s), and regular dosages.
|
| Special Situations These would include persons with long term,
serious conditions. Included would be terminally ill patients, homes with
access problems to these patients, heart and pulmonary disease in advanced
stages, previous stroke victims, and others that could be considered
"high risk" where the family or caregiver deems it prudent to
notify the local emergency medical response group. This can be accomplished
in the Meeks Bay Fire Protection District by contacting us and providing us
with the pertinent information.
|
| "Do Not Resuscitate" (DNR) Orders
These are sometimes initiated for terminally ill
patients - usually with their consent - that direct the medical response
personnel to not attempt resuscitation on them in the event of
cardiopulmonary arrest. Family or the patient's physician may also initiate
DNR orders in cases when the patient can no longer mentally function to make
the decision themselves. The DNR order is an official Emergency Medical
Service (EMS) form which contains the patient's name, the words "Do Not
Resuscitate,," the attending physician's signature, and the date of the
order. The physician may verbally order the DNR only if present. There are
not exceptions to this procedure, and without a valid DNR, responders are
bound by law to provide resuscitation efforts. A photocopy of the DNR can be
made, this is valid. It can also be sent to the responding agencies as well,
but it is recommended that one is kept with the patient at all times. |
