Standby for Tones Blog

He called 911 when the symptoms began. He explained that he was a diabetic and he was not feeling well. By the time we were knocking on his door along with the fire rescue crew, things had gone downhill. When there was no response, we opened the door and entered. And stopped, all of us. Three firemen, my partner, and finally myself. I recall walking directly into the back of my partner as he abruptly stopped. Peering around him, I saw that the group of firemen had all stopped as well. Peering further, I saw the source of our sudden collective halt.

His dog was very large, and very protective, and very unhappy with the group of strangers who had just entered her human’s house. Her human who would not wake up. She stood over him, and the low sound in her throat didn’t need any extra volume. It meant business. The caller, our patient, was now unresponsive. I was thanking God I did not have care on this call, and that my partner that day was a senior medic. Unhurried in speech and manner, he was just the ticket to teach the brand new medic that I was on this winter day. Eight months in to my career, I stood, dumb struck at this spectacle in front of me.

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"Standby for Tones" is a monthly blog written by Crystal Wallin, a La Crosse paramedic.  Her stories, written from real life events, bring to light the human experience in having an EMS career and work life.  >> Click to read Crystal's blog.

EMS Live Podcast

>> Click for on-demand playback.

This  EMS Live in Wisconsin podcast was recorded on Tuesday, October 25 and lasted 30 minutes.

Our guest was Josh Finke with the State of Wisconsin EMS Advisory Board subcommittee for EMS System Management.

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The Professional Ambulance Association of Wisconsin, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, has created a listserv email group dedicated to the firefighter and EMT volunteer shortage discussions currently taking place.  Signup to receive Legislative Study Committee updates, share your ideas and weigh in on the topic.

According to PAAW Executive Director Joe Covelli, "The listserv offers an immediate email communications link for those who would like to participate and stay on top of the latest information being discussed, recommended and decided.  We are coming to a point very soon when legislation is going to be introduced and debated".  Covelli added, "This is a pivotal time for the EMS and fire industry and communities they serve - ambulance services and fire departments need to pay attention to what is happening".

To subscribe to the listserv, click on the link below and enter your name and email address.  Link:  https://lists.wisc.edu/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=volunteer.  You may unsubscribe at any time.

EMS Live Podcast

On Tuesday, October 11 EMS Live in Wisconsin podcast guests included Legislative Study Committee members Dana Sechler and John Eich.

The Legislative Study Committee on Volunteer Firefighter and EMT Shortages has been meeting every month since July, listening to testimony and receiving correspondence from industry experts, fire and EMS leaders and elected officials on the subject.  According to committee member Dana Sechler, "Eighty percent of the time legislative action comes out of a Study Committee". 

Wisconsin has been riding along as firefighter and EMT staffing shortages have grown year-over-year, and were foretold back when two state legislative study committees were convened in the 1990s to address the topic twenty years ago.  Nothing was done either time - and actually the State's EMS Office shelved the Wisconsin EMS Advisory Board's recommendations.  Just a couple years ago, Wisconsin had over 22,000 licensed First Responders, EMTs and Paramedics.  As of July 2016, that number decreased to 16,500.

Committee member John Eich mentioned during the podcast, "We don't have volunteer police officers in Wisconsin, and fire and EMS are part of the public safety net too."

Door County Emergency Services Director Dan Williams, who also served as chairman of the Wisconsin EMS Advisory Board in the 1990s and 2000s, the same board that offered recommendations to the two Legislative Study Committees in the 1990s, testified before the current Study Committee in August.  "We have to watch this very carefully.  We have to be very, very careful it is the right legislation.  This is a crucial problem - we have to get it right.", according to Williams.  >> Click to review William's presentation and recommendations.

The committee recently met on Tuesday, October 18.  Most of the discussion regarded testimony by a representative with the National Registry of EMTs, and reviewing in detail a memo authored by staff attorney Margit Kelly.  The memo provided a highlight of ideas from previous committee discussions.  >> Click to review Kelly's memo.

It seems the group is headed toward narrowing in on their recommendations based on what they've heard in testimony and various ideas or suggestions that have been offered.  Four different sets of legislation have already been proposed by legislators.

>> Click for on-demand playback.

Don't miss a beat of Wisconsin EMS action - listen to EMS Live!

Podcast guests include Committee members Dana Sechler and John Eich

The next live podcast of EMS Live in Wisconsin is Tuesday, October 11 starting at 9:00 a.m.  Our guests include Legislative Study Committee members Dana Sechler and John Eich.  The dial-in number is 646-929-1081, or listen on the internet at http://tobtr.com/9496619.

The Legislative Study Committee on Volunteer Firefighter and EMT Shortages has been meeting every month since July, listening to testimony and receiving correspondence from industry experts, fire and EMS leaders and elected officials on the subject.  Wisconsin has been riding along as firefighter and EMT staffing shortages have increased year-over-year, and were foretold back when two state legislative study committees were convened in the 1990s to address the topic twenty years ago.  Nothing was done either time - and actually the State's EMS Office shelved the Wisconsin EMS Advisory Board's recommendations.

According to Committee member Dana Sechler, "Eighty percent of the time legislative action comes out of a Study Committee".

Door County Emergency Services Director Dan Williams, who also served as chairman of the Wisconsin EMS Advisory Board in the 1990s and 2000s, the same board that offered recommendations to the two Legislative Study Committees in the 1990s, testified before the current Study Committee in August.  "We have to watch this very carefully.  We have to be very, very careful it is the right legislation.  This is a crucial problem - we have to get it right.", according to Williams.

Join the live program on Tuesday, October 11 starting at 9:00 a.m. and lasting 30 minutes.  The dial-in number is 646-929-1081, or listen on any internet connected device at http://tobtr.com/9496619.

Don't miss a beat of Wisconsin EMS action - listen to EMS Live!

All incumbent board members with positions up for re-election ran unopposed at the Association's recent Annual Meeting.  Re-elected for another three-year term included, for profit ambulance seat Chris Anderson, Bell Ambulance, Milwaukee; government/municipal ambulance seat Mark Fredrickson, Gold Cross Ambulance, Brillion; and nonprofit ambulance seat Tom Tornstrom, Tri-State Ambulance, La Crosse.  Anderson and Tornstrom were also voted in as executive officers during their term as secretary and treasurer, respectively.

According to PAAW President Patrick Ryan, "The Board has shown stability and strength in several important areas, and Tom, Mark and Chris renewed their commitment through continuing in their board responsibilities.  We are grateful for their on-going service to PAAW and its members."

An example of this is Tom Tornstrom testified before the state Committee on TRIP, and Mark Fredrickson met with Gov. Scott Walker on TRIP days before the Governor signed the bill into law that directly benefited ambulance billing.  Chris Anderson was part of a contingent earlier in the year that met with Congressional House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Each year the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WI DOT), Bureau of Transportation Safety, has provided EMS First Responder grant funding to communities around the state. This year funds will be provided to local communities for the initial equipment necessary for newly licensed and credentialed first responders to provide rural first responder EMS services to the communities they serve. This grant is specifically for EMS medical bags, non-disposable equipment and safety devices with these goals:

Applications must be posted marked no later than September 30, 2016.  Grants will be awarded starting September 30, 2016.

>> Click here for grant funding information and application. 

Recently, the EMS Board and the Physicians Advisory Committee (PAC) discussed and recommended the use of draw up EPI (Epinephrine) at the Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) level.