We encourage you to submit sites that are of interest to you that you would like to see shared with others.

EMS for Children (EMS-C)
National Resource Center
Washington, DC
www.ems-c.org

EMS Journal Club
Dept. of Emergency Medicine
Upstate Medical University
Syracuse, NY
www.emsjournalclub.com

ComEMS Medical Directors Association of California (EMDAC)
Sacramento, CA
www.emsa.ca.gov/
emdacmain/emdac.html

Emergency Care Research
Plymouth Meeting, PA
www.ecri.org

The Past Three Months

Welcome to the Fall edition of the ECSI Newsletter!

Since its inception just over three months ago, ECSI has grown substantially. We have registered over 300 Educational Centers with nearly 1000 instructors signing on to teach our programs. These new Educational Centers and Instructors come from national and even international locations. The response and support has been fantastic.

Among those who have sent messages, most give the following reasons for selecting ECSI: administrative ease of the program, high-quality - low cost products, and AAOS/ACEP medical support. A few others have recognized that ECSI is driving additional business their way through people taking ECSI online courses and then registering with an Educational Center to complete their practical skills.

In addition, the instructors enjoy the prompt and courteous response from customer service and the assistance of specialists familiar with EMS, fire, and law enforcement training in getting ECSI programs up and running.

In regard to the numerous requests we have received about the publication dates for additional programs, we are pleased to announce the release of several more courses and the ancillaries to support these courses:

• Professional Rescuer CPR has already been approved by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for EMS (CECBEMS) which is recognized in many states for prehospital providers.
• Bloodborne Pathogens

For detailed information about these and other new programs and products from ECSI , please see our What’s New from ECSI section below.

Welcome New Employees

ECSI is growing rapidly. Helping us manage the demands brought on by this growth are the two newest members of our ECSI professional staff:

Jake Keiser
ECSI Director of Membership Services
800-541-5696
Jkeiser@ECSInstitute.org

Lani Byrd
ECSI Membership Coordinator
800-541-5691
Lbyrd@ECSInstitute.org

Jake and Lani both have substantial experience providing quality customer service and building national training organizations, and they are here to assist you, our members.

Changes to the Newsletter

You may have already noticed changes in this edition of the newsletter. We have added more sections, including one that will feature one of our Educational Centers in each edition. This edition highlights our newest international Educational Center: RTI

With your help the newsletter will continue to evolve to better serve our members. Your input is critical to the success of ECSI. We are also pleased to announce the formation of the new ECSI Advisory Council. Read all about it in What’s New from ECSI

We think you agree…
There is a definite advantage to coming on board with ECSI.
Look for more ECSI happenings in our Winter Edition of the Newsletter, January, 2005

On the National Front

FDA Clears Over-the-Counter Sale of AED
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted marketing clearance for the first time for the over-the-counter sale of an automatic external defibrillator designed specifically for home use by anyone. The device, the HeartStart TM Home Defibrillator manufactured by Philips Medical Systems, is already available with a prescription. The FDA clearance means it can now be purchased for home use without a prescription. The device is currently being sold on Amazon.com for under $1,500. ECSI has recently had discussions with the National Center for Early Defibrillation about the impact this FDA decision will have. The next edition of the ECSI Newsletter will report on this aspect of the ruling and how this applies to State PAD laws.
Source: Food and Drug Administration, September 21, 2004

SAR in Our National Parks
Wild animal attacks and mountain-climbing accidents command the biggest headlines, but search-and-rescue teams are called out most often to help lost or injured hikers in America’s national parks. The National Park Service reports spending $3.5 million last year on 3,108 search-and-rescue operations — 1,264 of them to assist hikers.
Source: Scripps Howard News Service, September 9, 2004

10.3 Million Flu Shots to be Distributed Nationwide
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced plans to distribute the remaining 10.3 million doses of influenza vaccine to state health departments. Working closely with public health officials, the vaccine will be distributed in December and January to those at highest risk for complications from influenza. This will result in states and territories receiving 100 percent of any orders they had originally placed under federal, state, and multi-state contracts.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, November 9, 2004

States Reporting In

West Jordan, UT – A 17-year-old boy died after being hit by a baseball while throwing batting practice to a friend. He was struck in the neck by a line drive. The friend who was batting called paramedics and performed CPR. Despite the friend’s efforts, the boy died from a ruptured carotid artery.
Source: Associated Press, August 27, 2004

Cincinnati, OH – Zookeepers helped police search for venomous and exotic pets in a house where a woman was fatally bitten by an urutu pit viper. Neighbors were unaware of her collection of at least nine poisonous snakes and more than one dozen other snakes, lizards, and alligators until police went to her house. She drove herself to a hospital where she remained in critical condition until her death five days later.
Source: Associated Press, September 13, 2004

Anaconda, MT – A cracked exhaust pipe on a heater caused a carbon monoxide leak that sickened 30 male students in a dormitory at the Anaconda Job Corps Center. Twenty of them had to be flown to hospitals around the Northwest for treatment in hyperbaric chambers.
Source: Associated Press, August 28, 2004

Mosquito Repellants

Mosquitoes transmit disease to more than 700 million people annually. Malaria kills 3 million individuals each year, including 1 child every 30 seconds. In the United States, mosquito-transmitted diseases cause sporadic outbreaks of various forms of encephalitis. In 1999, West Nile virus was reported for the first time in the Western Hemisphere. In the New York City area, 62 individuals infected with West Nile virus were hospitalized and 7 people died. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 2000 individuals were infected with West Nile virus in the year 2000. The disease is spreading and has been reported as far west as California.

Protection methods include avoiding infested habitats, wearing protective clothing, and using insect repellent. A single bite from an infected mosquito can transmit a disease. Knowing which repellents work is important. Insect repellents can be divided into two categories — synthetic chemicals and plant-derived essential oils. The best-known chemical insect repellent is commonly known as DEET. Many people are reluctant to apply DEET to their skin and seek out other repellent products. This article compared the efficacy of readily available alternatives to DEET-based repellents in a controlled laboratory environment.

The study showed that only products containing DEET offer long-lasting protection after a single application. Certain plant-derived repellents may provide short-term protection, and frequent reapplication of these repellents would partially compensate for their short duration of action. However, when one is traveling to an area with prevalent mosquito-borne disease that could be transmitted through a single bite, the use of non-DEET repellents is not recommended. The researchers, did not recommend the use of any currently available non-DEET repellent to provide complete protection from mosquito bites for any sustained outdoor activity.

DEET may be washed off by perspiration or rain, and its efficacy decreases when outdoor temperatures rise. DEET is also capable of dissolving watch crystals, the frames of glasses, and certain synthetic fabrics.
Source: Fradin, MS and JF Kay. Comparative Efficacy of Insect Repellents Against Mosquito Bites. New England Journal of Medicine. 347:13-18, July 4, 2002.

We are pleased to have Dr. Alton Thygerson as the guest author of our Featured Article section. Dr Thygerson is a professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Brigham Young University and is the medical writer for our ECSI products. You can find out more about Dr. Thygerson at http://www.byu.edu/health/faculty/thygerson.html.

That Time of Year: Wind Chill Temperature Index

It has been discovered that the wind chill index used by the National Weather Service since 1973, was wrong. It significantly overstated how cold it feels. After more than a decade of criticism from scientists, the weather service changed to a more accurate wind chill index several years ago.

Theoretically, the wind chill index measures the rate at which the body loses heat when exposed to cold and wind. The index was created as a public health tool to reduce hypothermia, frostbite, and other cold-related ailments.

As a practical matter, the wind chill index tells people how warmly to dress, a crucial decision for people who spend long periods outdoors, such as construction workers or skiers.

The former wind chill index was based on research conducted in the Antarctic in the 1940s. That study measured how long it took cans of water to freeze at different temperatures and wind speeds. The old index took measurements 33 feet above ground, where winds blow much faster than at ground level. However, human skin freezes at a different rate than water. Even different parts of the body—the face and the hands, for example—freeze at different rates.

The National Weather Service says that the new index provides a more accurate, understandable, and useful formula for calculating the potential danger from the combination of wind and cold temperatures.

The wind chill temperature represents how cold it feels outside to people and animals. Wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by combined effects of wind and cold. As the wind increases, heat is carried away from the body at a faster rate. Therefore, the wind makes it feel much colder. If the temperature is 0 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the wind chill is –19 degrees Fahrenheit. At this wind chill temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes.

Confusion still exists about how wind chill affects inanimate objects (e.g., car’s radiator, exposed water pipe). The inanimate object will not cool below the actual air temperature. For example, if the temperature outside is –5 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind chill temperature is –31 degrees Fahrenheit, the car’s radiator will not drop lower than –5 degrees Fahrenheit.

A detailed description of the new wind chill index including the new wind chill chart can be found at: www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill.

Making the Most of a Textbook

An excellent math student once said that one of the secrets to learning mathematics is knowing how to read the math textbook. There is ample evidence that students benefit from specific instruction in selecting main ideas, asking themselves questions, looking for organizational cues, and attempting to summarize or explain what they have read. Therefore, suggest to your students that they use the S-Q-3R method of reading a textbook:
S – Survey – survey or scan the assigned reading – look at the photos, figures, tables, and other features of the book. The AAOS books have flow-charts (action guides) that are useful for seeing how the procedures come into play.
Q – Question - Use the headings, transpose them into questions, and write them down
R – Read - Answer the questions and write brief answers.
R – Recite - At the end of your reading and answering questions, close the book and your notes, and recall what you have been reading and studying.
R – Review – Periodically, set aside some time to review your questions and notes.

This edition of Technicians Tips comes from Leo Brown, Public Information Officer with Longboat Key Fire and Rescue in Florida, and author of Media Relations for Public Safety Professionals. Whether you are an EMS, fire, or law enforcement professional these tips can help you avoid media pitfalls if a microphone is suddenly placed in your face while you are on the front line at an emergency scene:

• Never lie to the news media. If you feel you have misspoken correct the mistake.
• “Stay in the Box.” Only comment on the things within your responsibility and things you have direct knowledge about.
• Know your agency’s policy about speaking to the media.
• Defer questions outside your expertise or official capacity to the proper agency source or your immediate supervisor.
• Never be afraid to say “I don’t know.” Not knowing is not a crime and does not make you look stupid or ill informed.
• If you are giving a response to a reporter listen carefully to the question, look at the reporter, do not hold the microphone, and engage your brain before you speak.

You can learn much more about media relations by visiting http://www.emszone.com/catalog/0763731676/

Programs & Products

Just Released by the Emergency Care and Safety Institute (ECSI) -

Professional Rescuer CPR, Second Edition
ISBN: 0-7637-2825-X

Bloodborne Pathogens, Fourth Edition
ISBN: 0-7637-2817-9

Brought to you by ECSI and its medical partners the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American College of Emergency Physicians, Professional Rescuer CPR, Second Edition is designed to provide individuals who have a job-related duty to respond to emergencies with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize and provide care in respiratory and cardiac emergencies.

Bloodborne Pathogens, Fourth Edition is designed to meet the current OSHA training requirements, including California OSHA training requirements. This program was created for students and employees who have potential for occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials.

Both of these innovative new programs are part of comprehensive teaching and learning systems, which combine current contents with dynamic features to better support instructors and prepare users for any emergency situation.

These two courses are also available online! Preview them here

To learn more about any programs and instructor and student supplements available through ECSI, or to become an ECSI Educational Center or Instructor today, visit www.SafetyCampus.org!

Educational Centers and Instructors are invited to contact your Public Safety Specialist at 1-800-832-0034 to request a review copy.
To view a comprehensive list of Public Safety programs, visit http://www.EMSzone.com

New Efforts

ECSI is looking for up to 12 individuals to serve on its newly created National Advisory Council for ECSI programs. Applications will be accepted for the next four weeks. Selection will be completed in December, and the new Council will be announced in the Winter edition of the newsletter in January. If you are already registered as an ECSI Educational Center or Instructor, you will receive information about this opportunity next week. If you have not yet signed up with ECSI to take advantage of our incredible programs, prices, and opportunities to contribute to the future of ECSI, please consider doing so today.

ECSI has an international attraction, with Educational Centers already in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and most recently, South America. In this edition of the newsletter we spotlight Rescue Training International (RTI).

Rescue Training International – RTI was established in São Paulo, Brazil in 1994 as a private editorial company and internationally recognized representative of US emergency care training institutions. RTI translates emergency care training material into Portuguese for use throughout the world through an exclusive agreement with Jones and Bartlett Publishers, the Publisher for all ECSI materials. RTI issues course completion cards recognized in both Brazil and Portugal through an Educational Center agreement with ECSI.

Colleges, municipalities, and major multinational corporations have extensively adopted RTI training programs that incorporate a wide range of emergency care products. As a result, RTI programs have become synonymous with quality emergency medical training with outstanding teaching materials in Brazil.

The high-quality instructor training, teaching materials, and international recognition have made an impact in the local market. According to Randal Fonseca, the Instructor-Trainer in charge of RTI programs in Brazil, “What pleased our clients the most has been the results of their training. There is no better accolade for good training than a layperson providing top-rate first aid to someone in an actual emergency. When a student learns through high-quality instruction and materials, he or she develops a deep sense of self-confidence that makes the difference in saving a life.”

“Teaching to save lives through excellent emergency care training is our business,” emphasizes Margarete Vilela, the Executive Director of RTI, “and our clients have learned the difference.” The clients have learned that when choosing an emergency care program, they should take no chances in quality of training that could reduce survival. Clients understand this important principle through simple math:
Proper training + excellent teaching materials = well-skilled, confident providers.
This could very well be the difference between life and death.

Emergency Care & Safety Institute and Jones and Bartlett Publishers have succeeded at the difficult task of assembling a system of quality training that is just right for RTI and its customers. And, at RTI, it’s all done in Portuguese.

ECSI and Jones and Bartlett Publishers are attending the following conferences during the remainder of this year:

Colorado State EMS Conference, Keystone, CO 11/04/2004 to 11/07/2004

Virginia EMS Symposium, Norfolk, VA 11/10/04 to 11/13/04

Iowa EMS Conference, Des Moines, IA 11/11/2004 to 11/13/2004

Texas EMS Conference, Austin, TX 11/21/2004 to 11/23/2004

A detailed list of conferences that ECSI and Jones and Bartlett Publishers will be attending throughout 2005 will be available in the Winter edition of the newsletter in January. We hope to see you at some of these conferences. To view more detail about these conferences, click here.