InformationandMaterial

HALLOWEEN SAFETY:

BEFORE HALLOWEEN:

•Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.

•Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.

•Secure emergency identification (name, address, phone number) discreetly within Halloween attire or on a bracelet.

•Because a mask can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic and hypoallergenic makeup or a decorative hat as a safe alternative.

•When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories purchase only those with a label indicating they are flame resistant.

•Think twice before using simulated knives, guns or swords. If such props must be used, be certain they do not appear authentic and are soft and flexible to prevent injury.

•Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.

•Plan ahead to use only battery powered lanterns or chemical light sticks in place of candles in decorations & costumes.

•This is also a great time to buy fresh batteries for your home Smoke Alarms.

•Teach children their home phone number and to how call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they have an emergency or become lost. Remind them that 9-1-1 can be dialed free from any phone.

•Review with your children the principle of "Stop-Drop-Roll", should their clothes catch on fire.

•Openly discuss appropriate and inappropriate behavior at Halloween time.

•Consider purchasing individually packaged healthy food alternatives (or safe non-food treats) for those who visit your home.

•Take extra effort to eliminate tripping hazards on your porch and walkway. Check around your property for flower pots, low tree limbs, support wires or garden hoses that may prove hazardous to young children rushing from house to house.

•Learn or review CPR skills to aid someone who is choking or having a heart attack.

•Consider safe party guidelines when hosting an Adult or Office Party.

WHEN TRICK-OR-TREATING

•A Parent or responsible Adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.

•Remind Trick-or-Treaters:

•By using a flashlight, they can see and be seen by others.

•Stay in a group, walk slowly and communicate where you are going.

•Only trick-or-treat in well known neighborhoods at homes that have a porch light on.

•Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.

•If no sidewalk is available, walk at the farthest edge of the roadway facing traffic.

•Never cut across yards or use alleys.

•Never enter a stranger's home or car for a treat.

•Obey all traffic and pedestrian regulations.

•Always walk. Never run across a street.

•Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks (as recognized by local custom).

•Remove any mask or item that will limit eyesight before crossing a street, driveway or alley.

•Don't assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn't mean others will.

•Never consume unwrapped food items or open beverages that may be offered.

•No treats are to be eaten until they are thoroughly checked by an Adult at home.

•Law Enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.

AFTER TRICK-OR-TREATING:

•Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible Adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.

•Try to apportion treats for the days following Halloween.

•Although sharing is encouraged, make sure items that can cause choking (such as hard candies), are given only to those of an appropriate age.

August 2011, marked the tenth year on-line for my site Dave’s EMS Headquarters. Dave’s EMS Headquarters, is a not for profit personal website, which went on-line August 5, 2001, as a website dedicated to the men and women who work in the field of Emergency Medical Services, (EMS ) as Medical First Responders, Basic Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.

Dave’s EMS Headquarters provides information and historical material about Emergency Medical Services including the many dangers medics face, EMS line of duty deaths, editorials, and many links to other public safety sites.

When Dave’s EMS Headquarters website debuted in August 2001, it consisted of five site pages: Home Page, EMS History, EMS Links, EMS Line of Duty Deaths and an EMS Education page. Also included in the original site was my biographical data, which included the day an overdose patient became combative, (this was prior to EMS staging for violent scenes) on that unforgettable day, I was seriously injured after he assaulted my partner I, despite several operations the assault resulted in a career ending with disabilities.

A month after Dave's EMS Headquarters went on-line, the events of the terrorist attacks occured on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, which shook America and the world, scenes broadcasted across the world of the enormous and fearless rapid response by Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services Personnel. The images were repeatedly played the brave men and women of Police, Fire and EMS Services entering and exiting with victims over and over. The scene’s in New York, Washington D.C. and the field in Shanksville Pennsylvania, showed public safety agencies working feverishly to rescue and treat the injured with no regard to their own safety. Followed by the collapse of the two World Trade Center towers dropping straight down taking so many additional lives, which included hundreds of both on duty as well as off duty Firefighters, Police Officers, EMT’s and Paramedics.

On September 11, 2011, we will once again remember all who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, Ten (10) years later, with many events planned. We all remember and honor those who have lost their lives over the past ten (10) years. We also must do better in assisting Police, Fire, EMS, and Construction workers who have developed respiratory illnesses, various cancers, and those suffering from PTSD and other issues, caused by their the response and exposure over the weeks searching for survivors and those killed at ground zero.

Since Dave’s EMS Headquarters went on-line on August 5, 2001, the website has undergone many revisions and rebuilds. Dave’s EMS Headquarters has grown over the past ten (10) years, and grouped into EMS topics sections which include:

EMS History, National EMS Week, EMS Education, EMS Dangers, EMS Line of Duty Death’s, EMS Memorials/Poems, EMS Editorials/Poems EMS Injuries & Action Pictures, EMS & Public Safety Links, EMS Legal, September 11, 2001 Memorial Pages EMS Associations with Police/Fire/U.S. Coast Guard, EMS Legislation/Challenges faced today and many single EMS topic pages.

Dave’s EMS Headquarters website features guest editorials, poems, and news, with outside material always being properly credited, as well as use of hyperlinks to material not created by Dave’s EMS Headquarters. At times material posted to the site has over the course of three major rebuilds was posted missing the appropriate credits originally documented, when errors like this occur; I immediately correct the material with the proper credit information. If copyrighted material is found, that material is removed pending appropriate permission. If inadvertent copyrighted material is found, upon notification the material is removed in less than twenty-four hours. Dave’s EMS Headquarters is also a member of Clip and Copy powered by ICopyright a news service that provides permission to utilize copyrighted news articles and graphics through a network of News Agencies including magazines, T.V. news, and newspapers.

As Dave’s EMS Headquarters is a personal website, not for profit, the site provides free EMS and public safety links, as well as free advertising services, and job openings for Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services. The site also list new and pending legislation pertaining to Emergency Medical Services.

I spent my career as a Paramedic and Paramedic Instructor Coordinator, until I sustained thoracic spine and lumbar spinal fractures, along with several ruptured spinal discs along with syactic nerve damage causing numbness and weakness in both legs. Despite several operations, and other medical procedures, the damage sustained is permanent. The injuries described above accurred adter being attacked and assaulted by an overdose patient who turned violent.

Many are unaware of the numerous dangers that our EMT’s and Paramedics face daily. Dave’s EMS Headquarters has documented over the past ten (10) years. Various dangers are faced over the course of an EMT/Paramedic response to a call, while on scene, and during transport.

Some of the dangers faced include but not limited: Distracted drivers which have cause disabling and fatal accidents, Road rage against medics are on the rise. On scene medics, face many different dangers such as being assaulted by patients, victims of shootings, being struck by inattentive and intoxicated drivers, as patients are treated on roadways and highways, which have resulted in injuries, disabilities, and deaths.

Recently a Firefighter/Paramedic came under gun fire and seriously injured responding to the scene of an auto accident. Police killed the suspect after a gun battle and the subjects car was found with several guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Medics face dangers over the course of getting to and treating victims such as Columbine, the Oklahoma bombing, and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, that resulted in many medics sustaining serious injuries and subsequent illnesses. Many EMT's and Paramedics lost their lives prior to and following the collapse of the twin towers.

Over the course of transporting patients medics have had patients become violent, or ambulances being hit endangering both medics and their patients. Over recent years, federally mandated new safety designs focusing on ambulance compartment restraint systems and equipment storage reducing flying objects. The new ambulance safety designs are beginning to show positive results. Over the couple of years EMS Agencies have also began implementing reflective painting schemes to help reduce road scene accidents as well.

EMT’s and Paramedics are frequently sustain back injuries from lifting, and over the past few years there has been a concern pertaining to largely obese patients, which requires many medics to assist in trying to move patients. EMS Agencies are being forced to purchase specially built ambulances and stretchers to aid medics and reduce back injuries through specially built and expensive bariatric ambulances.

Dave’s EMS Headquarters has grown to feature our brothers and sisters who work as "flight medics," whose vehicle of transport are specially designed Medical Helicopters. Medical Helicopters play critical roles, especially in rural areas where ground ambulances are either unavailable or due to prolong extrication times that provides faster transport of patents. Also smaller hospitals recieve patients, stabilize, until they can transfer critical medical and trauma patients to trauma centers, specialty hospitals such as a burn units, and pediatric hospitals. When distance and condition warrant more rapid transport, than a ground ambulance, EMS Helicopters are utilized. Dave’s EMS also pays tribute to In the line of duty deaths of the brave men and women.

Since the debut of Dave’s EMS Headquarters, ten years (10) ago on August 5, 2001. Many changes have occurred both in EMS, and the website. This site has been designed and modified over the years reflecting these changes. I would like to thank you all for your visits to date, this site has surpassed 1.25 million visits. I also thank the many individuals, EMS personnel, organizations, EMS providers, and News agencies who have assisted in making this site better by allowing the utilization of various poems, articles, editorials, true stories, pictures and graphics.

I also thank all who have taken the time, to leave many kind comments on the site’s various guest books, as well as the many e-mails that have been sent over the past ten (10) years. I have been honored to have so many webmasters who have added my site to their “sites link pages.”

Dave;s EMS Headquarters began featuring five (5) years ago, an “EMS site of the month,” as well as a “Non EMS site of the month,” that can be found on Dave’s EMS Headquarters “homepage and Links pages.” In addition Dave's EMS Headquarters has awarded both an “EMS site of the year,” and a “Non EMS site of the year,” which site visitors annually vote for over the months of November and December over the past three (3) years. Dave’s EMS Headquarters all provides website awards to other outstanding websites through out the year.

In closing, I am always striving to improve Dave’s EMS Headquarters, with your continued suggestions, and the kind sharing of poems, editorials, news, pictures of EMS units, equipment, and events, the site will continue to grow as well as improve. Dave's EMS Headquarters will continue to be updated, revised, and share with it's visitors, what Emergency Medical Services is, as well as the dedication, service, and sacrifices of todays EMT's and Paramedics.

Thankful and Respectfully

Dave

Webmaster: Dave’s EMS Headquarters

http://www.davesems.com

August 5, 2011