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April, 2016
ADVERTISER INDEX
GEORGIA
Fires damage Barrow County homes
A guide to finding great companies
Company
1st Priority
Armor Tuff Flooring
Page 12,20
Brindlee Mtn. Fire App.
30
13
Combat Support Products 21 Done Right Fire Gear
7
Fail Safe Testing
11
Firehouse Expo
27
FireDex
9
Firehouse Mortgage, Inc. 15
Foremost Medical Equip. 25 Kimtek
19
Municipal Equipment
36
Raymond James
29
NAFECO
5
Reisen Safety Training
29
Sutphen
17
Spotted Dog Tech.
Tactical Fire Vehicles Task Force Tips
31
35
3
CORPORATE INFORMATION
1st Responder News (ISSN 1525-1683) - Vol. 17 No. 4 - South East edition is published monthly, 12 times a year for $36 per year by Belsito Communications, Inc., 1 Ardmore St., New Windsor, NY 12553. Periodicals Postage Paid at Newburgh, NY and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to 1st Responder News, 1 Ardmore St., New Windsor, NY 12553. No financial responsibility is assumed by this newspaper to publish a display, classified, or legal ad or for typographical errors except of reprinting that part of the ad which was omitted or in error. Omissions or erA division of: rors must be brought to the attention of the newspaper during the same month of publication.
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On Sunday morning, Feb. 14th just before 8:45, a 911 call was received by communication officers with Barrow County Emergency Services. The caller reported a possible structure fire in the 1600 block of Butterfly Lane. “Firefighters responded to this incident and found fire on the back deck of the home,” stated Lieutenant Scott Dakin. “The fire had started to spread to the siding of the home.” It was determined that ashes from a fireplace were placed on the back deck resulting in this fire. Just after 1:15 a.m. on Feb. 15, a 911 call was received reporting a structure fire in the 500 block of Stoneridge Drive. Firefighters found smoke coming from around the chimney of the home. Crews pulled the remaining fire from the woodstove and removed some of the piping. Ashes and creosote were found heated in the insert. Just after 7:30 p.m. on Feb.
JUMP TO FILE #021716107 16, communication officers received a 911 call reporting a structure fire in the 30 block of Myrtle Street. Firefighters responded and found a fire in the kitchen of the home. The fire had started on the stove and went into the wall of the kitchen. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and started checking to see if it had extended any further. Crews also ventilated the home. The fire was determined to be the result of unattended cooking. One person was transported to an area hospital due to injuries from this fire. Six adults were displaced as a result of the fire. The American Red Cross responded to assist the residents. - SCOTT DAKIN
APPARATUS IN ACTION If you have photos you would like to see in our Apparatus in Action feature please upload them on our website www.1stResponderNews.com or email them to Heather@1stResponderNews.com.
CHRIS DILLEY
Pooler Fire Rescue Tower 64 on the scene of a recent two vehicle accident
Barrow County Emergency Services continues treatment improvements According to statistics released by the CDC in 2015, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. It accounts for almost 25% of all deaths in both men and women. Coronary heart disease, a buildup of plaque in the arteries, is the most common type of heart disease. When it becomes acute, it can turn into what medical professionals call a STEMI heart attack. Barrow County Emergency Services has been working hard to improve the care and treatment offered to its citizens that are suffering from a STEMI. That hard work has been paying off and making Barrow County Emergency Services a leader in this area. “I am very proud of the hard work and dedication each employee of Barrow County Emergency Services has shown in dealing with this fast growing problem,” stated EMS Captain Heath Williams. Barrow County Emergency Services took a good step forward when Lieutenant Chuck Savage, who was EMS Coordinator at the time, worked to have the county purchase through an AFG grant program new Philips MRx cardiac monitors with transmitting ability. This technology allows the paramedics to transmit the EKG readings to the receiving hospital to assist them in confirming the STEMI diagnosis. Another big step is the paramedics of BCES going through many hours of training, and continuing education, on how to identify and treat STEMI’S. This education includes giving lifesaving medication to the patient, as well as determining which specialty hospital the patients need to be transported to. “Our paramedics have been very dedicated in studying ways to identify and treat
JUMP TO FILE #022616103 the STEMI patient and find ways to further reduce mortality from a STEMI,” commented Captain Bullock BCES Training Officer. Over the last five years, BCES paramedics have participated in several workshops with area hospitals to improve upon the knowledge and ability to identify a STEMI and properly report it to the hospital. This has allowed the patients from Barrow County to go straight from the ambulance to the cath lab, bypassing the emergency room. This has helped to reduce the amount of time from when a STEMI has been diagnosed to when the patient is having the lifesaving procedures completed. This cooperation and sharing of information with area hospitals will continue to improve the level of services offered by Barrow County Emergency Services. “The fact that Barrow County Emergency Services paramedics can quickly recognize STEMI, initiate treatment and deliver the patient to the appropriate facility is a testament to their training and dedication to the citizens of Barrow County,” commented Dr. Todd Jordan, Medical Director for the Emergency Room at North East Georgia-Braselton. In October of 2014, Barrow County Emergency Services launched its new record management system ImageTrend. This new software system allows BCES administrative officers to better track treatments and performance of not only STEMI but other types of emergency calls. This data collection will assist the personnel in looking for
ways to continuously improve the services offered. Barrow County Emergency Services has also become part of a regional STEMI system network that works together to improve the outcomes of patients that suffer from a STEMI event. “All of this training, research, hard work and cooperation has been paying off for our patients” stated Captain Williams. “We want to offer our patients the best possible outcome from their STEMI event and in the last five years we have truly improved in this area. Only through hard work and further continuing education can we continue to reduce the risk of mortality from STEMI’s,” stated Captain Williams. “I know that our staff is up to the challenge.” When a patient is having a STEMI event, they must be transported to the proper facility where a stent can be placed in the affected artery(s). When it comes to a cardiac medical issue minutes truly count. One of the critical steps in treating a STEMI is time. A big factor in treatment is the time from when the patient makes the first call for medical assistance to when the patient is placed on a table and a balloon is inserted into the artery to open it up for blood flow. “The main factor of whether or not a STEMI patient will have a good outcome or even survive is determined by how soon the diagnosis is made and treatment is started” stated Paramedic Jason Grady and the Northeast Georgia Regional Coordinator based out of Northeast Georgia Medical Center. “Traditionally this diagnosis has been made by a cardiologist or emergency department physician which takes precious time away from initiating treatment and determining
transport located. Barrow County Emergency Services has highly trained paramedics who are able to diagnose, begin treatment and activate the cardiac catheterization team before they even reach the hospital.” The national average for this time is 120 minutes and two of the local hospitals that Barrow County Emergency Services transport to have set a benchmark of 90 minutes. In 2015 the two hospitals that track this information gave Barrow County a 79.5 minutes average. This fast response time greatly improves the chances of a STEMI patient recovering from the cardiac event and returning to their normal life, with no lingering health issues. “The relationship between EMS and the cardiologist in thetreatment of STEMIs is the hallmark of a cutting edge STEMI system. We in cardiology have the confidence in Barrow County Paramedics to correctly diagnose and begin treatment of heart attacks before they arrive to the hospital” states J. Jeffery Marshall, MD, FSCAI, FACC and Director of the Cath Labs at NGMC. “Because of their expertise we bring heart attack patients directly to the cath lab, bypassing the ER in most cases.” “I am very proud of our staff at BCES for the dedication and team work they have put into the STEMI program,” stated Chief of Emergency Services John Skinner. “The continued work of the men and women in this department, as well as plans for future programs such as a heart healthy community will continue to enhance the treatment and success of the program.”
- SCOTT DAKIN