A forthcoming conference and the creation of a committee will help those with EMT jobs focus more on safety.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently announced that it will award a $500,000 safety grant to create a National EMS “Culture of Safety” Conference and develop the national emergency medical services strategy.
The NHTSA is accepting proposals for the conference through June 17. In the meantime, the organization will work to put together a committee of stakeholders who will convene in Washington, D.C., and establish a national strategy on safety.
The steering committee will be made up of 15 members, including those from the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Fighters, American College of Emergency Physicians, National EMS Advisory Council, National Fire Protection Association and National Volunteer Fire Council, as well as several physician, nursing and education organizations.
“Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has been identified as a high-risk industry with injuries and deaths among both EMS personnel and the public,” the grant notes. “EMS personnel are routinely exposed to factors that threaten their personal safety and this, in turn, can impact the safety of the patients they serve.
“There is also evidence that suggests one of the biggest risk factors for EMS personnel are combative patients and bystanders whom they encounter in the field,” the grant continues. “Moreover, there are times when a patient’s safety is negatively impacted by the inadvertent actions taken by EMS personnel while providing care for the patient. Regardless of how EMS personnel or the patients they serve are harmed, the public, government and EMS industry have a duty to identify these threats and find ways to remove and reduce the harmful impact.”
Check out this recruiting video for NHTSA: