Transfer of patient care, scene management and incident command present some unique challenges for the local fire agencies and our Ada County Paramedics. Adoption of clear-cut and uniform policies and procedures by all agencies is the best way to ensure that there is no breakdown in patient care. There are currently policies and procedures in place, but as times, technology and circumstances change, it is sometimes necessary to revisit longstanding policies to ensure that they are serving us well today.
Ada County Paramedics deserve our utmost respect. These professionally trained emergency medical services providers, together with local firefighters, provide life-saving services at a moment’s notice. I’ve done ride-alongs with Ada County Paramedics, and although the sight of blood doesn’t bother me (I’ve worked at an American Red Cross Blood Center) the sight of people in pain does. It takes special people to be able to hold their own feelings in check in order to focus exclusively on patient care, safety and outcomes.
I have been working with local fire agencies, particularly Boise Fire, Ada County Paramedics, and members of the Emergency Medical Services Medical Directorate (physician advisory group) to push toward the creation of better, more consistent inter-agency policies for things like transfer of patient care and scene management.
Getting everyone on the same page before a difficult emergency situation occurs is the best way to ensure the best possible outcomes. To that end, I am pleased that our administrators at Ada County Paramedics have arranged a training session this coming Thursday that will help facilitate the best possible working relationships between our medics and their counterparts with the fire agencies. There is limited space, but we have invited representatives of all of the county’s local fire agencies to participate. We are looking forward to it.