"The two agencies I was most recently with both required a classroom and cone course/precepted road time approach (based on the NHTSA EVOC curriculum) prior to being alone in the driver's seat. Both also attempted to send everyone (at some…"
Social and Professional Network
-
Skip Kirkwood
- Male
- Wake Forest, NC USA
- United States
- EMS Chief
Last On: 11:31PM, 25 May 12
- Blog Posts (6)
- Discussions (1805)
- Events
- Groups (27)
- Photos
- Photo Albums
- Videos
Skip Kirkwood's Groups
-
Violence towards EMS
9 members
-
National Association of …
168 members
-
EMS Economics
23 members
-
EMS Insider
104 members
-
Remembering Jim Page
61 members
Skip Kirkwood's Discussions
Driver Training in EMS??? (Where have all the good discussions gone???)
11 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by Michael Stern 1 hour ago.
Street-corner Posting - Do bad things happen?
13 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by dr-exmedic May 14.
Violence - Assaults - etc....is it just part of the job?
8 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by Skip Kirkwood yesterday.
Skip Kirkwood's Page
Latest Activity
Michael Stern replied to Skip Kirkwood's discussion Driver Training in EMS??? (Where have all the good discussions gone???)
Skip Kirkwood's discussion was featuredThe OSHA "General Duty" clause - is it real? Does it matter?
Section 5 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, as amended, provides in part that(a) Each employer -- (1) shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees;This is known as the general duty clause.Does anyone out there know of any health care or public safety organizations that have been cited under the general duty clause? If so, what…See More
Skip Kirkwood replied to Bob Sullivan's discussion Handling Patients with Concealed Weapons"Paul, it sounds like you might be in a good position to do some education.
You said, "There is a big difference between the way we handle a CCW Licensed carrier and unlawful carrier." What are the differences? And how do you…"
Skip Kirkwood replied to Skip Kirkwood's discussion The OSHA "General Duty" clause - is it real? Does it matter?"I'd say that it is easy to recognize those hazards - especially where they are recurring, and people publish articles about them!
You probably can't reasonably plan for nuclear devices falling on you, or for a sniper that takes you out…"
Skip Kirkwood replied to Skip Kirkwood's discussion Violence - Assaults - etc....is it just part of the job?"Several states have upgraded the legal protections afforded to emergency responders, including EMS. I think that is a good thing. I think I hear you saying that it is a problem, but I didn't grasp why. Do explain.
What used…"
Skip Kirkwood replied to Skip Kirkwood's discussion Driver Training in EMS??? (Where have all the good discussions gone???)"In most US states, not "automatically." Our laws allow you to violate a variety of rules (speed, red lights, etc.), provided that you exercise "due care."
However, it is very easy for someone (bosses, jury, police) to…"
Neil White replied to Skip Kirkwood's discussion Driver Training in EMS??? (Where have all the good discussions gone???)"How many hours do police officers get with driving? We don't chase people, but I would argue that our cargo is more precious than theirs.
Its interesting here, Pursuits have to be authorised by the senior officer on duty in the dispatch…"
Wil Bard replied to Skip Kirkwood's discussion Driver Training in EMS??? (Where have all the good discussions gone???)"I'd like to say we have a great driving program, but we don't. When I started it was something like this is the ambulance go and drive it. I drove a full size van so the regular driving was pretty much the same. I got…"
Profile Information
- Primary Role in EMS
- EMS Chief
- Primary Agency/Department Type
- Municipal Agency
- Primary Department/Agency Name
- Wake County (NC) EMS Division
- Department/Agency Web Site
- http://wakegov.com/ems
- Years in EMS/Public Safety
- 35
- Other Past or Current Departments
- Area Ambulance Authority, Cedar Rapids, IA-Chief
Munroe Regional EMS, Ocala, FL - Executive Director
Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, OR-Batt. Chief - EMS Officer
Oregon State EMS Division-Chief
Memorial Hospital of Burlington County, NJ-Paramedic
UMDNJ-EMS, Newark, NJ-Paramedic
International Life Support, Honolulu, HI
U. S. Navy Hospital Corps - HM2(SS) - Submarine Corpsman
- My Training:
- TEEX Enhanced Incident Management-Unified Command Course
Executive Fire Officer certificate, USFA
Chief Medical Officer designation, CPSE
J.D., Rutgers Univ.
M.S., Central Michigan Univ.
NREMT-P since 1983
- About Me
- Proud father of Elizabeth and Devin
Married to Natalie 23 years
Bagpiper and founder of the Wake & Distict Public Safety Pipes and Drums
IC/Planning Section Chief
- Day Job
- Career EMS officer, educator, consultant
- I Love Being in Fire/EMS Because
- it's a great way to serve the community, and because EMS people are great people!
- Relationship Status
- Married
Skip Kirkwood's Blog
Situational Awareness, Scene Safety, and Prayers for Comrades
What a week. Friday a mass shooting in Binghamton, NY, and today three police officers killed in Pittsburgh, PA. Following the week when 8 were murdered in a nursing home in Carthage, NC. Please keep the families of the fallen officers, and our EMS colleagues who had to respond to thesescenes, in our thoughts and prayers.
So - how do we help to prepare ourselves situations like this? And how do we keep ourselves from becoming victims?
We probably need to spend some time,… Continue
So - how do we help to prepare ourselves situations like this? And how do we keep ourselves from becoming victims?
We probably need to spend some time,… Continue
Posted on April 4, 2009 at 6:29pm — 5 Comments
Embracing the "public safety" aspects - Steve Berry's closing keynote
In his closing keynote at EMS TODAY, Steve Berry (addressing public perception of EMS) urged listeners to adopt some of the professionalism of our public safety counterparts-- fire, law enforcement and the military. He believes we’re a mix of medical and public safety, but that in order to cement an image of EMS in the public’s mind, we should accept that the public affiliates us more with public safety than the medical profession, and we should work with that perception rather than against it.… Continue
Posted on March 28, 2009 at 5:00pm — 51 Comments
The EMS Labor Movement - or Lack Thereof? What's the story?
Many of the posts on this network site, and others, bemoan the plight of poor, overworked, underpaid, and under-respected EMS providers.
Yet, the EMS community does not seem to have an active labor movement working to improve this environment.
I must confess that I'm not a union guy - I'm a chief in a right-to-work, no collective bargaining for public employees state. So the situation probably works to my advantage - maybe. But I am curious.
It seems that much… Continue
Yet, the EMS community does not seem to have an active labor movement working to improve this environment.
I must confess that I'm not a union guy - I'm a chief in a right-to-work, no collective bargaining for public employees state. So the situation probably works to my advantage - maybe. But I am curious.
It seems that much… Continue
Posted on February 14, 2009 at 12:39pm — 14 Comments
What research would help us do EMS better?
I was reading the March 2009 issue of Prehospital Emergency Care (for those who don't read it, it is the major peer-review journal devoted to EMS in the US).
I was excited to see, buried amongst the clinical and pseudo-clinical research abstracts, a few studies that might help us run our services better. One was a before and after study of the impact of implementing power stretchers in a large county EMS agency.
We've gt a ton of clinical research going on - the physicians… Continue
I was excited to see, buried amongst the clinical and pseudo-clinical research abstracts, a few studies that might help us run our services better. One was a before and after study of the impact of implementing power stretchers in a large county EMS agency.
We've gt a ton of clinical research going on - the physicians… Continue
Posted on February 7, 2009 at 10:48am — 39 Comments
Creating a "culture of safety" in the EMS community
Hate is a strong word.
I HATE hearing about medics getting injured, disabled, killed in the line of duty.
Since I play the bagpipes and I'm a public safety guy, I go to more than my fair share of public safety funerals. It is distressing to see the impact of these mostly-unnecessary, mostly-preventable deaths on friends, families, agencies, and communities. It's hardened me a good bit over the years - to the point where I don't feel at all bad about dropping the… Continue
I HATE hearing about medics getting injured, disabled, killed in the line of duty.
Since I play the bagpipes and I'm a public safety guy, I go to more than my fair share of public safety funerals. It is distressing to see the impact of these mostly-unnecessary, mostly-preventable deaths on friends, families, agencies, and communities. It's hardened me a good bit over the years - to the point where I don't feel at all bad about dropping the… Continue
Posted on February 4, 2009 at 8:16pm — 28 Comments
Comment Wall (36 comments)
- At 12:55pm on April 11, 2012,
John Crossett said… - Hey I have a question I think you may be able to help me with. But I don't want to make it public because I'm employer is on jems. Would you be willing to help me out? My email is John.c.Crossett@gmail.com. I'd be willing and wanting to talk to you on the phone do better communication.
- At 6:47pm on September 24, 2010,
Chance Gearheart said… - Hey Chief, are you up at National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg MD this week? I've been seeing Wake County 200 in the parking lot all week.
- At 6:17pm on September 10, 2010, Chance Gearheart said…
- Skip, can you recommend any resource for learning about EMTALA for the non-legalese speaking person?
- At 10:02pm on July 15, 2010,
Nathan said… - Sorry to hear about your heart surgery. Get well soon and take care of yourself. We all NEED you alive and making things happen! Hope your feeling better soon.
- At 1:00pm on March 10, 2010,
Marshall said… - Mr. Kirkwood,
I read your blog "What research would help us do EMS better?" and I was really intrigued. As a young, aspiring researcher - these questions fascinate me more than the clinical questions. I was wondering if you could provide me more insight (and from your experiences) into what would help administrators/managers/agencies "do EMS better."?
Kind Regards,
Marshall
- At 6:48pm on March 5, 2010,
Tom Bouthillet said… - Hey, Skip! I was hoping to run into you in the exhibit hall but so far no luck! I attended Dr. Myers session today on APPs. Good stuff! You truly have an EMS system to be proud of. Hope all is well!
- At 3:48pm on February 19, 2010,
Dave M said… - Skip, I was reading up on your APP program and wasn't able to find anything on how your first year has gone. Have you published anything on it or can you give me an idea of how it went both operationally and clinically? It is a very interesting concept and I am very interested in learning more about your program.
Dave.
- At 8:51am on February 12, 2010,
Daved van Stralen said… - Skip, you do not follow the typical arc of public safety officers who protect their careers in their final promotions. In the same vein as Jim Page and Ron Stewart (who I first met in 1973 and ’75 respectively), you use your depth of experience to create important improvements in EMS and direct your wisdom to support those new to our field. This will shape the future of EMS more than improving what we do. This will create a new field with a unique body of knowledge that requires a specific way of reasoning and thinking (epistemology).
- At 3:23pm on February 10, 2010,
Bob Sullivan said… - Skip, were you a corpsman or a corpse-man? The latter sounds scarry:)
- At 1:54pm on February 10, 2010, Dave M said…
- Skip, Thanks for posting the link on the story about the 17 year old. I'm going to a seminar on Documentation on the 24th and this is one of the big reasons why I harp on the subject. If you find others, please pass them on and I would be interested in learning the lessons that they teach.
Dave.
JEMS Connect is the social and professional network for emergency medical services, EMS, paramedics, EMT, rescue squad, BLS, ALS and more.
© 2012 Created by JEMS Web Chief.
