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For the EMS community, these past few months have been like nothing we have ever seen. Call volumes were way up and then way down. Every call had the potential for exposure to a highly contagious disease. Standing orders changed at dizzying speeds as the pandemic progressed. Through it all, the EMS profession in our nation stood tall.
Pandemic highlights existing challenges
EMS providers are excelling as they rise to meet these challenges. We’ve seen countless examples of EMS responders going into danger, whether from the virus or other physical hazards.
Yet, the trials are not all new. This crisis has compounded many of the existing challenges we have faced for years. Funding for EMS has long been a nationwide challenge, and now many EMS services, even some of the larger ones, are facing financial stress. Emotional toll on EMS responders, who often work long hours under demanding conditions, needs a continuing response.
Progress for EMS
We are beginning to see creative and helpful responses to these challenges. Locally, EMS and other first responders are being lauded as heroes. And, perhaps most exciting for me as an old paramedic, the public is showing a better understanding of what we do every day. I’m excited that FirstNet is giving EMS new communications capabilities to make your job more effective, safer, and in better service to your patients.
EMS without ambulances
I want to acquaint you with a corner of the EMS community—the National Ski Patrol. I recently talked to Dick Woolf, national telecommunications advisor, who described the ski patrol as EMS without ambulances. Instead they operate in the great outdoors to treat and transport ill and injured patients. The organization has provided emergency rescue and medical services, free of charge, since 1938. The National Ski Patrol includes ski patrol members who respond on slopes in the winter and bike patrol members who respond on mountain-biking trails and other biking locations in the summer.
National Ski Patrol members were recently recognized as primary users for FirstNet because of their EMS work. The National Ski Patrol currently certifies 26,000 of its members through signature training called Outdoor Emergency Care that is comparable to EMT training but with specialized content for outdoor conditions.
Promise of FirstNet
The National Ski Patrol are new adopters, and Dick sees a lot of promise for FirstNet to help ski patrollers—in calling for helicopters or personnel during a search and rescue, viewing live drone video of an avalanche zone, or connecting first responders to medical control for advanced support.
He said, “FirstNet should not be viewed by patrollers as simply a lower-cost cell phone service with priority and pre-emption, but rather as the future of EMS telecommunications technology to provide better patient care.
FirstNet supports ski events then and now
Today the FirstNet network buildout is over 80% complete with new cell sites being launched regularly. Before the FirstNet buildout began, a demonstration public safety network was set up at the 2015 International Ski Federation Alpine World Ski Championships in Colorado to show the benefits of a public safety network for large ski events.
More recently, FirstNet has supported the Birkebeiner, North America’s largest cross-country race. The annual 30-mile race draws 45,000 skiers and spectators to rural northwestern Wisconsin and faces huge communications challenges. To boost connectivity, public safety requested a Satellite Cellsite on Light Truck, known as a SatCOLT. FirstNet’s fleet of deployables provide similar capabilities and connectivity as a cell tower.
Dr. Dayle Quigley, the medical director for the race, said, “Communications are huge to what we do. By putting in the [FirstNet SatCOLT] we can actually cover the entire trail, which we couldn’t do before.”
Public safety’s needs
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) was created by an act of Congress to build a new, modern mobile broadband communications system that is dedicated and responsive to the needs of public safety. Send me an email to let me know your EMS communication needs.
My FirstNet Authority colleagues and I are participating in these virtual public safety conferences, and I hope you’ll check out our presentations and sessions.
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The EMS Take by Brent Williams
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