South Orange Rescue Squad

Article in the September 14th Chapel Hill Herald

Text online at EMS1.com

Another reason why we teach using apparatus to protect emergency personnel working an incident on the highway or other roadway.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5348187/

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5.

(Full text:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_20090429/en/index.html)

WHO pandemic phase details are online at:
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/phase/en/

Last night, the CDC posted updated Interim Guidance for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems and 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) for Management of Patients with Confirmed or Suspected Swine-Origin Influenza A (H1N1) Infection at http://cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_ems.htm

CDC H1N1 Info page: http://cdc.gov/h1n1flu/index.htm

US DOT’s EMS Pandemic Influenza Guidelines for Statewide Adoption and Preparing for Pandemic Influenza: Recommendations for Protocol Development and 9-1-1 Personnel and Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) are available online at http://www.ems.gov

Prevention of exposure is the goal:

This flu is the same as any other flu and is transmitted via respiratory droplets and close personal contacts.

There are 5 key messages to controlling transmission:

1. Stay home if you are sick
2. Consult your physician but call first to avoid transmission at the physician’s office
3. Practice regular hand washing
4. Practice good respiratory etiquette (such as covering your mouth when you cough)
5. Proper infection control measures - Recommend to first responders take precaution (mask) to symptoms presenting of flu respiratory symptoms

Additional information is available at the following sites:

• Official swine flu updates from the CDC
• Official swine flu updates from the WHO
  
• JEMS Connect discussion on swine flu
  
• Harvard Health Publications.
  “Swine Flu: How to understand your risk and protect your health.”
  
• IAEMSC Recommended Planning for Pandemic Influenza Readiness
  
• IAEMSC Pandemic Flu Reference Sheet
  
• IAFC Guidance on Swine Flu
  

I would like to invite all fire/EMS members to the first of these monthly trainings on Sunday, May 3rd at 18:00.  Dr Jose Cabanas from the UNC Emergency Department will be speaking about “New Advances in the Management of Cardiac Arrest”.

Title says it all. The latest version of the new member application was posted on the sorescue.org website earlier today.

Dalton sent the following link.

http://www.firelink.com/news/articles/5294-woman-runs-over-3-officers-hits-firetruck

The officers were doing traffic control at a structure fire.

According to the accident report, police administered a breath test on McDaniel which registered a reading of .12, over the legal limit. They also charged her with driving under the influence and driving while suspended.

Green said the officers were at the scene of a structure fire doing routine traffic control when the alleged hit and run occurred. “I don’t know if she hit them first, and then the truck, or if she hit the truck and then them,” he said.

Hey Guys and Gals,

While sitting at the firehouse, I found an interesting article about a heavy rescue.  I thought I would share it with y’all.  It’s a little long but well worth the read. 

http://www.vententersearch.com/?p=338

-Josh Asbill

SORS’s very own Brittany Honeycutt was on the front page of the Chapel Hill Herald this past Thursday, November 18, 2008.

The complete article is available from the Chapel Hill Herald’s website at the link above. Click on the “Read The Print Edition Online” link on the lower right side of the webpage.

South Orange sponsored and participated in the Eve Carson Memorial 5k (http://educationforeve.com/) this past weekend. Below are a couple of pictures from the event.

Who got the luck 9-1-1 number? SORS did that’s who. More specifically Brittnie did.