Disaster Podcast

This short episode from the archives was recorded at EMS World Expo 2016 with Sam Bradley and Jamie Davis joined by special guest Catherine Counts talking about EMS Research and its importance in helping create best practices for our providers during all sorts of responses. Check it out.

Check out this episode and if you have questions, leave them here or on our new disaster podcast Facebook Group.

Paragon Brings “The Experience”

Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

This week on the Disaster Podcast co-hosts Jamie Davis, the Podmedic, and Sam Bradley are joined by their regular guest and weather expert Kyle Nelson. Kyle spends some time explaining the thought process behind the National Hurricane Center’s 2017 Atlantic basin hurricane season forecast. Also on the call was Dr. Joe Holley who also recently experienced some extreme weather in the Memphis, Tennessee area.

NOAA or the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s prediction for the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30, forecasters predict a 45 percent chance of an above-normal season, a 35 percent chance of a near-normal season, and only a 20 percent chance of a below-normal season.

From the NOAA site (NOAA.gov):

“Regardless of how many storms develop this year, it only takes one to disrupt our lives,” said Acting FEMA Administrator Robert J. Fenton, Jr. “Get ready now with these easy, low-cost steps that will leave you better prepared and will make all the difference: Have a family discussion about what you will do, where you will go and how you will communicate with each other when a storm threatens; Know your evacuation route; tune into your local news or download the FEMA app to get alerts, and finally – listen to local authorities as a storm approaches.”

Check out this episode and if you have questions, leave them here or on our new disaster podcast Facebook Group.

Paragon Brings “The Experience”

Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

In this episode of the Disaster Podcast, we pick up with part two of last week’s episode with nursing student Raya Zoe El-Khoury Cupler. Raya is a junior at Chamberlain College of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio, has dedicated her time to working with refugee organizations delivering medical care to refugees of war and conflict zones in the Middle East.

In addition to her global health work, Raya serves as Director North and Chairwoman of the Legislation Education Committee for the National Student Nurses’ Association and was recently named a Johnson & Johnson Global Citizen Young Leader.

Like any medical care in an austere environment, care in a war or conflict zone requires that hard decisions about allocation of care have to be made. Raya shares examples of typical days in the camps providing basic and advanced care to refugees.

From Raya, we hear how Chemical attacks caused an additional layer of challenges to responders and health care workers alike. Kyle Nelson, our weather expert gives the piece of advice to Raya to “never let your wonder stop guiding your thinking.”

Check out this episode and if you have questions, leave them here or on our new disaster podcast Facebook Group.

Paragon Brings “The Experience”

Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

In this episode of the Disaster Podcast, we welcome Raya Zoe El-Khoury Cupler. Raya is a junior at Chamberlain College of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio, has dedicated her time to working with refugee organizations delivering medical care to refugees of war and conflict zones in the Middle East.

In addition to her global health work, Raya serves as Director North and Chairwoman of the Legislation Education Committee for the National Student Nurses’ Association and was recently named a Johnson & Johnson Global Citizen Young Leader.

Raya shares her important work with various NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in and around Syria’s civil war. She says this war is different because some factions in it are actively targeting health care organizations like hospitals and first responders.

Check out this episode and if you have questions, leave them here or on our new disaster podcast Facebook Group.

Paragon Brings “The Experience”

Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

In this special episode, we bring an interview we did at EMS World Expo 2016 where Sam Bradley interviewed first responder filmmaker Ray Kemp from Triple Zilch Productions. Ray and his team specialize in content for and about first responders.

During the Ferguson, Missouri riots, Ray Kemp took a camera team down to record Christian Hospital EMS response to calls during the riots. Sam chats with Ray about his experience there on the ground during this contentious time.

Check out this episode and if you have questions, leave them here or on our new disaster podcast Facebook Group.

Paragon Brings “The Experience”

Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

This week on the Disaster Podcast, hosts Jamie Davis and Sam Bradley are joined by their disaster weather expert, Kyle Nelson (@wxKyleNelson). Also on the call is past guest Chris Prutzman from Moore Oklahoma, and podcast regular Dr. Joe Holley from Paragon Medical Education Group.The topic for the show is an in-depth look at tornadoes.

Kyle reports 636 confirmed tornadoes in the U.S. so far this year at the time we recorded the episode. Spring and fall are the seasons where tornadoes are more common due to the changing weather from cold to warmer temperatures. Things calm down during the summer and winter months.

Chris Prutzman talks about how responders and disaster planners in Oklahoma all consider themselves amateur meteorologists. He describes the infamous F5 tornado that struck Moore Oklahoma shortly after he moved to the area to take a new job as a paramedic.

Weather Updates and Information:

https://Weather.gov

Tornado Preparedness Information:

https://www.ready.gov/tornadoes

Past episodes about the Joplin Tornado:

http://disasterpodcast.com/2017/02/joplin-tornado-women-facing-disaster-tamara-heiner/

http://disasterpodcast.com/2017/02/joplin-tornado-review-dr-brian-froelke/

Check out this episode and if you have questions, leave them here or on our new disaster podcast Facebook Group.

Paragon Brings “The Experience”

Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

Make sure you check out part one of this episode from last week!

In part two of the episode, we look at what to carry for snake bite during disaster response. Basic wide bandages, duct tape, quick clot bandages and general first aid supplies are what Dr. Ben Abo ([email protected]) carries when traveling to wilderness locations. Dr. Joe Holley and the Tennessee Task Force One USAR Team carry CroFab – the synthetic pit viper antivenin.

For non-indigenous snakes, such as exotic pets that get loose, many systems have to reach out to local and regional zoos to get the necessary venom treatments for exotic snakes. In the Miami region, there are special venom teams such as Venom One. Poison centers around the country can reach out to them and gain access to specialized knowledge and logistical assistance to transport the antivenin for a specific bite. Dr. Ben Abo makes the comment that with Venomous bites, logistics saves lives.

Miami-Dade County Venom One Site

Make sure you check out part one of this episode from last week!

Check out this episode and if you have questions, leave them here or on our new disaster podcast Facebook Group.

Paragon Brings “The Experience”

Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

We have Dr. Ben Abo ([email protected]) on the show tonight to talk about some common myths about snake bite injuries. Before he comes on, Kyle Nelson (@WxKyleNelson), our resident severe and disaster weather expert, joins us to talk about the upcoming severe weather roundup. Also on the call is Dr. Joe Holley calling in from his home base in Memphis.

First are the old myths about coral snakes in North America. The rhyme about  “Red touch black, safe for Jack. Red touches yellow, kills a fellow” is only true for one variety of coral snake in North America. It’s also a myth that coral snakes have to “latch on” for the venom to transmit. The coral snake venom is a neurotoxin and the effects can be delayed for hours after the bite. The only treatment is the antivenin for that particular bite. There are often permanent effects depending on where the bite is located.

World Health Organization Antivenin Link

Pit Viper Snake Bite

Aside from the coral snake, most of the venomous snakes in North America are pit vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads, water moccasins, etc.) The good news is that most of these use a common synthetic antivenin to treat all of them. The biggest problem is inappropriate field treatments. For pit vipers, which have a cellular toxin, it is NOT recommended to apply a tourniquet of any kind to the area above the wound. Otherwise, the toxin will pool in the area around the wound and cause additional cellular damage.

Other Snake Bite Don’ts:

Don’t chase after the snake.

Don’t try to capture the snake.

Don’t handle a dead snake. Even a dead snake’s fangs can envenom someone.

Miami-Dade County Venom One Site

Make sure you check out part two of this episode next week!

Check out this episode and if you have questions, leave them here or on our new disaster podcast Facebook Group.

Paragon Brings “The Experience”

Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

In the second half of the call that started in part one last week, Dr. Neal Richmond discusses an example of understanding the real mechanics and psychological aspects of working in the field out of a classroom. He discusses helping providers understand the tiny incremental changes they need to implement to improve something like cardiac arrest survival in their communities.

We also discuss the importance of training across the systems that will respond in a community. Whether it be mutual aid organizations or split Fire/EMS departments who only interact on relatively few calls. Multi-agency training is an essential part of managing critical patients.

There is also a discussion on the merits of ongoing refresher training to maintain infrequently used skills. We can’t expect emergency responders to understand how to do the things they need to do without giving them the tools and opportunities to practice them.

If you want to reach out to Dr. Neal Richmond to find about how your system can improve the metrics they track and the QA systems you use, email him at [email protected].

Make sure you join us for part two of this informative episode next week.

Check out this episode and if you have questions, leave them here or on our new disaster podcast Facebook Group.

Paragon Brings “The Experience”

Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.

Dr. Neal Richmond comes on the show this week in part one of a two-part episode to share his outlook on emergency response to disasters and mass casualty incidents (MCIs). He started his work with EMS in New York City when he became associated with FDNY. Then he moved to Louisville, Kentucky to help with medical direction in their system them. Lately, he’s been working with MedStar as a medical director.

Neal is interested in the differences between what we call disasters and what we call MCIs. Some may think they have a lot in common while others would point out the major differences (as Neal does). He starts off talking about the way some EMS responders wait for the “big one” which might occur once in a career, if ever. He proposes that if we look at the way some systems handle everyday, run of the mill EMS calls, that they add up to an MCI call all on their own because the responders drop the ball in some way.

The answer to the proposed question is that we can find answers within the data from these average calls with adverse patient events. When systems do really accurate quality assurance (QA), they have the information they need to identify the areas in need of change within a system. The important thing to do when these deficiencies are noted is to treat them as educational opportunities and not disciplinary opportunities.

If you want to reach out to Dr. Neal Richmond to find about how your system can improve the metrics they track and the QA systems you use, email him at [email protected].

Make sure you join us for part two of this informative episode next week.

Check out this episode and if you have questions, leave them here or on our new disaster podcast Facebook Group.

Paragon Brings “The Experience”

Paragon Medical Education Group specializes in bringing what they call “The Experience” to jurisdictions around the country. They bring together police, fire, EMS, and hospital teams to train together and learn what to expect from each diverse group in the response team so that each knows what to expect from the other and how to back the other groups up. Visit Paragon’s site at ParagonMedicalGroup.com for more information on how this can be brought into your system.