Did you know that vehicles striking fixed objects, like buildings or poles, as well as animals, including deer, are some of the most common claims that VFIS clients face? Adam Kinsey, Employee Compliance and Training Manager for St. Johnsville Ambulance, joins the podcast to discuss how emergency service organizations can utilize brush guards on their vehicles to help mitigate extensive damage during these incidents and reduce downtime for their fleet.

Does your EMS agency utilize whole blood for patients with severe blood loss? In this episode, EMS professionals from Sussex County EMS join VFIS podcast host Chris Rodgers to share how the use of whole blood, which includes red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma, has been beneficial for their pre-hospital care protocols. Let’s dive into the concept of using whole blood, why it’s needed, and how to implement it in your emergency service organization.

Every time your emergency service organization makes a leadership change, it’s essential that change is represented across all of your organization’s channels and entities. Members of our VFIS Risk Control and Education team joined the podcast for a roundtable discussion on the importance of previous leaders making a clean-break, best practices for leadership transitions, and tasks that new leaders should consider making a priority.

 Additional Resource - New Officers Checklist

Emergency services personnel and their vehicles are increasingly being struck by fellow motorists while responding to emergencies along roadways, resulting in significant damage, injuries, and even death. In this episode, we sat down with Fire Chief Dr. Hervy Kornegay of Belfast Volunteer Fire Department in Wayne County, NC to discuss how his department is utilizing an attenuator-equipped vehicle to help battle this issue and better protect their team.

Is your fire department looking for new or better ways to engage with your community? Chris Rodgers, Industry Specialist with VFIS, sat down with Fire Chief Dan Hoff from York Area United Fire & Rescue (“YAUFR”) to learn about their Citizens Fire Academy—which could serve as a great inspiration for your team!

This program gives adults a hands-on, behind-the-scenes view into what firefighters and EMS personnel do and face every day—plus, serves as a great tool for community risk reduction, volunteer recruitment, and community engagement in the process.

Junior Member Program Liability can be a large exposure for an Emergency Service Organization. In this episode, Rachel Breen and Greg Lidstrom of VFIS Underwriting and Dave Bradley of Client Risk Solutions discuss best practices for departments with a Junior Member Program.

In this episode we discuss the concept of modified response in emergency services, what it means and how to integrate it into your operations.

VFIS Education Specialist Nicole Dugan joins us to learn about Freedom House Ambulance—the first paramedic program in the US, which was fully-staffed by African Americans, and their notable impact on emergency services and beyond.  

Responder Help is a one stop source for Fire and EMS resources. In this episode, Rick Gurba, Director of VFIS Education and Training, talks about updates made to the site and gives an overview of the resources it provides, including sample SOGs, industry news, training programs and more.

Proof of loss, points of contact and more – In this episode, Mike Leatherwood, Jeff Paul, and Greg Joy of Glatfelter Claims Management discuss items your organization should consider when preparing for a catastrophic event.