EMSAAC News

EMSAAC's Board of Directors has now approved a Strategic Plan for the Association. Starting with a workshop facilitated by our own Michael Petrie last September in San Diego, this document has gone thru several drafts before being finalized. Board members were recently polled via email for their vote.  Kudos to Cathy Chidester and EMSAAC's Executive Committee for their leadership for this process!

Download document here:  EMSAAC 2013 Strategic Plan

Marin County has developed a practical guide containing key procedures that may be needed by the Medical Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC) during a disaster. This handbook describes local procedures used in Marin for notification and alerting via CAHAN, ReddiNet use, Medical Health resource ordering, deployment of CHEMPACK or EMS Field Treatment Sites, and other key functions. It also includes position checklists for key personnel in the Medical Health Branch of the Operational Area EOC.

Download document here:  Marin OA Medical Health Handbook

Yolo County is in the process of forming its own local EMS agency. Located west of Sacramento, Yolo County has contracted with Sierra Sacramento Valley EMS for many years, and has now decided to establish its own single-county LEMSA. They are working closely with neighboring Solano County EMS to set up the required functions, and expect to be operational by July 2013. Yolo has also recently hired an EMS Coordinator.

At the annual California EMS Awards ceremony in San Francisco on December 5th, the EMS Authority recognized Bruce Barton (Riverside County EMS) and Miles Julihn (Marin County EMS) for their leadership on statewide EMS issues. Bruce was honored as EMS Administrator of the Year, and Miles was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal. EMSAAC has also benefited from their leadership, and we congratulate them on their outstanding achievement!

For more information on the California EMS Awards go to: http://www.emsa.ca.gov/about/awards/default.asp

A study published in the October 2012 New England Journal of Medicine found that cardiac arrest victims in low income neighborhoods were less likely to receive bystander-initiated CPR than those in higher income neighborhoods. Supported by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and CARES, this study included 14,225 patients who suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest from 2005-2009. Researchers concluded: "In a large cohort study, we found that patients who had an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in low-income black neighborhoods were less likely to receive bystander-initiated CPR than those in high-income white neighborhoods."

To view the abstract from this study, go to: New England Journal of Medicine abstract