Safe diabetic care practices for EMS
Diabetic care practices are often overlooked in EMS. Blood glucose testing can expose people to bloodborne viruses such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C Virus, and HIV when testing supplies and materials are used on multiple patients. Outbreaks of Hepatitis B infection associated with unsafe diabetes care have been identified with increasing regularity particularly is settings where individuals require assistance with monitoring their blood glucose levels and glucometers are used on multiple patients. EMS is one of these settings.
The Tidewater EMS Council, Inc. seeks proposals from qualified EMS educators, organizations and jurisdictions (“vendors”) to plan and conduct Category 1 EMS continuing education courses and/or EMS auxiliary courses throughout the Tidewater EMS region. The council intends to contract with one or more vendors or optionally employ individuals to plan and conduct these courses. Funding associated with this program is available for approved courses conducted between August 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018.
EMS personnel cannot avoid exposure to the heat and humidity of Hampton Roads’ summers. Nor do we have much choice in the uniforms we wear. However, there are things you can do to reduce the effect of heat stress on your body and work performance.
During a beautiful afternoon at Harbor Park in Norfolk on June 4, 2017, the Tidewater EMS Council presented eight regional EMS awards and a special lifetime achievement award. The awards presentation was part of the council's annual EMS family day at the ballpark attended by some 650 responders, dispatchers, emergency department staff and their families.
A year ago, a former law enforcement officer and mother of a child with autism started the Autism Law Enforcement Response Training (ALERT) program to help law enforcement and ther first responders learn how to respond to individuals on the autism spectrum during an emergency. Since then, the program has expanded to include fire and EMS, and it has trained personnel from 29 agencies in four states. To meet a need repeatedly brought up at these trainings, ALERT has developed an interactive communication app, Autism Talk. 
