Swine Flu. NEVER ROUTINE. Baby does it. CDE introduces PAIs deliver when newest protocol No call is ever run of the mill nature hastens The National Academies of Emergency Dispatch May/June 2009 THEJOURNALJOURNAL OF EMERGENCY DISPATCH NavigatorNavigator Bringing people together THE JOURNAL | May/June 2009 1 Your newest trauma tool isn’t in here. J\i`fljcp`eali\[gXk`\ekji\cpfepflkf^`m\k_\Y\jkd\[`ZXcXkk\ek`feXe[ZXi\%Kf[fk_Xk#pfle\\[ befnc\[^\#\og\i`\eZ\Xe[k_\gifg\ikffcj%K_XkËjn_pk_\:\ek\ij]fi;`j\Xj\:fekifcXe[Gi\m\ek`fe :;: _Xji\c\Xj\[k_\n`[\cp\e[fij\[<_[bZJh_W][:[Y_i_edIY^[c[0J^[DWj_edWbJhWkcWJh_W][FhejeYeb kf _\cg <DKj Xe[ gXiXd\[`Zj Z_ffj\ k_\ Y\jk kiXejgfik [\jk`eXk`fe ]fi kiXldX gXk`\ekj% ;\j`^e\[ `e gXike\ij_`g n`k_ fk_\i c\X[`e^ fi^Xe`qXk`fej Xe[ \og\ikj `e `ealip ZXi\# k_\ ;\Z`j`fe JZ_\d\ _Xj Y\\e glYc`j_\[ `e k_\ gi\jk`^`flj DDNI I\gfik I\Zfdd\e[Xk`fej% @kËj X mXclXYc\ kffc k_Xk ZXe _\cg pfli <DJjpjk\djXm\c`m\j% Get a free copy of the Field Triage Decision Scheme: The NaƟonal Trauma Triage Protocol, the MMWR and other free resources at www.cdc.gov/FieldTriage INSIDETHEJOURNAL May/June 2009 | vol. 11 no. 3 4 | President’s Message 5 | Ask Doc 6 | Dear Reader 7 | In Memoriam 50 | Last Page First 51 | Contributors 18 | feature 30 years. From its beginnings in Utah, protocol 22 | feature continues march around Navigator. Join the dispatch community the world in celebrating a profession and its protocol through coverage of our annual conference, 32| feature this year held in Las Vegas. Legislation. Lack of regulations puts dispatch in vulnerable position Departments OnTrack IndustryInsider Ruptured cord adds alarm to already anxious situation 8 | Medical CDE. Response 39 | In The News. Baby times two plus to epidemic takes advance accidental choking make planning YourSpace day to remember 12| All Protocol CDE. It’s all 44 | Stork Stories. Man follows dispatcher’s about being a professional Baby’s fi rst cry was instructions to the letter welcome music following car birth BestPractices Persistence moves caller 48 | Dispatch In Action. 16 | Quality Assurance. An from fear to confi dence CPR instructions puts breath emergency is never routine Emergency responders wait back into baby for person making the call in silent anticipation 17 | Frequently Asked Mom’s hand at solitaire Questions. fails to postpone baby The following U.S. patents may apply to portions of the MPDS depicted in this book: 5,857,966; 5,989,187; 6,004,266; 6,010,451; 6,053,864; 6,076,065; 6,078,894; 6,106,459; 6,607,481; 7,428,301. FPDS and PPDS patents pending. Protocol-related terminology in this text is additionally copyrighted within each of the NAED’s discipline-specifi c protocols. Original MPDS, FPDS, and PPDS copyrights established in September 1979, August 2000, and August 2001, respectively. Subsequent editions and supporting material copyrighted as issued. THE JOURNAL | May/June 2009 3 J PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE Missing Bill. Making the best out of trying situations is something we all can do to answer the anticipated business call from never know what the next call will bring or Scott Freitag, NAED President Hong Kong. Once I realized Bill wasn’t get- the emotional state of the person making ting out of the hole, that he was going to the call. The job not only requires the ability stay put in the muddy creek for the dura- to help someone through a crisis but, also, I told a story about Bill Boehly at the tion of that call, I drove over in the golf cart the empathy and expressive control to take Navigator conference, one of a million that and handed him a jacket. He finished his the distressed caller from a reactive to a pro- could be told to show the type of guy he phone conversation buoyed by mud. active response. Once help arrives, and the was. As those who knew him will agree, I told this story during the closing lun- dispatcher disconnects from a particularly there wasn’t much that could spoil his cheon held on the last day of Navigator as a tough call, the only relief may be the sort of good nature, not even landing nearly up to tribute to our good friend. Bill died in Feb- graveyard humor seen in high stress jobs. It’s his chest in mud while attempting his fi nal ruary 2009, several months after he was a way of protecting us from the horror or shot for the 18th hole during a raging North diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, leaving a tragedy we’ve witnessed in our heads from Carolina thunderstorm. tremendous personal and professional void. the situation described over the phone. That’s exactly what happened to Bill. The story exemplifi es his character, sense of Then there are the calls from people Bill and I were away from Salt Lake City humor, and dedication to Priority Dispatch abusing the system who knowingly make on NAED business and went golfi ng during Corp.™ and the NAED®. Even those in the outrageous calls that consequently jeopar- a free afternoon. A storm blew in but we audience who never met Bill laughed at the dize the lives of others. Others may ask silly decided to stay since this was the last hole story. He probably would have joined in. questions or demand police on the scene in our game. Bill takes a swing and the ball The stories told at Navigator are more to resolve a situation frustrating the caller. lands near the green on the other side of than fi llers, or ways to pass the time while Who hasn’t picked up a call from a driver a creek from where he stood. He was in a waiting for the technical details to catch who’s angry that another car cut in front at a fast-food drive-thru, or something similar? The absurdity makes us laugh while, at the same time, it adds to the day’s pressures, especially when police are sent to make sure there isn’t some type of emergency happen- ing. Each time it happens, those calls keep offi cers from keeping the rest of us safe. Navigator gives us the opportunity to share these experiences. Time and time again people tell me how important it is to hear stories about calls similar to the ones they receive. The same goes for issues inter- nal to the communications center or the “bad” press that might develop following an often sensationalized media investiga- tion of 9-1-1 calls. Navigator lets us know we’re in this together and, also, gives us the rare occasion to acknowledge our collective efforts. We leave re-energized and ready to Fearsome Foursome. Jon Stones, Adam Hinckley, and Ken Winward fl ank Bill Boehly during a local golf tournament. approach our jobs head on. This year’s Navigator was no different hurry, expecting a phone call, so he decides up with the intended program. Every- and, for some, the conference was especially to jump the creek rather than wait for me one attending Navigator is in some way inspiring because of the celebration of the to arrive in the golf cart. Well, as much as attached to an emergency communica- 30th anniversary of protocol. The only part we loved Bill, let’s be honest; Bill was not tions center. We may not share the exact missing was Bill. He could have told the built to jump. He could golf, but he wasn’t same sense of humor, but we do belong to golfi ng story much better, if he would have much good when it came to self fl ight. He a profession that demands we have one. told it at all. Outside his own family, this slammed feet fi rst into the mud. We’ve learned how to make the best out community was his life. Not even a plunge What did Bill do? He laughed, even of trying situations. into a muddy creek could keep him from while fi shing his cell phone out of a pocket It’s not easy being a 9-1-1 dispatcher. We making the best of a situation. J 4 THE JOURNAL | emergencydispatch.org J ASKDOC Swine Flu. Taking the pandemic by surprise standing Chemical, Biological, Radiological, from NENA also in Las Vegas, they joined Jeff Clawson, M.D. and Nuclear (CBRN) Fast Track Commit- in the effort to post the links on their sites, tee that constantly monitors the Centers as did the CDC and others. The National for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Metropolitan Medical Directors consortium The National Academies of Emergency the World Health Organization (WHO), was also notifi ed on the afternoon of April Dispatch® (NAED) has received a fl ood of Health Canada, U.K. National Health Ser- 29 of the upcoming posts. Notification of letters and phone calls about the appropri- vice (NHS), the Australian Government all e-mail registered MPDS agencies, and the ate use of Protocol 36 Pandemic Flu and Department of Health and Ageing, and reaching out to even non-MPDS users, was the rapidity in which the Protocol and other sites for emerging trends and possible accomplished. All were notifi ed to check the technical documents relating to its appli- symptoms of new threats. We keep a close NAED website daily for updated materials. cation were released simultaneously to watch on these worldwide health trends The Academy has so far received stellar the reported outbreak and word of a pos- and plan accordingly.