Ambuglances ::: Region I's Official Newsletter

G8 Summit Nears

The G* Summit will be held on Sea Island, Georgia on June 8-10. Security is a big issue as well as emergency response preparedness. It is believed that terrorists plan another attack during this summer and protesters regularly attend the summit events. There is a large military and law enforcement presence on the coast for this event. Additional information can be found at www.g8ga.info/external/index.cfm?cid=705&clientID=839419.

Last Chance For Recert in Georgia

If you have not already sent your recert form to the Region 1 office, you may be too late. Any delays in the mail may cause you to exceed the June 30, 2004 deadline. Region 1 EMS Training Coordinator Jim Cutcher reports that all but five services have completely recertified their personnel by bringing the forms to the Region 1 office. If your service director has not done this, encourage them to make arrangements now. Jim Cutcher's office number is 706-295-6176. Act now before it is too late.

Identity Theft May be a Problem for EMS

We caution all services to be very careful with the employee training records. Many of the records contain the address and social security numbers of their employees. If you do not properly destroy the records, persons may obtain the records out of the trash and establish a line of credit. The unfortunate EMT may then receive the bills. Be very careful how you discard employee training records in written or electronic format.

EMS Instructor Screening Planned

June 29 and 30 will be the date of the EMT and Paramedic Instructor screening. The EMT Instructor portion will be on June 29th and the paramedic portion will be on June 30th. The host site will be West Central Georgia Technical College - Waco Campus. Applications to be utilized are found in policy C-11-0903, attachment B. All requirements along with proof for eligibility must be completed prior to application submission. The testing and registration fee is $100 and checks should be made payable to Clark County BOH - EMS Program. The deadline for applications is June 19, 2004.

Renumbering of EMS Units Begins

If you have noticed a small metal tag on the inside of the drivers side door of your ambulance, then David Loftin has completed the renumbering process at your service. The new five digit numbering replaces the old county number plus M or MR and unit number scheme such as 57M5. The windshield inspection sticker has also changed and has an expiration date of one year from the date of the last inspection. You also have one year to display the numbers in three-inch letters on both sides of the vehicle. I am suggesting that you place the numbers on the lower front section of the drivers and passenger side doors. The new unit numbers will be used in the EMS grid section of the PCR. The EMS grid will move to the miscellaneous section if used. Please begin this on July 1, 2004. Refer any questions to David Loftin at 706-295-6154 or cdloftin@gdph.state.ga.us.

Floyd Medical Center to Host BTLS & Pediatric BTLS Courses

Floyd Medical Center EMS will host a BTLS Provider course on July 24, 30 followed on August 7 with a Pediatric BTLS course. Contact Tony Cooper for more information at 706-802-1779.

EMS Educators Conference Changes Location

The 2004 Georgia EMS Educator Conference, formerly held at UGA in Athens, will be held this year in Macon. The program will be held at the Holiday Inn on Riverside Drive on September 19-21. Please put this on your calendars.

EMS Medical Director Conference Planned

A committee chaired by Dr. John Stearns of Calhoun is making initial plans to conduct an EMS Medical Director conference as a pre-conference for CHANGES in Augusta for 2005. We will have more details within the next few months on this conference.

EMS Expo to be Held in Atlanta

The EMS expo sponsored by EMS Magazine will be held on October 21-23, 2004 at the World Conference Center in Atlanta. It will be preceded by a pre-conference from October 19-20. Two people from Region 1 are on the faculty of the conference, Bud Owens and Greg Lord. For more information, please visit their website at www.emsmagazine.com/calendar/ Make your plans to be there.

We Would Like Pictures of EMS Week Events

If you have any pictures of your EMS Week events please mail them to David Loftin or e-mail the jpeg attachment to cdloftin@gdph.state.ga.us.

Pickens County Benefits From Second Year of AED Grants

Pickens County will benefit from the second year of the automatic external defibrillator grant for rural areas. The county will receive 8 Phillips AEDs from the grant. Two more years are left in the grant for rural counties.

Heat Alert for Medications in Ambulances

The average temperature in Georgia during the summer months is regularly above 80 degrees. The interior of ambulances can easily reach over 100 degrees which can destroy certain medications in your drug kit. It is important to keep your drug box temperature below 80 degrees to insure that medications remain effective. Epinephrine is particularly vulnerable to heat and light. Please remove your drug boxes from units that are not in service and run the air conditioner at other times. Ambulances parked in bays are exempt only if the bay doors are shut and the bay temperature is kept below 80 degrees.

Send Region I the Shipping Receipts of HRSA Equipment

Please mail the shipping receipts for all HRSA grant equipment and supplies received to Region 1 EMS so that complete delivery and prompt payment to the vendor can be insured.

Do you have a news story you would like published in Ambuglances? If so, let David Loftin know about it. He can be reached via telephone at (706) 295-6154 or via email at cdloftin@gdph.state.ga.us. Let's inform the region about your news!