Mendham Borough First Aid Squad
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A peek inside a PSAP

3/7/2016

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My EMT course is being taught through Atlantic Training Center, using facilities at the Morris County Public Safety Academy.  The Academy not only supports Police and Fire academies for the county, it's also co-located with the Morris County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) facilities.

Although not formally part of the EMT course, my class was exceedingly lucky to have a quick tour of the 911 emergency dispatch center and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), thanks to Scott DiGiralomo, Director, Department of Law and Public Safety/Emergency Management Coordinator. A mere 2 years old, the center is a technological marvel, reminiscent of any major Hollywood movie depicting high-tech command-and-control centers, from space flight operations to military war rooms. As my actual career has been in the high-tech and telecom industries for 25-plus years, I found the technical aspects quite fascinating, from real-time video feeds from around the county (including the helipad at Morristown Memorial Hospital, used by our county airborne paramedics), to GPS-enabled tracking of emergency services personnel and equipment.
Most interesting, however, was the look inside the Public Safety Access Point (PSAP), more commonly known as the 911 emergency dispatch center.

This is where 911 operators receive, triage and dispatch police, fire, EMS, Paramedic and other resources, as well as provide callers with critical and oftentimes life-saving directions while these resources are staging and responding to the scene, such as CPR instructions over the phone.
The amazing job these emergency dispatchers perform really can't be understated. For those that are curious, I've linked to a YouTube video that gives you just a small taste of the complex multi-tasking these individuals perform, minute by minute, staying on-line with callers for as long as necessary with simultaneously coordinating with a host of dispatched resources. They truly are one of a kind, and probably don't get half the recognition that they deserve.
And for those that are curious, both Ashley and I passed our mid-term exam and practical tests (as you can tell by the look of happiness on her face).

Next week we'll be starting focus on emergency care for trauma-related injuries, including spinal immobilization, bleeding control, and splinting of fractured bones.

Of course, with every trauma injury comes the risk of associated medical issues, including shock, respiratory distress/arrest, and cardiac distress/arrest.  So we need to keep in mind all that we've learned before.

Thanks to everyone who offered their well wishes and support as we go through this course.
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    Author

    Jon Alperin, one of our MFAS volunteers, shares his journey to becoming an NJ certified EMT.

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    from the Start

    Here is Jon's journey, presented in time order:
    • T-30 & counting
    • A look back at my first year with this squad
    • 1500 pages of EMT know-how
    • Class is in Session!
    • We pick things up, we put things down
    • The head bone is connected to the neck bone...
    • Questions? We've got a million of them...
    • Practice is vital, and vitals take practice
    • Getting ready for the 1st test
    • Taking a breather
    • Be still my beating heart
    • Gearing up for mid-term exams
    • A peak inside a PSAP
    • Urgency, not emergency
    • Paramedics - Our partners in success
    • Under pressure
    • Around the bend, the end is in sight
    • From beginning to end
    • A grim way to learn
    • The toughest lesson
    • One behind, one ahead
    • Tom Petty had it right...
    • Just gonna let this speak for itself
    • The end of the beginning

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