EMS Week - PGFD - Providing the Very Best in Pre-Hospital Care

MEDIA CONTACT: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week started nationwide May 15th around the theme, “Everyday Heroes.”  

EMS providers include paramedics, emergency medical technicians, first responders, and fire fighters, both career and volunteer.   EMS Week will feature highlights of our personnel and apparatus that provide the very best in pre-hospital care to the citizens, residents and visitors to Prince George’s County.  

Here are some tips on when to call EMS.  Always call EMS if someone needs immediate medical treatment. To make this decision, ask yourself the following questions:

·       Is the person’s condition life-threatening?

·       Could the person’s condition worsen and become life-threatening on the way to the hospital?

·       Does the person require the skills or equipment of paramedics or emergency medical technicians?

·       Could the distance or traffic conditions cause a delay in getting the person to the hospital? 

If your answer to any of these questions is “yes,” or if you are unsure, it’s best to call EMS. Paramedics and EMTs can begin medical treatment at the scene and on the way to the hospital and alert the emergency department of the person’s condition en route.

When you call for help, speak calmly and clearly. Give your name, address and phone number; give the location of the patient and describe the problem. Don’t hang up until the dispatcher tells you to, because he or she may need more information or give you instructions.  911 call-takers and dispatchers are trained and proficient in Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) which allow dispatchers to capture important medical information and if the need arises; to provide pre-arrival instructions over the phone.  Information obtained through EMD is passed on to responding medics informing them of your condition prior to arriving on the scene.

Prince George’s County is investing in the overall EMS commitment to excellence by providing equipment and apparatus that is reliable and safe for our providers and patients.  New transport units have been ordered and are currently being manufactured.  Thirteen 2011 Freightliner/Wheeled Coach ambulance transport units are scheduled for delivery later this year.   These units were purchased for just under $3,000,000 and placed into a rotation of units and not specifically assigned to any one station.  These vehicles will be the first in our fleet that will meet the EPA 2010 emissions standards by utilizing DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) which is an organic, non-toxic compound made of 32.5% urea and 67.5% de-ionized water that, when carefully added to diesel exhaust, helps neutralize emissions.

Members of the media are invited to ride-along with our “Everyday Heroes” during a tour of duty.  There is no better way to appreciate the day in the life of a paramedic then to put yourself in their shoes.  Please contact the Press Information Office, 301-883-7154, to arrange for your ride-along.