Appearances
The Strength in Us.
It should be no surprise that emergency responders continue to step-up to keep our communities safe even through increasingly challenging events. Wildfires. Monster storms. Protests and pandemics. We get the job done.
At the last major conference at which I spoke, I was able to deliver a keynote presentation that I am not only proud of, I believe captures the very ESSENCE of emergency services more now than it did when I first gave it.
Watch The Strength In Us: How EMS Gets The Job Done!
The keynote itself is only about 20 minutes long, even though it took a year to write. I still think back on it occasionally to remind myself why I’m here, and why it is important for us to keep doing what we’re doing, despite the difficulties.
If you get a chance to take a look, I hope it means something to you too.
In the meantime, stay strong, stay safe, take care of yourself, but know that you’re not alone.
-Rommie L. Duckworth
COVID-19 Impact on Emergency Services Education
COVID-19 has had an impact on everyone’s life, especially the daily work of medical providers and emergency responders. Long hours, extra work, equipment shortages and changing procedures add tremendous stress to emergency response systems and, more importantly, individual emergency responders.
As someone who not only works in emergency response but regularly teaches at large gatherings, I’m seeing many local, regional, and even national education events being canceled or rescheduled. This unfortunate, but necessary consequence of the spread of COVID-19 has lead many to ask if there will be a permanent change to the way emergency response education is delivered.
Are conferences as we know them a thing of the past? Are we no longer doing training drills together? Is all education going online?
While I believe that there is tremendous value in the availability, convenience, and now safety of online training, webinars, podcasts, and the like, there will always be a role for emergency responders to gather together to interact face-to-face. Online formats often lend themselves to better TRANSFER of knowledge, but direct interaction, such as at drills, classes, and conferences, can lead to better APPLICATION of that knowledge. Of course, it depends on the individual classes, educators, and students, but I strongly believe that there is no substitute for the non-verbal communication and human interaction that helps us understand how to improve our performance and the performance of the systems in which we work.
I certainly hope that the increased awareness of common sanitary protections that COVID-19 has raised (like improved hand-washing, increased use of sanitizer, and a decrease in the practice of licking one’s hand before handshakes) will continue long after we emerge from our homes into the Summer sun. There are lessons of preparedness and the importance of supporting emergency response systems that I hope are not forgotten by our leaders and the public in general.
The COVID-19 problem will test, but not break our emergency responders. Things will have to change for a while, and emergency services will do what we need to, as we always do. And when it is safe to do so, we’ll gather together to support each other, share lessons learned, and most importantly help each other prepare for whatever the next challenge is. Because that’s how we get the job done.
JEMS Publishes National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE) Position Paper Calling for Better Sepsis Education for EMS
National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE) Position Paper Calls for More Consistent and Improved Sepsis Education for EMS
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to be the lead author on the National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE) Position Paper On Sepsis Education Standards For EMS with Dr. Chris Nollette, Dr. Bill Reynovich, and Kevin Collopy.
As a member of the Advisory Board for the Sepsis Alliance I get the opportunity to voice my opinion as an EMS provider on sepsis clinical recommendations, resources, and education materials intended for all members of the continuum of care. It’s a chance not only to improve care for victims of sepsis and their families, but also to raise awareness of the clinical and professional capabilities of prehospital care providers.
As the project progressed, I learned a ton from my co-authors. They were very generous with their expertise. Their insistence on asking me tough questions and challenging my thought process made me a better writer, evaluator of research, and in the end I think a better clinician.
I hope you take a look at this paper. It’s not that long. I hope it adds to your knowledge and understanding not only of sepsis, and the importance of continually evaluating needs in EMS (and indeed in all) clinical education.
Thanks to Ryan Kelly and AJ Heightman of Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) for publishing it.
On The Road in 2017!
I’m on the road quite a bit in 2017. Will you be at one of these events?
If I’m in your neck of the woods or you happen to find yourself in one of the following areas, stop by and say hi!
Speaking Engagements:
January 27, 2017: WEMSA Working Together Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
January 29, 2017: National Fire Academy EMS Quality Management Program, Emmitsburg, Maryland
February 22, 2017: EMS Today, Salt Lake City, Utah
March 4, 2017: Southeastern Extrication School, Hartsville, South Carolina
March 31st, 2017: Maryland Fire Rescue Institute Professional Development in Service, College Park, Maryland
April 19, 2017: Ridgefield Fire Department EMS Symposium, Ridgefield, Connecticut
April 25, 2017: FDIC Fire Department Instructors Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana
May 20, 2017: IAFC Fire Rescue Med Conference, Henderson, Nevada
June 9, 2017: Louisiana Association of Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technicians Conference, Houma, Louisiana
July 26, 2017: Missouri EMS Conference & Expo, Branson, Missouri
And, of course, I teach regularly at the Ridgefield Fire Department and the New Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department.
Additional dates posted on the calendar at the right—>
I hope to see you there.
Say hi on Twitter @romduck !
AND Controversies in Fire and EMS: Reading Past the Headlines
Lately it seems the people of been more attracted to headline controversies than real conversations. It’s understandable in a way. If someone wants to be the center of attention, one of the easiest ways is to say something controversial. Someone is sure to refute what you’ve said, and soon a crowd gathers.
While I don’t expect to have much of an effect on this in the big picture, I hope to contribute in some way at least in emergency services to reduce the “this vs. that” mentality that often polarizes people who, if they talk it out, would find that their fundamental positions are not actually that far apart. This is true whether you’re talking in the fire service about transitional attack and through the front door or straight stream and solid stream, or in EMS about air and ground transport, or intubation and BVM. The list goes on and on.
Did you see what I did there? I simply replaced the “VS” which automatically demands that people consider no additional options, choose only one side or the other, and implies that one side wins and one side loses. I replaced it with “AND” which opens up the possibility of having a conversation about these topics and probably more. A simple change to “AND” lets us take a look at the pros and cons of each element of the conversation and, hopefully, look past the headlines that promote them so that we can consider real information and, hopefully, move towards real solutions.
It’s a lot to ask for people to try to do this and the rest of their lives. Some people say that human beings have a natural inclination to gather around conflict shouting “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!”. That may be true for a lot of people, but I believe that emergency responders are the kind of people who would show up to stop a bully or break up a fight.
Headlines and controversies can be fun to read and sometimes even spark a good debate, but they are like candy. Great now and again, but if it’s all you live off your going to get sick.
On The Road
As the Autumn leaves start to curl here in New England, I’m setting my travel for the rest of the year, into late 2017. Will you be at one of these events?
If I’m in your neck of the woods or you happen to find yourself in one of the following areas, stop by and say hi!
Speaking Engagements:
September 7, 2016: National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program Symposium, Emmitsburg, Maryland
September 12, 2016: Delaware Volunteer Firefighters Association Annual Conference, Dover, Delaware
September 30, 2016: New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association Pulse Check Conference, Albany, New York
October 3, 2016: Connecticut Fire Academy Rescue Week, Windsor Locks, Connecticut
October 5, 2016: EMS World Expo, New Orleans, Louisiana
November 2, 2016: Olathe Fire Department EMS Symposium, Olathe, Kansas
December 3, 2016: Duckworth Annual Christmas Party, Sherman, Connecticut
January 27, 2017: WEMSA Working Together Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
January 29, 2017: National Fire Academy EMS Quality Management Program, Emmitsburg, Maryland
February 22, 2017: EMS Today, Salt Lake City, Utah
March 4, 2017: Southeastern Extrication School, Hartsville, South Carolina
March 31st, 2017: Maryland Fire Rescue Institute Professional Development in Service, College Park, Maryland
April 19, 2017: Ridgefield Fire Department EMS Symposium, Ridgefield, Connecticut
April 25, 2017: FDIC Fire Department Instructors Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana
May 20, 2017: IAFC Fire Rescue Med Conference, Henderson, Nevada
June 9, 2017: Louisiana Association of Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technicians Conference, Houma, Louisiana
July 26, 2017: Missouri EMS Conference & Expo, Branson, Missouri
And, of course, I teach regularly at the Ridgefield Fire Department and the New Fairfield Volunteer Fire Department.
Additional dates posted on the calendar at the right—>
I hope to see you there.
Say hi on Twitter @romduck !
September 11th : Are We Honoring Their Memories?
Maybe The Question Should Not Be “Do you Remember September 11th?”, But Rather “How Do you Remember September 11th?”
But I get this creeping feeling.
That isn’t the way that I feel that memories are honored.
How best to honor the memory of our fallen brothers and sisters?
It takes work.
SPECIAL INVITE: EMS providers in CT, NY, NJ: You’re invited to the 4th Annual Sepsis Heroes Gala in NYC free of charge
On September 17, 2015 at 7pm in New York City the 2015 Sepsis Hero awards will be presented. To recognize the special role that EMS providers play in emergency care for sepsis patients, the Sepsis Alliance would like to extend five free tickets to EMS providers interested in attending.
If you are interested, please email me for additional information.
http://www.sepsis.org/sepsis_heroes/
This year’s honorees are:
Kevin Tracey, MD – President and CEO of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, and President and Professor of the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine;
Sam Bass – The first officially licensed artist of NASCAR, and sepsis survivor;
Rom Duckworth – Emergency responder and award-winning educator;
Leo Araujo – Sepsis awareness advocate and founder of Fantastic Fun Day fundraising and awareness event;
Susan Irick – Sepsis survivor, nurse, and sepsis and pneumonia disease manager at Northeast Georgia Medical Center;
Carolinas HealthCare System – developed a Sepsis Collaborative to improve recognition of sepsis and reduce mortality.
Sepsis Heroes Keynote Speaker
Sepsis Alliance is pleased to have Leah Binder as the evening’s keynote speaker. Ms. Binder is President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit based in Washington, DC, representing employers and other purchasers of health care calling for improved safety and quality in hospitals.
Sepsis Heroes Sponsors
The Sepsis Heroes event could not be possible without the generous support of its sponsors. This year’s sponsors include Leading BioSciences, Cytosorbents, NASCAR, Wolters Kluwer Health, MSC, Intermountain Healthcare, Presence Health, Arena NYC, Checklist Boards, and Spike Out Sepsis.
Following the Rules for Educators
How Following The Rules For Educators Paid Off For Me
Editor’s Note: While this post is in reference to an incident that occurred at a conference presentation, the rules for educators apply to any kind of education including in-house, open-to-the-public, formal academic or informal pick-up drill. If you teach, read on…
I got in late (2 am) to present at a conference the following day, but that didn’t stop me from updating my status on Twitter to “Arrived Late, but ready to go”. I wanted to let my wife know that I’d landed safely after presenting 3 sessions earlier that day at another conference 750 miles away.
Tired, I settled-in and, following “The Rules for Educators”, I made SURE that my presentations for the next day were ready to go and that if, for some reason, the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night and a conference rep asked me to keep everyone who had evacuated the hotel entertained for an hour with spontaneous educational presentations I would be ready to do it.
Paranoid? Obsessive? Anal-retentive? Maybe? But it’s happened to me… TWICE!**
Since my schedule said that I wasn’t to present until 4pm the next day, I decided that I’d catch up on some rest and NOT set an the alarm for the morning.
–
FLASH FORWARD TO 9:30 AM
I slowly regained my mental faculties and prepared to greet the day and give the conference attendees all of the energy and enthusiasm that they deserve for emergency service topics that they and I both care about passionately. And then, at 9:51 the hotel phone rings.
uh, oh
THE PHONE RINGS?!?
I knew what it was immediately. We’ve all had that call at some point. Maybe it was because of a swap. Maybe you worked extra shifts and forgot that you had to come in for your regular shift too. Whatever the cause, I knew it from the type of ring the phone was making. It was saying to me “Where they heck are you?!?”
I picked it up and answered as I do, “Duckworth.” The voice of the polite young lady at the other end said “Mr. Duckworth, we’re all set up for your presentation at 10:00 am.” Check above: Time now 9:51.
I responded with the only available answer, “Excellent. I will be right down.”
Reflexes born from years of getting up late for kicked in and I was dressed in suit and tie in three minutes flat. Laptop in hand, I was in the elevator in four.
Once downstairs the polite young lady handed me off to the A/V people and the man who was introducing me at the podium. Several times they asked me if I would rather just cancel the session since I only had three minutes left to prep. Checking the connections to my laptop and booting up the first slide with a minute to go I thanked them for their concern, but I was ready to begin whenever they wished.
And this brings me to my point (and I do have one).
There are many tips and tricks for speakers and educators, but for me, there are a few little know RULES that are not meant to be broken.
Measure Twice, Cut Once
-Had I seen my updated schedule I would have been prepared for an earlier start. Unfortunately, for some reason I had not received it. With any type of program, educators must make themselves aware of last minute updates and changes, regardless of how busy they are or what they are doing immediately prior to delivering their class. This was the rule that I had somehow violated and it could have caused an issue (other than a momentary panic attack) had I not followed my other rules.
Be Already Ready Already
-Even though it was late and I was exhausted, my clothes were ironed and my computer, adaptors and paperwork were laid out, ready to go right away. I make a habit of following this rule not only so that I am prepared for unexpected events, but also so that I have more time to enjoy my time before and in-between conference sessions.
Never Have Half A Presentation
-Like most educators I am always updating the style and content of my presentations. However, I’ve learned through trial and error (mostly error) that whenever I work on a presentation I must a) always save often and b) always leave the presentation ready to go BEFORE I close my laptop. I may not have time to complete all of the updates that I want all in one session, but if I want to keep from “surprising myself” with incomplete content showing up in the middle of a presentation, I have to leave the presentation in a ready state, even if it means leaving some portions of the program “hidden” until I can complete my update.
The Customer is Always Right
-I’m not sure why I didn’t have the updated schedule, but it was irrelevant if it was the conference’s fault, the internet’s or mine (we all agreed to blame the internet. “Damn you internets!”)*. The priority was not to investigate, blame or curse, the priority was to give the conference organizers and, more importantly, the emergency responders who were giving me their time in the expectation that I would give them valuable information in return. regardless of how difficult or aggravating a situation may be, an educator MUST remember what we’re all here for. Lady Gaga can be a prima-donna if she wants, but there is no room for that in emergency services.
The Show Must Go On
– This was not the time to apologize to the conference organizers or attendees. There is no good to come from explanations, excuses, or otherwise drawing attention to an issue. Sure, if we had had to cancel because of a no-show or had we been delayed so long as to significantly impact the program that the students had been promised, we would need to let them know not why we had an issue, but rather what we were going to do to resolve it or make it up to them. Either way, “The Show Must Go On” is key for educators to keep in mind for themselves as well as programs that they manage. Remember, if you’re in a seat waiting to learn and a program is delayed, the LAST thing you want is someone wasting your time with explanations and excuses. “Hey, just get on with it, or tell me what you’re going to do to fix it.” In this case, the conference organizers had to say was that they were amazed that none of the attendees would have known that there was ever an issue. This was also when I found out that the organizers had thought that this might be my first-ever presentation at a large conference. Luckily for everyone, this wasn’t even my first presentation at a large conference IN THE LAST 24 HOURS!
So everything turned out ok and I’m on my way back for another shift at the FD. There will be calls and cleaning and maintenance and, yes, more education to do but I can assure you that whatever I’m teaching next, I will be, without a doubt, following all the rules.
*As it turned out, I had made preliminary notes on when the conference had wanted me to present and, because of my late check-in, was unable to get updated since the conference registration was closed at 2am (slackers).
Upwards and Onwards
Right before New Year’s Eve is the traditional time for us all to reflect on the previous year and think about where we’d like to go in the future. For me, this is a very special year as this December I received a promotion to Captain, and only a few weeks later, I became a Dad.
While we adjust to the family changes that these events will bring in 2015, I’m adjusting my schedule to be able to be available for my family and my new crew as much as needed. This means that I’ll be missing many of my friends and colleagues at many conferences and events that I’ve been attending for years. While this makes me a bit sad, I’m excited to be able to one day introduce my son to some of the great men and women that I call my brothers and sisters in emergency services, from all across the world.
So if I miss seeing you face to face this year, I’m sorry, but know that I’ll be thinking of you when we’d normally be getting together and know that Betsy, Danger and I wish you a wonderful holiday season and a joyous and prosperous 2015 for you, your family and your crew as well!
