syverson receives awards - f-m ambulance service fall.pdff-m ambulance service celebrated 2015 with...
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Syverson Receives Awards
Fall 2015 Compassion, Excellence, Community Service
F-M AMBULANCE SERVICE
VITAL SIGNS
He always has an “open door” policy, and has made time for individual and team development. He takes the time to
get to know his employees, hear their concerns and celebrate their successes. Most importantly, Sherm constantly
looks to the future and how the actions of today will impact the lives of people, whether they be employees, families,
or patients. Sherm is an amazing example of leadership in the Sanford organization.
In addition to the Sanford award, Syverson was also awarded the
Jerry Decker Award from the Rural Cass County Ambulance and
Rescue Association. This award is given annually to an EMS
provider for outstanding dedication and service.
Jerry Decker was a volunteer with Hunter Ambulance Service. In
1992, Decker responded to a cardiac call; while he was
transporting the patient he suffered a heart attack and died.
Decker's life was filled with the need to help others; during his life,
he was also a peace officer and a firefighter.
In appreciation for all that he has done for the ambulance squads
in Cass County, and because his life is also filled with the need to
help others, Sherm Syverson was chosen for this award.
F-M Ambulance Service is very proud to have such a great guy
leading our team!
Syverson, pictured with his mother, Jane.
Syverson, pictured with Mike Drees, RCCARA treasurer.
Sherm Syverson, Executive Director of F-M Ambulance Service,
recently received two notable awards.
In June, Sherm was surprised at the annual company picnic with
the Sanford Management Employee of the Year. This award was
established in 2011 by Sanford Health to recognize Sanford
employees that exemplify the Sanford values of Courage, Passion,
Resolve, Advancement and Family.
In his nomination letter, it was noted that Sherm is not afraid to get
down into the trenches and work alongside with F-M Ambulance
Service employees at every level. There have been many hurdles
that F-M Ambulance Service has had to overcome as a team and
organization, and Sherm’s consistency has played a huge role in
the company’s success. He frequently shares his pride of the team
members at F-M Ambulance Service. Sherm constantly
encourages team members to challenge the status quo and search
for new ways to be innovative with the resources that are available.
He always has
Crisis Intervention Training
In order to help with the increasing numbers of calls dealing with patients with mental illnesses or psychological
emergencies, F-M Ambulance Service has been sending employees to Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). CIT is a
program to help emergency responders identify when someone may be experiencing a mental health crisis and
adapt strategies for these individuals. The CIT approach has been proven to dramatically decrease the risk of
injuries or death to both responders and people with mental illnesses, and it also reduces the number of repeat
calls. CIT is a 40-hour class taught by law enforcement officers who specialize in mental health crisis response. The
training promotes de-escalation skills before using force when confronting these patients. CIT training also gives
responders the tools they need to understand what someone in a mental health crisis may be experiencing and to
direct someone in crisis to appropriate care. CIT training also builds lasting partnerships between specialized
officers, emergency responders, mental health providers, people with mental illnesses and family members in the
community.
Fargo AirSho
Approximately 25,000 people gathered in north Fargo
on July 25 and 26 for the 2015 Fargo AirSho. F-M
Ambulance Service provided medical coverage and a
misting tent at the show. Many employees enjoyed
working and watching the great show at the same
time!
Did You Know…
F-M Ambulance Service works with area long-term
care facilities and assisted living facilities on their
tactical and mass casualty incident plans.
In July, Edgewood Vista planned and executed a full-
scale evacuation drill. F-M Ambulance Service had a
team on-site to assist with planning and help during the
evacuation. The team provided suggestions to
improve the next drill or real-life event, if it were to ever
happen.
Drills like the one that Edgewood Vista completed are
essential in order to figure out what works and what
doesn’t work before a real incident happens, and can
really make a big difference in how efficiently and
effectively an evacuation takes place.
F-M Ambulance Service also assists long-term care
these facilities facilities and assisted
living facilities with
table-top mass casualty
exercises and keeping
their tactical plans up-to-
date.
FAA Disaster Drill
Active Shooter Exercise
On Friday, August 7, 2015, law enforcement from our community worked together with the Fargo Fire Department
and F-M Ambulance Service to work through an active shooter training exercise. The atmosphere was intense as
officers and firefighters lead and carried “victims” out of Davies High School to awaiting ambulances. Gunshots could
be heard as officers fired blanks to simulate a true active shooter. Drew Schwan, Operations Manager for F-M
Ambulance Service, said that overall the drill went very well. “It’s important to practice scenarios like this – as much
as we don’t want this to happen, we need to know how to respond to similar situations if they do happen in our
community.”
On June 2, 2015 F-M Ambulance Service, along with many other law enforcement, fire and emergency service
providers in our community, took part in a simulated airplane crash disaster drill. Patients were moulaged (makeup
that simulated injuries) and gathered in a bus, which acted as the crashed airplane. Firefighters entered the bus to
remove the patients and bring them to awaiting paramedics and EMTs, who then treated and transported the patients.
F-M Ambulance Service used several ambulances along with the MCI truck and the AmBus during the drill. Thank
you to all of the emergency responders and community members who volunteered their time for this event!
2015 Company Picnic and Awards
Welcome to Our Team!
Welcome to all of our new employees!
Infectious Disease Exercise
Adam Braaten Dispatcher FMA Kali Muchow Paramedic FMA Katrina Wiens EMT FMA Nissa Washburn EMT FMA Devon Pekas EMT HAS Aaron Wiger EMT HAS
Cole Sogge EMT HAS McKenzy Diehl Driver HAS Riley Kramer EMT HAS Ashleigh Erdmann EMT TRF
Welcome to the team!!
F-M Ambulance Service celebrated 2015 with a company picnic and awards ceremony at Rheault Farm in June.
Jason Eblen and Todd Neumann were both recognized for 15 years of service. The 2015 Achievement in Excellence
award winners were Shannon Butler, Kelsey Bodvig, Ryan Hiatt, Lindsey Hiatt, Roger Kotchian and Tyler Tougas.
This award is given to employees who provide compassionate, competent and quality pre-hospital care and
transportation while maintaining a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement to the community and
each other. The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution National EMS Award for EMS and Honor
Guard Performances was awarded to Mike Sylstad for his dedication to the F-M Ambulance Service Ceremonial
Unit.
F-M Ambulance Service and Sanford participated in
an infectious disease exercise in July.
F-M Ambulance Service has a special team in place
to respond to a potential patient with an infectious
disease. These team members are trained to use
special equipment designed to limit exposure to the
infectious disease.
Thief River Falls Area Ambulance Service
Did you know that in 2008, F-M Ambulance Service
purchased Thief River Falls Area Ambulance Service
(TRFAA). TRFAA covers a population base of about 12,000.
The primary service area consists of 1200 square miles,
covering all of Pennington County and portions of Marshall
and Beltrami Counties in Northwestern Minnesota.
This year, TRFAA has been busy responding to a record
numbers of calls and also attending various community
events!
Ambulance personnel participated in TRF Night to Unite. Two
ambulances and the Quick Response Vehicle were at the
event, along with Paramedics and EMTs, who answered
questions about what EMS providers do and gave tours to
kids.
TRFAA employees also participated in the Digi-Key Safety
Expo and explained what EMS does in the Thief River Falls
community.
At the Pennington County Fair in July, Paramedics and EMTs
spend as much time as they can standing by and monitoring
for any injuries or medical issues that may arise. They also
took part in the community parade.
It is important for TRFAA to be a vital part of the community,
which is why ambulance service members try to take part in
as many community events as possible.
Are you interested in a career in EMS or joining TRFAA?
Contact Tim Schmeets at (701) 364-1730 to see how you can
be on our team!
Charge Medics Did You Know…
Amanda Danielson, Ryan Hiatt, Todd Neumann and
Stefan Winkler have been named F-M Ambulance
Service full-time Charge Medics.
F-M Ambulance Service Charge Medics will be tasked
with many duties essential for day-to-day operations.
They are a valuable resource for F-M Ambulance
Service and we are excited to launch this position in a
revised role!
!
Did you know that F-M Ambulance Service sends
paramedics and EMTs out on bikes at certain events?
New Trek bikes were purchased this year and outfitted
with equipment. The bikes
were used for the first time
at the 2015 Fargo AirSho.
The bicycles allow
paramedics and EMTs to
get to patients who may be
located in an area that
would normally be difficult
to reach by ambulance or
other vehicle. Watch for
the FMA bikes out and
about again next summer!
Other qualified Charge Medics who
will fill in as needed include Sondra
Bergem, Jaymes Feil, Sam Heyen,
Tyler Tougas and Login Wysocki.
Congratulations
Health Highlight
Dialing 9-1-1 is a call you never want to make. However, when it
comes to heart attacks and strokes, every second counts. People
commonly have several reasons for not calling 9-1-1. They may not
want to bother first responders, they are close enough to drive
themselves in, or may not think that they need immediate medical
attention.
But, calling 9-1-1 instead of driving yourself, or a loved one, to a
nearby emergency department can be the difference between life and
death. Quick treatment can help limit damage to the brain or heart
and increases the chance of a full recovery.
I am having some chest pain… but I will just drive myself in to the emergency department.
When the call is made, an emergency medical dispatcher will provide pre-arrival instructions until the first
responders arrive and gather information and symptoms. Paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs)
are also trained with lifesaving techniques they can use if needed.
According to the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association, 50 percent of people drive
themselves to the hospital when heart attack and stroke symptoms are present. Nationally and locally, the average
time from arrival to treatment is significantly reduced by calling an ambulance.
Once first responders assess the patient, they contact the hospital emergency department informing them of a
possible heart attack or stroke patient. While en route to the hospital, paramedics alert medical staff to begin
preparation for arrival, thus saving time.
The hospital will arrange medical equipment, specific treatment rooms or labs, and ensure that specialists and staff
are brought together. If someone drives on their own, the hospital has no prior information on the patient, unlike
arriving by ambulance.
Hospital staff will then need to assess the patient and determine if a heart attack or stroke is present, before
treatment can begin, causing further delay. Another danger of driving yourself: you place yourself and others at risk
if you were to lose consciousness.
Source: www.osfstjoseph.org/911/
Thank You for Wearing a Helmet!
Paramedics and EMTs from F-M Ambulance
Service spent the summer handing out coupons
for ice cream to kids who were wearing their
helmets! Thank you to all of the kids that
received one of these coupons, and thank you to
Culver’s for teaming up with us once again to
help promote safety in our community!
Over 100 ice cream coupons were handed out
this summer as part of the F-M Ambulance
Service / Culver’s initiative. Bike helmets can
reduce the risk of brain injury or death by up to
85%, yet only about 45% of all children nationally
wear a helmet when they ride a bike or scooter.
We hope that you have enjoyed this edition of “Vital Signs”, a quarterly newsletter distributed by F-M Ambulance. An electronic edition of Vital Signs can be found on our website, www.fmambulance.com. If you have any ideas, questions, or comments about “Vital Signs”, please contact Kristi at (701) 364-1759, or [email protected].
SHEMSE Update NAEMSE
Kyle Janssen, Laurie Hill and Ron Lawler attended the 20th
annual National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE)
Symposium in Nashville, TN. They participated in classes
about the latest educational technology, tips for classroom
management and research on the latest trends in education of
adults and EMS providers. Ron presented research about EMT
level testing at the poster and oral abstract sessions. This is the
third time he has presented research at this national
conference. Laurie presented last year. Our goal is to present
every year! Ron and Laurie are also member of NAEMSE
national committees.
NREMT
The National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) hosts item writing
workshops 12 times a year at their office in Columbus, OH.
These sessions bring in teams of 10 people who are working
EMS providers, educators, administrators, medical directors,
state regulators and subject matter experts to write questions
(items) for the NREMT computer adaptive tests. These tests
are used to certify that students are competent at the four levels
of providers. This summer, Kelly Wanzek and Ron Lawler both
attended separate workshops to provide and edit questions at
the Emergency Medical Responder level. Between the two
teams, nearly 600 items were added to the test banks. Ron
previously attended a workshop at the EMT level in 2011.
EMT and Medic classes
Sanford Health EMS Education (SHEMSE) is honored that 40
students have chosen to take our paramedic program starting
this fall. We have distance students from over 300 miles away
again this year. EMT classes have also started and have strong
participant numbers. The EMS program has made some
revisions over the last couple of years with improvements to
when the courses are offered and to online coursework. In
partnership with NDSCS, SHEMSE has now integrated all of
the initial courses. Starting with the EMT students and
continuing through the AEMT level, students can take courses
that will not only allow them to gain those certifications, but will
also count towards their paramedic certificate or AAS degree.
This eases the credit load at the paramedic level so those
students can concentrate on the advanced topics they need to
learn.