Webinar Recording: Emergent Response

A Dangerous Epidemic in EMS, with David McGowan, ASHM, Safety Consultant

Ambulance service providers are beginning to recognize the dangers associated with crashes that involve vehicles in their fleet. Scientific research is showing a dangerous trend while operating ambulances. Ambulance crashes account for nearly 54 percent of the fatalities in EMS and 58 percent of those are while responding emergent. The costs associated with these events can cripple a business for years.

Beginning with a news investigative report, the presentation will take a controversial look at responding lights and siren from many different perspectives. David McGowan will provide attendees with several different strategies to the following questions:

• Whose expectation is it that EMS respond emergent?
• Is the risk of responding lights and siren outweighed by the benefit of a favorable clinical outcome for the patient?
• How do we re-educate EMS stakeholders on the dangers of emergent response and the move toward less of these responses?

 Speaker: David McGowan, ASHM

David has more than 35 years of experience in EMS serving as a clinician and administrator for fire and hospital-based services. He is an accomplished administrator in Operations, Communications, Marketing, Business Development and Systems Quality. McGowan is recognized nationally for his expertise in ambulance safety programs. He has had many speaking engagements at national EMS conferences and has authored numerous publications and papers. Mr. McGowan provides expert consultation for ambulance operators, manufacturers, educational institutions, government agencies and legal firms.