[Scan-DC] PG - 30 Years of Advanced Life Support Services

[Alan Henney]

----- Original Message ----- 

________________________________

Subject: PGFD PRESS RELEASE - 30 Years of Advanced Life Support
Services


PGFD PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: October 18, 2007
MEDIA CONTACT: Chauncey Bowers, PGFD Major, 240-508-7931
www.pgfireems.com<http://www.pgfireems.com/>

30 Years of Advanced Life Support Services
By: Mark E. Brady, PGFD Chief Spokesperson

The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department is about to celebrate
an anniversary of life-saving proportions.  On October 25, 2007, the
Fire/EMS Department will have provided Advanced Life Support (ALS)
services (Paramedic Units) to the citizens, residents and visitors for
30 years.  Prince George's County Fire Chief Lawrence H. Sedgwick,
Jr., stated, "It is absolutely amazing to be witness to the growth of
our paramedic service over the last three decades.  This includes the
level of training, quality of care, technology, apparatus, the number
ALS providers and sheer number of incidents that we respond to."    In
1998, an official change of the Department's name to embrace Emergency
Medical Services occurred; we adopted the name by which we are now
known - Prince George's County Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Department.  Fire Chief Lawrence H. Sedgwick stated, "On this 30th
anniversary, I reflect back to the day when we incorporated EMS into
our Departments title.  It is a simple task to add the letters EMS to
your title; however, it takes commitment, hard work and dedication by
every member of this Department to believe in our responsibility to
emergency medical services and make it a reality."

In addition to learning how to be a firefighter in recruit school all
career firefighters are also trained as Emergency Medical Technicians
and provide staffing for 40 basic life support ambulances throughout
the County, in addition to our volunteer members.  In order to provide
ALS training to firefighters; a cooperative effort with the Prince
George's Community College (PGCC) for paramedic education was
undertaken in 2001. Advance Life Support education has transitioned
from a vocational technical course to a higher academic standard. To
meet the community's on-going need for advanced life support services
the Department works cooperatively with PGCC to provide the training
on a schedule compatible with a firefighters shift work.   The
Department provides a steady cadre of students and has provided
equipment for training of Firefighter/EMT's to become certified as
Firefighter/Medics.  The associate's degree program is approved by the
Maryland Higher Education Commission.  The college's first class of
paramedics entered in the Fall of 2000.  In 2007, a class of 84
firefighters attained the required education to become EMT-
Intermediate/Paramedic and now staff numerous units across the County
that provide advanced life support.  There are currently an additional
75 firefighter/students attending PGCC working to attain their EMT -
Intermediate/Paramedic status.  Prince George's County Deputy Fire
Chief Robert H. McCoy, stated, "We are extremely pleased with the
progress we have made in a short period of time in educating our
personnel at the Community College.  I'm looking forward to the
continued participation of our Fire/EMS members in attaining their ALS
certifications and increasing the number of providers we have
available."

The Fire/EMS Department provides incentives for firefighters to aspire
to the ALS level.  These incentives include increased rates of pay and
eligibility for promotion.

In 1977, the Department placed three paramedic units in service with a
total available career paramedic staffing of 26 personnel.  Currently,
the Fire/EMS Department provides advanced life support to the citizens
and residents through 19 fire/EMS units with 245 personnel, 1/3 of
approved department staffing, trained in providing ALS.  In addition
to 12 Paramedic Units, ALS is also provided by at least seven
additional Fire/EMS units throughout the County including Paramedic
Engines, Paramedic Ambulances and Paramedic Supervisors.  The Advanced
Emergency Medical Services Bureau is commanded by a Major, with
oversight by a Deputy Fire Chief.  In 2006, the Fire/EMS Department
responded to over 130,000 calls for service.  Nearly 85,000 (63%) of
these calls were for emergency medical services.

We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge and thank individuals
that played a key role in the development of our paramedic program and
for its existence over the past thirty years.

Jim Miller, a retired member of the Fire/EMS Department, set the
standard in the instruction of paramedic skills.  He also was a
driving force in the development and implementation of the original
paramedic program for the Fire/EMS Department.

During the 30 years of providing ALS services to the citizens and
residents of Prince George's County there have been only two Medical
Directors that oversee the program.  Our ALS program would not exist
if it were not for the oversight and approval of these talented and
skilled individuals.  The Fire/EMS Department acknowledges and thanks
them for their continued support:

Our first Medical Director - Dr. Joseph Colella, Jr., and our current
Medical Director, Dr. Terry Jodrie.

Fire Chief Sedgwick urges the citizens and residents of Prince
George's County to take a moment and stop by one of our community
Fire/EMS stations and visit with our members and tell them, "Happy
Anniversary, keep up the good work and Thank You!!!"
# # #




________________________________
See what's new at
AOL.com<http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170> and Make AOL
Your
Homepage<http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169>.