FE Volume 134 Issue 11

Over the last 15 years, there have been many dramatic changes in emergency medical services. Formerly, the term “emergency medical services” (EMS) was synonymous with ambulance or rescue service. In recent years, the term has taken on a broader meaning, linking the medical services of pre-hospital, in-hospital, inter-hospital and rehabilitative care.

Some resident courses at the National Fire Academy have received an ACE college-level credit recommendation by the American Council on Education. This recommendation serves as a guide to universities granting credit for the previous work of students enrolling in degree programs. The Academy has a listing of the 18 credit-approved courses.

The potential increases every day for incidents involving radiation exposure or contamination which must be dealt with by fire departments. There are now 71 nuclear power reactors in operation in the United States 1 and approximately 11 reactors in Canada. 2 While civilian nuclear power plants are probably the most obvious potential sources of radioactive contamination, there are many more common—although less known—causes of such emergencies located in or passing through every community.

In those states that have an agreement with the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration to handle enforcement of OSHA regulations themselves, there is increasing concern in the fire service. In states that have assumed the responsibility to enforce OSHA regulations, these regulations apply to all fire fighters—paid and volunteer, municipal and industrial.In this era of even tighter budgets, fire chiefs are concerned about how they can obtain funds to buy the personnal protective equipment, including breathing apparatus, that meet the OSHA standards.