Staying Healthy in EMS

You provide the best care for your pre-hospital patients. Take care of yourself, too! Get fit and flexible, eat right and use safe lifting techniques to stay health and happy. If you have a favorite Web destination that is not here, !

Vehicle safety

"Wheels of Fortune: Every time you hit the streets, you take your life in your hands—how can you improve your chances?", EMS Magazine - this in-depth article examines the problem of emergency vehicle dangers and provides an update on solutions you can apply in the field to improve safety; links to important resources are included.

"Ambulance Crash-Related Injuries Among Emergency Medical Services Workers - United States, 1991-2002," Centers for Disease Control - this document was developed to characterize risk factors for EMS workers using brief case studies of three ambulance crashes.
"Ambulance Crashes: Protect Yourself & Your Patients," JEMS
"Follow the Cones: Highway scenes & your protection," JEMS

Scene safety

EMS Scene and Personal Safety - a presentation by the Chesapeake Fire Dept.'s QA program that reviews basic safety standards in EMS.
International Health Care Worker Safety Center, University of Virginia - dedicated to the prevention of needlestick injuries to health care workers.
"Is the Scene Safe?: New Realities Require Extra Vigilance," JEMS
Safety & Landing Zone Information, Theda Star Medical - these detailed instructions with diagrams offer great advice for safely preparing a landing zone for rotary aircraft medical transport.
Emergency Response Safety Institute - an informative safety site that doesn't focus on EMS but is applicable nonetheless.

Injury prevention and wellness

"If You Look, They Will Come: Feeling Appreciated and Finding Joy in EMS" - offers a little refreshment from the dark side of EMS.

Burnout to Balance: EMS Stress
Coping with Stress - a step-by-step guide to understanding the stress response and its effects; includes strategies for coping.
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, Third Edition
Dr. Weil.com - a wealth of natural and homeopathic information that includes a section on "Balanced Living." My favorite Web destination for health and wellness information!
"EMS Fitness and Wellness: Being Proactive," EMS Magazine
EMS Stress: An Emergency Responder's Handbook for Living Well
Fire & EMS Department Safety Officer
International Critical Incident Stress Foundation
National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
"Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention," JEMS
"Rural/Metro Develops Ergonomics & Back Injury Awareness Program," JEMS
Stress Management for the Emergency Care Provider
"The Truth about Success in EMS," MERGINET Medical Resources - this article explores the personal side of success in a field that, the author claims, does not have a unified definition of success.

Health and fitness

"Making physical fitness a priority," Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue - practical advice and seven keys to a successful fitness program.

Strength Training Anatomy:
Women's Edition and Men's Edition

The Body Sculpting Bible for Abs: Women's Edition and Men's Edition

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Updated 08.27.06

"May you live all the days of your life."
—Johnathan Swift