EMS Operations Terminology Flashcards
what does UHF stand for?
Ultrahigh Frequency
what does VHF stand for?
Very High Frequency
simplex transmission
transmit and receive on same frequency
- cannot do both simultaneously
- ex: dispatch systems and on-scene communications
duplex transmission
simultaneous two-way communications by using two frequencies for each channel
- works like a telephone
to what level of government does oversight for EMS usually fall?
state governments
what level of statue or regulations is the requirements for ambulance services written?
state
what do national standards and trends have influence on?
development of laws
what standards do state standards set?
minimum standards, rather than gold standard, for operation
what standards do local and/or regional EMS systems set?
more detailed, approaching gold standard
local vs. regional
local: “small area around some place”
regional: “larger area”
Type I Ambulance
conventional truck cab-chassis with modular ambulance body
cab-chassis
“equipped with both a cab for passengers and a chassis behind it instead of a traditional truck bed”l
Type II Ambulance
standard van, forward control integral cab-body ambulance
Type III Ambulance
specialty van, forward control integral cab-body ambulance
Medium Duty Ambulance
designed to handle heavier loads
what does LZ stand for?
landing zone
LZ site prep mnemonic
HOTSAW
H in HOTSAW
hazards
O in HOTSAW
obstructions
T in HOTSAW
terrain
S in HOTSAW
surface
A in HOTSAW
animals
W in HOTSAW
wind/weather
launch information
- requesting agency identity, contact radio frequencies, call back cell phone number
- local weather conditions
- presence of hazardous materials
- number of patients; basic medical description
landing zone info
- Landing Zone Officer should be designated; coordinates incoming aircraft operations with incident commander (IC)
- selection of site: site prep, site protection and control, air-to-ground communications, updating IC on ETA
what does IC stand for?
incident commander
ideal condition of LZ
- ideally 100’ by 100’ w/ little to no slope
- clear of visible debris or obstructions
- if area is dusty, consider lightly watering area with fog pattern
- don’t point charged hose line at aircraft
- mark LZ with cones (daytime) or strobes (nighttime)
- avoid shining lights up towards aircraft
- avoid using flares
strobes
“a light or lamp that flashes regularly and can make moving objects look like they’re not moving or like they’re moving very slowly”
flares
“a fire or blaze of light used especially to signal, illuminate, or attract attention”
fog pattern
“a type of cloud that forms when the air is filled with tiny water or ice droplets near the ground”
triage
“the preliminary assessment of patients or casualties in order to determine the urgency of their need for treatment and the nature of treatment required”
primary triage
used at the site to rapidly categorize patient conditions for treatment and transport needs
secondary triage
used at the treatment area where patients are triaged again
- patients are labeled with tags to assign priorities
START triage
- 60 second assessment
- assess ability to walk, respiratory effort, pulses/perfusion and neurological status
Step 1 of triage
ability to walk
walk and understand basic commands = delayed
Step 2 of triage
respirations
- absent respirations = dead
- < 10 or > 30 = critical
- normal respirations = delayed
Step 3 of triage
pulses/perfusion
- absent pulse = dead
- present at carotid and absent at radial = critical
Step 4 of triage
mental status
alert and oriented?
have patient perform motor task
- patient who can perform both tasks = delayed
if patient does not have any serious injuries and is alert and oriented (triage)
hold
what color is delayed (triage)?
yellow
what color is dead (triage)?
black
what color is critical (triage)?
red
what color is hold (triage)?
green
hot zone (HazMat Zones)
site of contamination (marked in red)
warm zone (HazMat Zones)
contamination reduction zone (marked in yellow)
cold zone (HazMat Zones)
safe zone - no contaminants (marked in green)
what does LEL stand for (Tox terms)?
lower explosive limit
what does UEL stand for (Tox terms)?
upper explosive limit
what does IDLH stand for (Tox terms)?
immediately dangerous to life or health
LEL (Tox terms)
“the lowest concentration of a gas or vapor in air that is capable of producing a flash of fire in presence of ignition source”
UEL (Tox terms)
“the maximum concentration of a gas or vapor that will burn if ignited”
IDLH (Tox terms)
“an atmospheric concentration of toxic, corrosive, or asphyxiant substance that poses an immediate threat to life or health”
where are terrorism targets?
- public buildings
- major infrastructures
- historical buildings
- divisive businesses
divisive businesses
self protection
- time
- distance
- shielding
Level A of PPE
highest level of protection
- full encapsulating suit
- SCBA
SCBA
“type of PPE that supplies breathing air from a source carried by the user”
Level B of PPE
highest level of respiratory protection
- lower level of skin protection
- SCBA
- chemical resistant clothing
Level C of PPE
used during transport of contaminated patients
- face mask
- chemical splash suit
- coveralls
Level D of PPE
work uniform
- provides minimum protection
C of CBRNE agents
chemical
B of CBRNE agents
biological
R of CBRNE agents
radiologic
N of CBRNE agents
nuclear
E of CBRNE agents
explosive
CBRNE agents
“these types of weapons have the ability to create both mass casualties as well as mass disruption to society”
when recognizing smell of freshly cut grass
think phosgene
phosgene
“a colorless, poisonous gas”
NFPA 704 (global harmonized system)
fixed at facilities to identify hazardous materials
what does PPE stand for?
personal protective equipment
what does SCBA stand for?
self-contained breathing apparatus
asphyxiant
“are considered very toxic and can be very fatal if inhaled”
chassis
“the base frame of a motor vehicle or other wheeled conveyance”
toxicology
“the study of poisons, including the source, effect, and treatment of poisoning”
