Emergency Service Managment - Research Paper Example

Emergency Service Management Introduction Harmful events and emergencies can happen at any moment and at any place. The emergency situations might arise from numerous reasons and thus have significant impact on the health and safety of people. The fire department is dedicated to quickly react to the emergency situations and to develop strategies to monitor the initial reaction, enhance the flexibility towards disruptive incidents and facilitate well-organized health and safety activities (The University of Sydney, “Emergency Management Guidelines”). Thesis Statement: The paper intends to describe the ‘standard operating guidelines’ on health, fitness and wellness for fire division. The objective of the paper is to provide a framework for emergency service management which can be used by fire department in order to ensure fitness and wellness. Emergency Service Management in Fire Department The term ‘incident’ denotes certain occurrences such as chemical leakage or fire outbreak which require immediate reaction. The incidents can be dealt with by using limited resources or with the assistance of emergency services. However, when those incidents become serious, it necessitates management direction in order to address the broader effect. This in turn creates emergency situation which typically includes interference of emergency services (The University of Sydney, “Emergency Management Guidelines”). Effective emergency management is highly reliant on good emergency readiness. It requires guidelines and planning for every common reasonable event. The guidelines can result in secure practices in the organizations which can ensure health, fitness and wellness of fire-fighters. In fire department there are four principles for managing emergency. The following diagram will depict the four principles that are followed in emergency service management: Source: (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, “DEECD Emergency Management Guidelines”) Issues in Emergency Service Management of Fire Department The ‘National Fire Protection Association’ (NFPA) standard had recognized numerous issues with respect to maintaining health, fitness and wellness of fire-fighters. One of the most significant issues of health and safety is infection. The fire-fighters are vulnerable to several kinds of infections due to hazardous materials and body fluids. The NFPA 1582 standard requires fire-fighters to reduce the probability of disease and injury from infections. The standard operating guideline of fire department recommends active attempts for restricting the spread of infection and transmissible diseases by making available different immunizations, vaccinations and other treatments (United States Fire Administration, “Guide To Managing An Emergency Service Infection Control Program”). The other issue for health, fitness and wellness of fire-fighters is record keeping. It is essential for fire department to maintain a record for all employees regarding health so that appropriate measures can be taken in order to ensure fitness. The NFPA 1581 standard requires fire department to drive infection control events and to maintain private health records regarding all work-related injuries, sicknesses and exposures of fire-fighters along with toxic materials and spreadable illnesses (United States Fire Administration, “Guide To Managing An Emergency Service Infection Control Program”). Every fire-fighter should study how to protect from probable infections and prevent fleeting of infection to others. Developing infection plan is crucial for fire department in order to ensure fitness and wellness. The other issues for health, fitness and wellness of fire-fighters are health problems. Aspects such as high cholesterol, weight and heart problems are major issues for fire-fighters which impact on fitness and wellness (Bodle, “Fire-fighter Health and Fitness: Use of Incentive Programs to Decrease Fire-fighter Heart Attack and Stroke”). Several figures depict that fire-fighting is one of the most hazardous professions. In the year 2006, fire-fighters death toll represented almost 73%. Heart attack is the other cause for death of fire-fighters. In 2006, almost 47% of deaths of fire-fighters had occurred due to heart attacks. In both circumstances, stress is a vital reason which causes heart attack and mortalities for fire-fighters. These figures highlight the health, fitness and wellness issues being determined in the standard operating guideline for fire department. Several aspects influence the occurrence of injury and strictness of injury of fire-fighters during emergency operations such as use of equipment, disposal of wastes and prevention of accidents among other aspects (United States Fire Administration, “Health and Wellness Guide”). Emergency management consists of intense and energetic activities which require effective physical condition. The body must be capable of transiting successfully during emergency operations. Certainly, fundamental medical conditions along with physical fitness impact on health and security of fire-fighters. According to a study of NFPA, in the year 2006 almost 834000 fire-fighters were injured which can be avoided by proper guidelines (United States Fire Administration, “Health and Wellness Guide”). The NFPA 1581 standard obliges minimum requirements for health and safety in relation to specific areas that include infection management, management of equipment, post exposure assessment, injection requirements washing, sterilization and wastage disposal processes among others activities (United States Fire Administration, “Guide To Managing An Emergency Service Infection Control Program”). Standard Operating Guideline for Health, Fitness, Wellness Physical fitness is vital for emergency service personnel in order to perform better and stay safe. Due to this reason, the objective of fitness program is to assist people to stay fit through providing medical support and fitness training. The fitness program is also useful for improving the lifestyle of fire fighters. Unfit fire-fighters can bear severe damage while managing emergency situations in comparison with physically fit fire-fighters. In order to ensure fitness, the healthcare centre is essential where fire-fighters can put through physical examinations so that bodybuilding and diet practices can be developed. Rationale for the Guidelines The jobs of fire-fighters require operating in tremendously challenging physical condition. These jobs are usually performed under environmentally unfriendly situations and the outcomes are favorable to high risk of wound. Thus, in order to reduce the risk of wound, the capability to bear physical demand must be improved. It calls for a person to be substantially fit. Consistent physical fitness actions are essential for total wellness of fire-fighters. It not only helps to reduce the rate of injury but also can enhance the power and stamina, can keep the mind prepared and can help to attain relief from various forms of individual pressure (SOP Center, “Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines”). The fire department is devoted to deliver a working environment which can ensure safety for employees. The prohibition of accidents, damages and job-related sicknesses is the key objective of the guidelines, and every worker should undertake the activities according to the guidelines. Law, Codes and Standards The fire department is to follow the national law and codes and standards of NFPA. The Health, Fitness and Wellness officer will be responsible for administering the risk management and safety program. The Health, Fitness and Wellness committee will assist in proposing and recommending safety processes. Information Management In order to manage the information effectively, proper records should be maintained for the purpose of analysis. Better information management would help in identifying and correcting potential safety problems and also would support the health, fitness and wellness of fire-fighters. Prevention of Accidents In order to prevent risk, activities which can defend the life of people as well as property should be acknowledged and measures should be taken for reducing possibilities of risks. Relevant work processes will be followed in emergency operations. The fire-fighters are recommended to report about safety and other dangerous situations to the superiors instantaneously in order to prevent any kind of accidents. Every accident is to be reported immediately to the second-in-command chief of emergency operations and on his/her absence to the chief. In case of any accident, a fire-fighter will react immediately to the sight if nobody is present and begin collecting information regarding the accident. The chief and second-in-command chief will be informed about the urgency and casualty of incidents after the appropriate emergency reaction. In order to ensure fitness and wellness of employees, the chief and second-in-command chief will analyze every incident’s report and send a copy to healthcare commission for recommendations. Those recommendations will be notified again to the second-in-command chief and chief for gaining attention and taking action. Equipment and Tools Management To ensure health, fitness and wellness of fire-fighters, standard equipments and tools must be purchased. The tools and equipments must obey every safety and health standard of NFPA. The tools will be reviewed during selection procedure by maintenance manager and training captains. Examination of Work Environment The work environment will be examined each week by lieutenant of fire division and will be documented on assessment form. The senior officer will also conduct assessment on working condition of fire department in each quarter and the chief executing officer will undertake assessment on annual basis. It will help to identify every risky and unsafe condition in the workplace. Fitness Program The fitness program is mandatory for every employee in the fire department whether he/she is a part time or a full time worker. The workout facilities are accessible to every employee in the fire department (Washington TWP Fire Department, “Risk Management and Personnel Safety”). Infection Control Any kind of infection must be avoided while dealing with emergency situations. The following guidelines must be followed henceforth: Protective measures shall be taken in order to prevent contact with blood and other risky infective constituents. Every physical fluid shall be recognized as potentially contagious components and must be avoided for making direct contact While performing emergency management practices, all fire-fighters are recommended to wear gloves in order to handle injured persons or cleaning purposes. After removing the gloves the hands are to be washed and cleaned at the initial time in order to ensure safety After using tools such as spikes and lancets, it must be placed in leak containers. Unclean tools must not be restated or operated by open hands and whenever possible the fire-fighters should leave management of clearance of sharp tools to EMS Contagious waste or any disposable materials must be handled with gloves and placed in a waterproof bag The infective wastes must not be left at the accident site Source: (Columbia Fire Department, “Standard Operating Guidelines Manual”) Equipment Management Routine cleaning of different equipments and tools should be conducted regularly Vehicle apparatus and other tools which are unprotected to infection should be washed with antiseptic cleaner The sharp tools must be reserved in right place and shall be changed instantly after first use Used sharp equipments must be covered, recorded and dated for proper disposal Source: (Columbia Fire Department, “Standard Operating Guidelines Manual”) Waste Management Every kind of wastes must be kept in labeled vessels The wastes should be double packed, wrapped and kept in trash vessel so that they do not spread infection or disease Every time soiled wastes should be disposed to the fire station in a no traffic site Source: (Columbia Fire Department, “Standard Operating Guidelines Manual”) Vaccination Every fire-fighter who is exposed to the risk of emergency service must take the hepatitis B injection Fire-fighters also must go through post exposure assessment and follow up health examination The vaccination will not be provided if fire-fighters are invulnerable In case of allergic situation, alternative hepatitis B injection will be provided in order to reduce the negative impact The injection for hepatitis B will be given in three phases. The first dosage will be provided after initial assessment of fire-fighters by judging their vulnerability to emergency situation. The second dosage will be provided after thirty days of first injection. The third dosage will be provided after six months of providing the first injection Every injection will be provided under proper guidance of specified doctor Source: (Columbia Fire Department, “Standard Operating Guidelines Manual”) Post Exposure Assessment The fire department is liable to provide coverage report comprising directions on emergency sites, conditions under which certain accidents occurred and any identification of cause about the incidents The blood of fire-fighters will be tested for any kind of infection or harm The outcomes of testing will be provided to the fire-fighters and they would be informed about appropriate protocols concerning revelation of the identity and the infectious status Source: (Columbia Fire Department, “Standard Operating Guidelines Manual”) Training Training is vital for ensuring fitness and wellness of employees. Every fire-fighter should participate in the emergency service training program. The training will be delivered for any kind of changes in the work procedures or for making use of new equipments and tools which impact on work-related disclosure (Columbia Fire Department, “Standard Operating Guidelines Manual”) The training program will be provided by applicable policies and regulations. The training necessitates compulsory participation of all uniformed fire-fighters. The training is exclusively based on ensuring Health, Fitness and Wellness in the fire department and will provide the following advantages to the fire-fighters: Weight minimization and control Low level of cholesterol and low blood pressure Low risk of death, wound and frailty from accidents Enhanced performance of emergency services Reduction of nervousness, stress, rigidity and depression during emergency operations Increased stamina, energy, strength and rational intelligence Improved capability to recuperate from persistent and exhaustive tasks Improved tolerance from pressure of temperature and effective physical freshening Improved flexibility, balance and management of emergency problems Effective reaction to emergency service due to improved physical and mental preparation Improved effectiveness in operations of fire department through low rate of wound and low rate of sick leaves Improve amenability with regulations on state and national level to the aspects of infective syndrome and breathing problems Improved public service in crisis situation due to low disability rate Better control on health, fitness and wellness of fire-fighters Reduction of health care expenses for fire-fighters (Texas City Fire Department, “Wellness/Fitness Policy 6th Revision”) Training Program Components The training program comprises medical assessments, vaccinations, fitness exercises and injury reintegration training. With respect to medical assessments the fire-fighters will be judged through physical tests, laboratory tests, examination of vision and hearing ability and ECG analysis. Fire department will deliver weightlifting arrangement, resource support and customized fitness program. The fitness module will contain medical authorization, annual fitness assessment, personal wellness summary, access to equipment and amenities, and duty time exercises. The annual fitness evaluation will include the aerobic ability, muscular power, and flexibility of fire-fighters. The objective is to develop individual fitness and wellness. The exercise outfit and willingness for conducting emergency service duty will be administered by departmental guidelines (Texas City Fire Department, “Wellness/Fitness Policy 6th Revision”). The fire department will train for enhancing the physical ability on the basis of certain components which are ladder climbing ability, victim searching ability and carrying power of the fire-fighters. The performance standards will not differ according to demographic characteristics. The fire department will also support behavioral health practices which comprise specialized and synchronized support for health care reporting, nutritional instructions, prevention of unhealthy habits (such as using tobacco, and other toxic addition), and management of stress during serious events (Texas City Fire Department, “Wellness/Fitness Policy 6th Revision”). Record Maintenance The fire department should maintain proper records of every worker with occupational exposure in accordance with the standard of NFPA. The records must include name and ‘social security number’ of employees, data on blood status (such as hepatitis B, dates of all injections, HIV and hepatitis C virus among others diseases), information about medical records relative to fire-fighter’s capability. The database should maintain a copy of every post exposure assessment results; follow up actions and medical examination results. Other information which is required for ensuring fitness and wellness of fire-fighters is written judgment of healthcare professionals about fire-fighters (Shubin, “Developing a Comprehensive Infection Plan for the Santa Rosa Fire Department”). Performance Evaluation Process In order to evaluate the efficiency of the program, the performance of fire-fighters and fire department will be evaluated. The objective is to minimize accidental risks. The fire department can develop goals which are to be accomplished in certain time period after providing training in order to recognize the effectiveness. The effectiveness would be measured by assessing the quality of services of fire department in comparison with other departments. The performance indicators will be used to recognize to what extent fire-fighters are abiding by the regulations and standards developed by NFPA (United States Fire Administration, “Guide To Managing An Emergency Service Infection Control Program”). The following figure will describe the performance evaluation process of fire department: Source: (United States Fire Administration, “Guide To Managing An Emergency Service Infection Control Program”) Conclusion The standard operating guideline is beneficial for ensuring health, fitness and wellness of fire-fighters during emergency service operations. As fire-fighters perform in high risk and extreme stress conditions, there is a requirement for high physical demand and fitness. They must be prepared for every possible circumstance. Fire-fighters must stay in a good physical shape in order to provide services to the society in case of emergency situation. Due to this reason, fire department must develop certain guidelines which can prevent the issues that lead to injury of fire-fighters. The NFPA has improved the health and wellness standards for fire department and in compliance with standards of NFPA the standard operating guidelines can guarantee safer and more effective actions. Table of Contents Emergency Service Management in Fire Department 1 Issues in Emergency Service Management of Fire Department 2 Standard Operating Guideline for Health, Fitness, Wellness 4 Rationale for the Guidelines 5 Law, Codes and Standards 5 Information Management 6 Prevention of Accidents 6 Equipment and Tools Management 7 Examination of Work Environment 8 Fitness Program 8 Training 11 Training Program Components 12 Record Maintenance 12 Performance Evaluation Process 13 Conclusion 15 Works Cited 17 Works Cited Bodle, Christopher D. Fire-fighter Health and Fitness: Use of Incentive Programs to Decrease Fire-fighter Heart Attack and Stroke. Sandusky Fire Department, 23 Mar. 2009. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. Columbia Fire Department. Standard Operating Guidelines Manual, 2012. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. DEECD Emergency Management Guidelines, Oct. 2010. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. SOP Center. Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, n.d. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. Shubin, Willium R. Developing a Comprehensive Infection Plan for the Santa Rosa Fire Department. United States Fire Administration, n.d. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. The University of Sydney. Emergency Management Guidelines, 2012. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. Texas City Fire Department. Wellness/Fitness Policy 6th Revision, 06 Sep. 2010. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. United States Fire Administration. Guide To Managing An Emergency Service Infection Control Program, Jan. 2002. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. United States Fire Administration. Health and Wellness Guide, Feb. 2009. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. Washington TWP Fire Department. Risk Management and Personnel Safety, 31 May 2005. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. Read More