Fire Rehab

[So. IL Medic]

Not for Practical Application, I like that one!

A couple of thoughts I was having.......................

1. While you are sitting out on a fire scene doing a whole lot of nothing for the most part, what happens if an EMS call drops? Do you leave the fire? Do you send another unit? Do you have another unit to send?

2. CO monitoring is a great idea and all, but who will pay for the equipment?

1. Any time we send a unit to cover a fire scene, there are always two additional units for the area, another two outside the area that can be shifted. For our call volume, it works.

2. EMS would unless the FD got yet another grant.....

So why aren't these medically trained firefighter's performing their own rehab? It only takes one person to do and it would eliminate the need of taking an EMS unit out of service needlessly for hours at a time

Some larger depts do this, the EMS service I work for provides coverage in areas with small depts that don't have EMS personnel.

The fire service I worked with did exactly that. Our ambulance rolled with the trucks and cross-trained personnel would switch off fire duties and EMS duties on scene.

Although I am still puzzled exactly what you would do with the carboxyhemoglobin readings. Other than having a cool new toy, there will be no change in your treatment. Not to mention, a minimal assessment can give you a decent idea of if someone has CO poisoning or not. Use your head, not your probe...............................

Agreed that basic assessment skills could indicate CO poisoning. The idea of monitoring in rehab, I assume, is to prevent someone with elevated CO levels from re-entering a CO rich environment and reaching symptomatic levels.

Unfortunately, cyanide poisoning is ignored and guess what a major byproduct of burning furniture, drapes, and carpet is....

 

[Flight-LP]

Agreed that basic assessment skills could indicate CO poisoning. The idea of monitoring in rehab, I assume, is to prevent someone with elevated CO levels from re-entering a CO rich environment and reaching symptomatic levels.

Unfortunately, cyanide poisoning is ignored and guess what a major byproduct of burning furniture, drapes, and carpet is....

Ummm, SCBA????????? Proper use of one completely eliminates that risk............................

 

[BossyCow]

During a fire, we have an Aid unit that does EMS standby and rehab. Yes we do have our share of middle aged FF but isn't that a good reason to have EMS standing by? As to taking a unit out of service, if you have a dangerous event in progress and personnel working in a dangerous area, doesn't it make sense to have an aid unit standing by? We also do this for football games, track meets and other events where there is a high likelihood of injury.

If a call comes in, it would be prioritized like any other situation where two calls came in at the same time. The aid unit, obviously would go to the actual event instead of waiting around for a possible event. In our case, we would most likely leave one EMT on scene to do the rehab for the ff's while additional volunteers would go to the call. Most of our ffs are cross trained as EMTs so its not a big issue.

I have seen dehydration, hyperthermia and heat exhaustion on ffs working a fire. More so on the wildland fires that we work than the residential fires. Without someone doing the rehab or at least assessing the ff as they come out for a new airbottle, the ff would go back into the fire in an impaired state where they would be more susceptible to injury and errors in judgement. Taking that few minutes to be checked out is a break and a cool down period.