Israeli Mass Casualty - Terror Workshop: Training Day 6
By Greg Friese, MS, NREMT-P, WEMT, Emergency Preparedness Systems, LLC
EMSResponder.com Contributor
In his sixth podcast from Israel, Greg discusses his meeting with national EMS system manager and shares an overview of the system including dispatch regions, equipment, call volume, and the system’s utilization of employees and volunteers. Greg also explains their training process and some of the key differences between the Israeli and U.S. EMS systems.
An important difference Greg notes is that the Israeli system has no difficulty with recruitment, like the U.S. In addition, he explains that most EMS volunteers are youths, who then take additional training to become employed EMTs after turning 21. EMS responders must then spend three years as EMTs before they can train to become paramedics.
Greg also notes that Israeli EMTs can do some of what we consider advanced skills, and that all paramedics and EMTs must cross train as dispatchers. Paramedics also must train at the country’s medical simulation lab, (discussed in Greg’s previous podcast) and must ride ambulances staffed with physicians until they are approved.
Greg also touches on their use of armored ambulances, ambulance targeting issues, and MCI data.
The podcast ends with a rundown of Greg’s lessons learned about Israeli MCI response, which include:
- The first EMS responder on scene takes medical command; don’t wait for your boss
- Don’t waste time counting patients in the midst of chaos; report – single, multiple or a lot
- Accept that there will be chaos
- Divide the scene into sectors
- Don’t wait for bomb techs to clear the scene – it takes too long
- Never pick up patient backpacks, etc., in case they contain a secondary explosive device
- Always disrobe patients in case they are packing explosives
Listen to the podcast to hear more lessons and Greg’s full report.
