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A major incident occurred in northern California this week when a charter bus flipped over, killing eight people and injuring dozens.

The bus was headed to a casino when the accident occurred Sunday evening. After the initial response, rescuers used flashlights and infrared sensors to search the tall grass at the crash site for more possible bodies.

Read more at Northern California Bus Crash Leaves 8 Dead.

New Jersey rescuer Ryan Stuart McCormick, age 34, died on September 26, 2008 following illness that his family attributes to his work as a first responder on 9/11/01 to the World Trade Center. Ryan had long served as a paramedic, first in Pennsylvania and then in New Jersey, and he most recently served as the Director of Emergency Management for New Jersey's St. Barnabas Healthcare System.

Read more about Ryan at NJ Emergency Manager Dies Following 9/11 Illness.

A change was made in Maryland medevac policy this week following the recent fatal crash there that killed four people.

Responders will now have to consult with a trauma center before ordering helicopter transport for patients who don't have obviously life-threatening injuries. The move is meant to cut risks by cutting Maryland's high percentage of EMS flight transports, but not everyone is onboard with the idea.

For the latest details visit the following article and follow its related links: New Maryland Medevac Policy Debated .

Industry News:

EMS Study Tour Embarks

Participants of the "EMS Diversity in America" tour received a warm welcome Tuesday, Oct. 7 at the L.A. County Fire Museum as they kicked off their study of EMS systems of the Southwest U.S.

Follow their updates here and catch the group's presentation next Thursday at EMS EXPO in Las Vegas, as part of the "Did You Know" series.

Final Call for Registration: EMS EXPO 2008

Only days remain to pre-register for EMS EXPO 2008! This 20th anniversary conference takes place next week, October 13-17 in Las Vegas, NV. Click above for conference details and a discount code for exhibit hall entry.

New Slideshow:

Photo Documentary: Life with the Air Ambulance

For 18 months, UK photographer Julian Claxton followed the daily lives of the doctors and paramedics of the East Anglian Air Ambulance. Here, he shares a selection of 17 photos from his book and exhibition with EMSResponder.com.

"You will join the crew on their daily routines and experience the highs, the lows and those times when words simply mean very little," Julian writes.

New Podcast:

Active vs. Passive Assumptions

"When you make an active assumption it requires work, it requires action," says EMS instructor and writer Chris LeBaudour. However, when passive assumptions slip in, it's extremely dangerous, he says.

This Open Airways podcast is brought to you by FISDAP and EMSResponder.com.

Featured Job:

Paramedic -- Aspen, CO

This position is "Responsible for direct emergency patient medical care during ambulance responses and direct in-hospital physician and nursing assistance."

Click for details and visit www.EMSResponder.com/jobs for additional listings including:

• Various Positions -- Medstar, Fort Worth, TX
• EMS Quality Improvement/Trauma Coordinator -- San Joaquin County, CA
• Various Positions -- A.T.S. Medical Services, Inc. (Northern IL)

Featured Forum Thread:

Medical Control of EMS - Who's the boss?

"I'm after some information on the level of medical control of EMS in the field across various jurisdictions in the US," writes forum user Melbourne MICA. "How many services for example, require their EMT-B's or EMT-P's to consult on just about everything?"

Click above to read the feedback, or browse other discussions at www.emsresponder.com/forums.

Poll Question:

Have you ever attended a major EMS conference?

Click to participate, and view previous polls at www.EMSResponder.com/polls.

Reminders:

Submit Your EMS Close Calls

To submit case studies for possible review in EMS Magazine, e-mail Nancy.Perry@cygnusb2b.com.

Free Poster: Do You Care Enough to ICARE?

A poster is currently in design to illustrate the ICARE principles. To request a free copy, e-mail your name, title, agency name and mailing address to nancy.perry@cygnusb2b.com.

Other top headlines this week on EMSResponder.com:

• San Francisco Chief Looks to Private Ambulances
• Cleveland Paramedic Charged With Assaulting Patient
• New Orleans EMS Gets Praise, But Little Else
• Florida Rescuer in Stolen Leg Allegation Resigns
• Florida Firefighters Protest, Want ALS Duties
• Woman, 92 Pulls Gun on Florida Paramedics
• Pennsylvania Woman Found 2 Days after Crash
• California Ex-Paramedic Convicted in Multiple Counts of Rape
• California Investigates Largest Paramedic Drug Theft Case

About Heather Caspi, EMSResponder.com Editor-in-Chief
Heather Caspi has been a public safety journalist since 2000, beginning as a reporter for sister site Firehouse.com. She later became the assistant news editor for Firehouse.com and Officer.com, and led the launch of EMSResponder.com in 2005. She graduated from the University of Maryland with degrees in Journalism and English Language and Literature, and earned her EMT-B at Merritt College in Oakland, California. She can be reached at Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.