FF--MM AAMMBBUULLAANNCCEE SSEERRVVIICCEE

VVIITTAALL SSIIGGNNSS Summer 2012 Compassion, Excellence, Community

Service

RRiicckk CCaammeerroonn RReecceeiivveess SSttaarr ooff LLiiffee AAwwaarrdd The American Ambulance Association (AAA) held the 2012 Star of Life

event at the Washington Court Hotel in Washington, D.C., April 29th

through May 2nd. F-M Ambulance Service is proud to announce that

Rick Cameron is a 2012 Star of Life award recipient.

Cameron was selected for the Star of Life award because of his

dedication to EMS in the F-M community. Specifically noted was his

involvement in various roles in different departments throughout F-M

Ambulance and his involvement in numerous committees. Cameron’s

EMS history began with F-M Ambulance Service in 1991 where he was

employed as a Paramedic. He changed his EMS strengths to teaching

in 1999 when he moved to the F-M Ambulance Emergency Medical

Education Center and became the Corporate Education Coordinator. In

2000 he moved again to become the Co-Paramedic Instructor. In 2002

he moved yet again and became the Paramedic School Coordinator until

2006. In 2006 Cameron made the move back to operations and became

an Operations Supervisor. In 2012 he was promoted to Director of

Administration of F-M Ambulance service where he remains today.

Cameron is a Planning Section Chief for the North Dakota IMAT team,

has been the Vice President of the ND Instructor Coordinator Society,

member of the F-M Ambulance Service Disaster Services Committee,

and is the Lead Paramedic for the Red River Valley Swat Team (TEMS).

Cameron traveled to Washington, D.C. on April 29th along with F-M

Ambulance Executive Director Sherm Syverson to be presented with his

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award. While there he visited with staff members of Rick Berg and Kent Conrad’s offices to discuss EMS issues

and to honor Cameron’s accomplishments. Senator Conrad was specifically honored by the AAA for his long-

standing support of EMS issues. Cameron presented an award to the North Dakota Senator’s staff on behalf of the

AAA.

Cameron lives in Fargo with his wife, Cindy, and their three daughters, Jordyn (19), Carlee (17) and Rylee (4).

The Stars of Life Celebration is the AAA’s program that honors dedicated ambulance service professionals. The

recipients of the Star of Life distinction are paramedics, EMTs, dispatchers or other exceptional EMS personnel that

have been nominated and are being recognized for service above and beyond the call of duty, years of service, on-

duty heroism, or are honored as employees of the year. This year the event had 72 honorees. Good job and

congratulations, Rick – we’re proud to have you on our team!

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Imagine the chaos in all areas of a city if a natural

disaster such as a tornado swept through a small

town in North Dakota. People would come to help,

but would they all be trained on exactly what needed

to be done?

North Dakota has IMATs (Incident Management

Assistance Teams) just for that reason. The ND

IMATs collaborate with state agencies and local

jurisdictions during major disasters such as floods,

hazardous material spills and tornadoes. Members of

the IMATs come from different organizations from

around the state, including EMS, Firefighters, Police

Officers, Public Works and Public Health. Team

members are trained extensively in managing mass

casualty incidents. The IMAT doesn’t come in and

take over – they offer help where ever it is needed.

F-M Ambulance Service has several employees that

are active members of the North Dakota IMAT. Ken

Krupich (Director of Operations) is an Incident

Commander and an Operations Section Chief. Rick

Cameron (Director of Administration) is a Planning

Section Chief, and Don Martin (Field Supervisor) is an

Operations Section Chief and Liaison Section Chief.

Eighteen members of the eastern IMAT, including the

F-M Ambulance members, took part in a mock

tornado drill in Casselton, ND in April.

May 20 – 26 was National EMS Week. Kathy Lonski and Steve

Siedschlag spoke with Valley News Live to help promote EMS!

What is a seizure?

- A seizure is a sudden attack of brain activity

that causes a loss of control over movement.

The attacks last anywhere from a few seconds

to several minutes. People of any age can be

affected.

What causes a seizure?

- There are many things that can cause people

to have a seizure. Some of them are:

o Epilepsy (a seizure disorder)

o High fever, especially common in kids

o Withdrawal from alcohol or drugs

o Head injury

o Brain tumor

o Infection

Signs and symptoms

- When a seizure starts, often times people will

lose consciousness.

- Their face, arms and body may begin to jerk.

- The victim may lose control of their bladder or

bowels without knowing it.

- After the episode, the victim may be irritable,

confused or sleepy.

- Some people may experience an “aura” or

feeling that they are going to have a seizure;

others do not.

What can you do for someone having a seizure?

- Stay calm.

- Move any potential hazards out of the way

(things that the person may fall on or get hurt

by during the seizure).

- Do not force anything into the person’s mouth

or try to open the jaw.

- Turn the victim on his or her side when the

violent movement stops, or if they start to

vomit.

- When the seizure is over, the person may feel

confused or sleepy. They will need

reassurance that everything is all right. Help

him or her to rest and relax.

Call 9-1-1 if:

- You do not know the person or know their

medical history.

- The person does not wake up shortly after the

seizure.

- The person has other problems, such as

difficulty seeing, speaking or moving.

- You are uncomfortable with the situation.

www.epilepsy.com

TToorrnnaaddooeess!!

How do you prepare a hospital for a mass casualty incident like a bus crash, building collapse or a natural disaster?

You practice! On Wednesday April 25th, F-M Ambulance Service, along with Essentia Health and Sanford Hospital

conducted a mass casualty incident – a tornado – to test all areas of response.

At 5:00 AM, F-M Ambulance paramedic students started moulaging (putting make-up on) volunteer participants at

both Essentia and Sanford. Over 80 volunteers were moulaged and ready to start their day as a patient injured in

the mock tornado that swept through the Fargo/Moorhead area. At 6:30 AM the first group of patients were loaded

onto the F-M Ambulance AmBus and delivered to Sanford Hospital. More patients arrived via ambulance and

private vehicle. Once they arrived at Sanford Hospital, the patients were triaged and treated in the emergency

room. At 6:50 the AmBus was re-loaded and the exercise was carried out at Essentia.

This event helped demonstrate the ability of F-M Ambulance Service and local hospitals to respond to a major

incident and work together when multiple patients are involved. F-M Ambulance would like to extend a huge thank

you to all of our “patients” who volunteered to get up early and put makeup on that morning!!

DDiidd YYoouu KKnnooww……

June 4 – 8 was National CPR Week. F-M Ambulance partnered with the American Heart Association to educate

the public on how easy it is to learn CPR. Denise Vetter spoke with Valley News Live on Monday June 4th and

taught their morning crew how to do hands-only CPR. Kristi Engelstad spoke with Amanda and Pike from Froggy

99.9 about how easy it was to learn CPR. If you are interested in a CPR class, please check our website,

www.fmambulance.com for more information.

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On February 8th, 2011 Michelle Rustebakke called

9-1-1 for her son Michael. During that ambulance

ride, paramedics gave Michael brown teddy bear that

quickly became his favorite. For the one year

anniversary of his first ambulance ride, Michael

wanted other kids who might be scared during an

emergency to receive a stuffed animal just like he did.

Michael and his friends donated over 40 new stuffed

animals to F-M Ambulance Service to help re-stock all

of the ambulances. Thanks Michael!

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Kelly Wanzek is new to research but you wouldn’t

know it by looking at her most recent accomplishment.

Wanzek was recently invited to give an oral

presentation and poster on her research at the

National EMS Educators (NAEMSE) Conference in

Orlando, FL in August.

Wanzek took part in the FISDAP Research Summit in

February. She and her team worked on an abstract

titled When Bigger Is Better: The Association of Class

Size and Student Cognitive Performance. They found

that the larger the class size, the better the students

performed on their cognitive exam.

Kelly will now present the findings of her team’s

research at the NAEMSE conference. She will vie for

the title of “Best Research” Oral Presentation.

Wanzek’s efforts highlight a greater overall

commitment to EMS education research by the whole

education team. Congratulations and good luck Kelly!

Ready, Set, Go!

The Fargo Marathon took place on Saturday May

19th but what many people don’t know is that the

planning for the EMS response started many

months prior.

Field Supervisors Chad Mickelson and Don Martin

worked closely with marathon directors and officials

in order to assure that runners had the best care

available.

Temperatures were in the 80’s on Friday night

during the 5K race, but wind, sprinklers and fire

hydrants helped participants stay cool. The F-M

Ambulance Service misting tents were also set up

along the course to help reduce heat-related

illnesses and injuries. Saturday’s temperatures

were much cooler than Friday’s, which led to very

few marathon related ambulance calls.

Clinical Supervisor Kathy Lonski and Education Director Katie Lyman

man the AMBUS, which was ready for multiple patients.

Katie Lyman, Wade Hockert, Cody Kappenman, Pat Ward and Kathy

Lonski stand by the finish line during the 5K on Friday night.

CCoonnggrraattuullaattiioonnss!!

TTEEMMSS

What is TEMS?

- TEMS stands for Tactical Emergency Medical

Support. TEMS provides medical care for the police

officers, suspects and bystanders when the Red River

Valley SWAT Team is deployed.

How many paramedics are on the TEMS team?

- TEMS Paramedics from F-M Ambulance Service are

Rick Cameron, Tom Dobrzynski, Taylor Fontaine,

Brendan Krupich and Reed Groth.

Do all SWAT teams have TEMS members?

- No. Suprisingly, some big city full-time teams don’t

have medics. They rely on EMS staged at a safe

distance.

How do you get to be selected to be on the TEMS team?

- Candidates are required to be experience

paramedics, pass a physical test and score well on

their interview.

Each year, the F-M Ambulance Service education team looks for students

and preceptors who have gone above and beyond their normal

expectations and job duties. There were several paramedics and students

who stood out this year, so making the decision on who would be awarded

the F-M Ambulance Preceptor and Student of the Year was a difficult

decision.

Congratulations to Jason Eblen for being named the 2012 Preceptor of the

Year! Eblen is excellent at taking the time to answer students’ questions

and explain his answers to them so they understand. He also excels at

communicating his observations, praises and concerns regarding students

with paramedic instructors. Eblen is in contact with the paramedic

instructors on a regular basis and lets them know what skills the students

are doing well and where they need improvement. Thank you for going

above and beyond, Jason!

The F-M Ambulance Paramedic Student of the Year goes to a student who

demonstrates excellence in academics, commitment to the program and

leadership in the classroom, laboratory and clinical sites. Congratulations

to Jessica Sirek for being named the 2012 Paramedic Student of the Year!

DDiidd YYoouu KKnnooww……

FF--MM AAmmbbuullaannccee SSeerrvviiccee AAwwaarrddss

F-M Ambulance Service Paramedics Kathy Lonski, Rick Cameron, Jason Eblen, Josh Weber and Tyler Tougas

recently attended Crisis Intervention Team Training. CIT is an innovative first-responder model of police-based

crisis intervention with community, healthcare and advocacy partnerships. CIT provides the foundation necessary

to promote community and statewide solutions to assist individuals with mental illnesses. The goals of CIT are to

improve responder safety and redirect individuals with mental illnesses from the justice system to the health care

system. It teaches participants the tools necessary to de-escalate numerous situations and more safely arrive at a

conclusion that results in good or improved short and long term outcomes.

This program is specifically designed for law enforcement officers but the coordinating committee has also been

inviting other community partners who are frequently involved with the crisis to participate. Paramedics from F-M

Ambulance attended the 40-hour initial certification course. “The course was very informative. It definitely opened

my eyes to different ways of dealing with mental health emergencies,” said Jason Eblen.

F-M Ambulance held the Employee Appreciation Banquet on Thursday, May 24th at The Avalon Events Center. Congratulations to:

Greg Glood – Achievement in Excellence Award

o Greg has gone from Dispatcher to EMT to Paramedic to Crew Leader 1 in just three years. He has

shown patience and self control on some very trying calls in the past year. Greg is very calm and

cool under pressure and sets a positive example for students. Congratulations Greg!

Kayla Shaw – Achievement in Excellence Award

o Kayla was nominated because of Kayla’s renewed commitment to F-M Ambulance Service. Kayla

doesn’t come to work to just punch in and out – she is a true team player. She has joined the MCI

committee and also brings many new ideas and energy to the Clinical Advisory Group. She has a

positive attitude at work and always provides great patient care. Congratulations Kayla!

Mike Sylstad – Achievement in Excellence Award

o Mike had somewhat of a tough start at F-M Ambulance. Mike was not from the area and was

straight out of EMT class so it took him a little while to get the hang of things and get acquainted

with the area. Even when times got tough for him, Mike pushed through and become a great EMT.

Mike is always willing to help out – whether it’s cleaning a truck or changing the big oxygen tank,

Mike is always there. Mike has mastered his job as an EMT. Congratulations Mike!

Brett Wigglesworth – Achievement in Excellence Award

o Brett always has a very positive attitude, which seems to be contagious. He continually shows

exceptional patient care and customer service to every person he picks up. There are times that

co-workers absolutely marvel at how he can keep a positive spin on some of the most ridiculous

and challenging calls, where many would have long been at their wits end. Students enjoy the

extra time he takes to explain a call to them, and he is respected among co-workers, firefighters,

law enforcement and emergency department staff. Congratulations Brett!

15 Years at F-M Ambulance Service

o Bob Klein – Liaison Coordinator

o Kathy Lonski – Clinical Supervisor

o Jason Smith – NREMT-P

10 Years at F-M Ambulance Service

o Kristi Engelstad – Education

o Scott Helmer – NREMT-I

o Chad Mickelson – Field Supervisor

We hope that you have enjoyed this edition of “Vital Signs”, a quarterly newsletter distributed by F-M Ambulance. An electronic edition of Vital Signs can be found on our website, www.fmambulance.com. If you have any ideas, questions, or comments about “Vital Signs”, please contact Kristi at (701) 364-1759, or kristi.engelstad@fmambulance.com.

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CCiittiizzeennss AAccaaddeemmyy

Earlier this year, Katie needed to complete an EMT Refresher course and found that F-M Ambulance had a hybrid

option. She scheduled the course and while was in Fargo for the skills check off, she heard about the Director of

Education position. Katie completed her interview the same day she came in for the skills check off and shortly

after was hired as the Director of Education. She started at F-M Ambulance on May 7th.

Katie has spoken at multiple EMS annual conferences around the country to discuss athletic injuries and the

relationship/collaboration between EMT’s and athletic trainers. She continues to pursue her PhD in Higher

Administration from the University of South Florida. Her husband Steve is also from the region and they have a

chocolate lab named Reeces. F-M Ambulance is excited to have Katie join our team once again!

Have you ever wondered what EMTs and paramedics do every day? What kind of calls they go on? What they do when they aren’t responding to calls? If you’ve always wanted to take a glimpse of what a day is like for a paramedic, the F-M Ambulance Service Citizens Academy would be the perfect fit for you!

The Citizens Academy is a hands-on opportunity for community members to see and learn what F-M Ambulance paramedics and EMT’s do every day. Participants will have the opportunity to ride along with crew members and see how they deal with actual emergencies. The academy will educate participants about F-M Ambulance Service and teach them skills that they can use in an actual emergency. F-M Ambulance Service will hold a Citizens Academy beginning this fall. If you are interested in the Citizens

Academy, please contact Kristi – kristi.engelstad@fmambulance.com

On Thursday May 26th, Paramedic Jason Eblen was awarded the VFW

Gold Medal Award for EMS for his consistent hard work and dedication to

the field of emergency medicine. Congratulations Jason!

The F-M Ambulance Service Honor Guard took part in a moving

ceremony paying tribute and respect to those volunteer and career EMS,

Fire and Law Enforcement personnel who are no longer with us. The

Table of Honor recognizes EMS personnel who have passed away in the

last ten years.

F-M Ambulance Service is proud to announce that Katie Lyman has started as the

Director of Education.

Katie, MS, ATC, NREMT, CKTI, worked at F-M Ambulance as an EMT in 2005. After

working at F-M Ambulance, she had the opportunity to pursue additional education

(Master of Science in Kinesiology) and work as an athletic trainer at Michigan State

University. After graduating from Michigan State, Katie proceeded to take positions in

Sports Medicine at universities in New York, Texas, and Florida.