Would You Know What To Do?

Winter 2014 Compassion, Excellence, Community Service

F-M AMBULANCE SERVICE

VITAL SIGNS

Imagine this – your brother and his wife have come to visit for the night on their way to a medical appointment in

Rochester the next day. You have a fun evening together, but in the morning, your brother starts complaining of

indigestion. All of the sudden, he collapses onto the bed. Would you know what to do?

This happened to David and Dean Lorenz on August 3, 2014. David and his wife Jeanine woke up that morning,

and shortly after that, David collapsed. Dean called 9-1-1. As he was on the phone with the dispatcher, he realized

that he was going to have to perform CPR on his brother. Luckily, his daughter Lindsey had recently taken a Health

Careers class at Fargo South High School and learned CPR. She had talked to Dean about the changes in CPR

– how chest compressions were more important that breathing.

Shortly after Dean started CPR, the Fargo Fire Department arrived on scene. They took over CPR, and when F-M

Ambulance Service paramedics arrived on scene, they attached the Lucas to David. The Lucas is a new, automatic

CPR machine; David Lorenz is one of the first patients in our area that it has been used on.

Due to the immediate, tiered response of everyone involved, David Lorenz is alive and well today. The entire Lorenz

family wants everyone to know the importance of learning CPR. Nationwide, 40% of people who experience cardiac

arrest in a pre-hospital setting receive CPR from a bystander. In the Fargo/Moorhead/WF area, that percentage is

much lower, at 33%.

F-M Ambulance Service, along with other local partnering agencies, will be hosting the second annual “Save a Life

Saturday” on February 14, 2015. The event will take place at West Acres mall. In less than 2 minutes, you can

learn how to do hands-only CPR and potentially save a life. F-M Ambulance Service encourages everyone to stop

by West Acres Mall on Saturday, February 14, 2015 and learn how to save a life.

Pictured (L – R):

Fargo Firefighters

Jeremy Engelstad,

Mike Neels and

Logan Johnson; F-M

Ambulance Service

paramedic Tyler

Tougas.

Seated is Dean

Lorenz, who received

the Citizens Lifesaving

Award for performing

CPR and helping save

his brother’s life.

Jason Eblen – Community Paramedic

NDSCS 2014 Paramedic Class

On Friday, November 14, a Celebration of Achievement was held for the 2014 F-M Ambulance Service / NDSCS

Paramedic class. Trista Berg, a 2014 paramedic student, spoke about her perspective on the program, followed by

highlights from the year. Jesse Tischer, Chief Operating Officer from Sanford, was the guest speaker. The Student

of the Year was awarded to Mike Monson.

Members of the F-M Ambulance Service/NDSCS 2014 Paramedic Class:

Trista Berg

Joshua Bierman

Jonathan Daeuber

Brooke Fletcher

Spencer Gebhardt

Lisa Hanover

Kimberly Herzog-Meng

Jay Huseby

Emily Luce

Michael Monson

John Morrisson

Lisa Mortenson

Amy Pflugrath

Shayla Streit

Cara Taschuk

Trisha Underdahl

Curtis Weible

Congratulations from everyone at F-M Ambulance Service!

F-M Ambulance Service is excited to announce that Jason Eblen has

successfully completed the Community Paramedic course through

Hennepin Technical College in Eden Prairie, MN.

The Community Paramedic Program closes gaps in healthcare by

expanding the role of EMS personnel. Through a standardized

curriculum, accredited colleges and universities train paramedics to

serve communities in a broader role.

The Community Paramedic Program adapts to the specific needs and

resources of each community. It will succeed through the combined

efforts of those that have a stake in maintaining the health and well-

being of its residents.

Eblen is the first of 5 paramedics from F-M Ambulance Service to

successfully complete the program. F-M Ambulance Service is hoping

to have community paramedics out in our community in the spring of

2015.

ND NREMT Recertification

There have been many recent changes in National Registry recertification for

EMTs and Paramedics in North Dakota. The state of ND is working with the

National Registry of EMTs on a pilot project, which has changed some of the

requirements for recertification.

One of the more recent changes is the development of a “self-assessment tool”.

This is a 100 item multiple choice exam that was designed for EMS

professionals to assess their knowledge and help guide their studies in the next

recertification cycle. In May of your recertification year, you will receive a one

page guide showing you how you performed. The guide will provide

individualized areas that you should concentrate on when choosing continuing

education for your next recertification cycle. Exam results are not released to

anyone other than the individual who took the exam.

If you are recertifying in North Dakota, this year you will be required to take the

self-assessment tool before you can submit your recertification information to

the National Registry. Once you have logged in to your NREMT account, click

on “My Recertification”, and then click on “Manage Education”. You will then

be able to click on the link to take the self-assessment.

Did You Know…

The Emergency Medical Education Center at F-M

Ambulance Service has changed its name! We are

now Sanford Health EMS Education. Watch for our

new website, www.sanfordhealthemsed.org and our

new Facebook and Twitter pages. Until then, you

can find our classes listed on the F-M Ambulance

Service site, under “education”.

The experienced staff and the great classes that we

have always provided are still here, and we are still

housed at F-M Ambulance Service. The new name

reflects our parent corporation, and we are able to

take advantage of the resources of Sanford Health

to help provide a wider range of classes and

services.

We are excited to serve you as Sanford Health EMS

Education!

Thief River Falls

Every summer, Thief River Falls Area Ambulance

Service teams up with local businesses to reward area

kids who wear their helmets. When an ambulance

sees a child who is riding their bike or scooter wearing

a helmet, they will stop and reward them with a coupon

for free ice cream. When the child redeems the ice

cream coupon, they write their name and phone

number on the back. Each ticket is then entered into a

drawing for a free bicycle of their choice from Walmart!

This year, Paige Green and Micah Anderson were

chosen to receive a free bicycle. Congratulations to

the winners, and thank you to each child who wore their

helmet this summer!

2014 United Way Campaign

Welcome to F-M Ambulance Service!

April Avelsgard Dispatcher FMA BJ Carlson PRN Educator FMA Ruth Danuser PRN Educator FMA Tim Schmeets Manager TRFAA Deb Schumacher PRN Educator FMA Tom Taylor PRN Educator FMA Curt Weible EMT FMA

Welcome to all of our new employees!

F-M Ambulance Service is always looking

for good people to teach CPR. If you

know someone who might be interested,

please have them contact Reed at (701)

364-1711.

Employees at F-M Ambulance Service had a blast with the

2014 United Way Campaign, raising over $1000. The month-

long campaign had many different activities, including a

“Selfie Scavenger Hunt” and ended with employees voting for

the Executive Director Sherm Syverson to receive a blue

Mohawk. Thank you to everyone who participate and

donated!

The Rural Roundup

Did You Know… “Mo-vember”

That you can learn CPR in less than 2 minutes?

What: Save a Life Saturday

When: Saturday, February 14, 2015

Where: West Acres Mall

Time: 12:00 – 5:00

Stop by to visit us!

Commitment. This word can mean quite a few different things, but hearing it usually brings a sense of security.

Since 1982, F-M Ambulance Service has been committed to providing ALS (Advanced Life Support) service for both

Cass and Clay Counties. Many people wonder how the county model works – here is a short explanation:

- When 9-1-1 is called anywhere in Cass or Clay County, the Red River Regional Dispatch Center (RRRDC)

answers that call. Dispatchers at the RRRDC find out where the call is, make a determination of the seriousness

of the call using emergency medical dispatch codes, and send the appropriate rescue squad or ambulance

service to that call.

- In Cass County, some communities have ambulance services that provide BLS (Basic Life Support), and other

communities have Quick Response Units (QRU) or rescue squads.

o In communities with ambulance services, that service will respond, start treating the patient and start to

transport. If the patient needs ALS service, F-M Ambulance Service will meet the transporting

ambulance, and a paramedic with ALS equipment will join the crew in the back of their truck.

o In communities with QRU’s or rescue squads, the EMTs and EMRs from that community will respond to

the location of the call and start assessment and treatment of the patient. F-M Ambulance Service will

then meet them at the location and transport the patient to the appropriate hospital.

- In Clay County, F-M Ambulance Service provides ALS service (assessment, treatment and transportation)

everywhere other than the Barnesville area (Barnesville has their own ALS service and covers their own area).

Area EMTs and EMRs will start assessment and treatment of the patient until F-M Ambulance arrives.

F-M Ambulance Service also provides liaison services to some of the EMS agencies in Cass and Clay Counties.

Each month, a paramedic from F-M Ambulance Service attends the squad’s monthly meeting and updates members

on anything new at F-M Ambulance Service. The liaison will also provide monthly training and education upon

request.

F-M Ambulance Service is proud of its commitment to Cass and Clay Counties, and will continue to serve the people

of those counties as long as we are welcome and legally able to do so. Community members in these counties

should feel comforted by the fact that they have excellent first responders coming to help when emergencies arise

as well as a top-notch ALS service there to help in those areas if needed.

Stop by to visit us and learn

to save a life!

Who are these good-looking (and hairy) men?

Members of our education and IT teams participated

in “Mo-vember” as a reminder for men to get their

prostates checked! Lookin’ good, guys!

Sylstads Receive Donation

Health Highlight

Ebola – it’s a scary word for many people around the world.

F-M Ambulance Service has received many calls from

different EMS agencies asking “what are you doing to

prepare?”

- Dispatchers at the Red River Regional Dispatch

Center are screening calls to see if potential patients

may have or have been exposed to Ebola.

- Responders have been trained to recognize the signs

and symptoms of Ebola.

- F-M Ambulance Service has designated a special Ebola response team. If a call comes in as a potential

Ebola patient, our team is called and will respond. They have been trained on how to don (put on) and doff

(take off) their personal protective equipment as well as transport a potentially infected patient safely.

The Ebola situation in our country is constantly changing, and F-M Ambulance Service is working hard to stay up-

to-date on those changes. Ebola isn’t our only worry – responders on every single call should always be thinking

about personal protective equipment and infection control. Ebola has brought these worries into the spotlight for a

while, but everyone working or volunteering in EMS needs to think about this all of the time.

F-M Ambulance Service Paramedic Mike Sylstad and

his family (wife Brittany and son Brenner) received a

donation from the Forward Foundation provided by

Bank Forward.

Mike and Brittany were overjoyed when they found out

they were expecting triplets. Unfortunately, little girls

Olivia and Ainsley passed away in April. Their brother

Brenner, born prematurely, is home and doing well now.

The Sylstad family has been overwhelmed with financial

costs associated with the hospital stay by Brittany and

the babies.

Thank you to the Forward Foundation, from F-M

Ambulance Service and the Sylstads!

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.

Did You Know…

Every year, F-M Ambulance Service takes part in the Xcel Energy Holiday

Lights Parade. This parade attracts thousands of spectators throughout the

Fargo-Moorhead community and includes hundreds of participants that

decorate their entries with lights. F-M Ambulance Service participates with a

truck decorated with Christmas lights and a “patient” waving to spectators from

inside.

Paramedics and EMTs from F-M Ambulance Service will also be participating

in the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign this year. “It is important for F-M

Ambulance Service to help out the Salvation Army whenever we can because

of everything that they do for the community and everything that they do for

F-M Ambulance Service,” says Don Martin, Operations Supervisor. The

Salvation Army provides food and drinks, as well as other services, to first

responders during fires and other major catastrophes in our area. “F-M

Ambulance Service is appreciative of everything that the Salvation Army does

for us, and this is one way that we can give back to them.”

This Christmas season, the F-M Ambulance Service Giving Tree will make its

second appearance. Ornaments with gift ideas will adorn the company

Christmas tree. Employees can choose an ornament and purchase the gift. F-

M Ambulance Service then donates the gifts to adults or children in need in our

area. Last year F-M Ambulance Service donated over 20 gifts to Churches

United for the Homeless.

Winners! Did You Know…

Why is this team of educators so happy? They

(unofficially) won the “Scenario Race” that was held

between the instructors and the paramedic students!

Good job, instructors!

That there are actually two ways to recertify your

National Registry certification? Instead of the

“traditional” way that consists of continuing education

and other classes, you may also recertify by

examination to fulfill the requirements. This may be a

less expensive option compared to taking multiple day

refresher or NCCR courses.

If you do plan to utilize the examination option, you will

need to plan on completing it early so that you have

time to make additional plans if your exam is

unsuccessful.

You will only have one attempt to successfully

complete the recertification by examination. If you are

unsuccessful on the exam, you may still recertify by

meeting all education requirements and completing

the online requirements before the March 31 deadline.