Every fall and winter see a rise in respiratory and contagious illnesses with the peak usually occurring in February. An early season might show a peak in December. As the temperatures decrease, people are indoors together, travel, and the air is drier, the viruses are more easily spread. 2022...
Respiratory Illnesses-Cold, Flu, RSV, and COVID
Every fall and winter see a rise in respiratory and contagious illnesses with the peak usually occurring in February. An early season might show a peak in December. As the temperatures decrease, people are indoors together, travel, and the air is drier, the viruses are more easily spread. 2022...
Station Traffic Signal Pre-Empt Button
Please remember to use the station traffic signal pre-empt button every time that you leave the station in emergency mode. Controlling the traffic with traffic lights is much safer that requesting them to stop with your lights and sirens. But always proceed with caution and ensure that everyone stops...
Backer/Spotter Roles and Responsibilities
Please click below for backer and driver duties while backing a vehicle including hand signals. Click here: https://www.vbems.com/wp-content/uploads/Backer-responsibility.pdf
Gates and Barrier Arm Best Practices
Please remember that the gates/arms are designed to let ONE vehicle pass through before the gate closes. Never try to follow a vehicle through the gate without reentering the code or waiting for it to close and reopen. Click here for more information: Gate arm info
Cable Median Barrier Information
Please click the link below for information on the cable median barrier system installed along 264. it includes information on how to work around crashes when they involve the cables and a video link with more information on the system and how it works. Cable median barrier
Virginia Beach Medically Friendly Shelter
In 2009, the City of Virginia Beach added Medically Friendly Sheltering (MFS) to our city shelter plan. EMS was identified as the lead agency and began the daunting task of identifying sites, writing contracts, obtaining equipment, identifying staffing, and drawing up plans to operate an MFS. Medically Friendly Shelters...
New “Hospital Number” Format
If you have transported to Sentara Leigh recently, you may have noticed that the patient sticker number is 14 digits with no dashes. Some of you have been creative in trying to validate your records! 🙂 The Sentara system is altering their registration process and programs and this includes...
Securing your Patient to the Stretcher-You Must Use the Shoulder Straps
All of our stretchers were shipped with shoulder, chest, pelvis, and leg straps. The stretchers were designed to function with all of those straps in place for any patient movement and transport. Omitting straps, especially the shoulder straps, is not the manufacturer’s indications for use and is not safe...
Mission: Lifeline STEMI Accelerator II Project Information
The Tidewater Region participated in the AHA Mission: Lifeline STEMI Accelerator II project. While the project and study are officially over now, the connections, data sharing and best practices continue on in our region to give our patients the best care possible. We continue to discuss cases, share information...
How to Elite: Post, Transfer, Save
The AIC for the case is responsible for having a fully complete (no less than 98%) patient report/refusal/cancelled calls posted within 12 hours of the call per VAOEMS regulations. We strongly advocate for no later than end of shift and prefer as soon as the call ends. There are...