This page was reviewed and updated on December 20, 2011.
Overview What's New!Emergency Guidelines for Schools We are pleased to provide the 2011 Florida Edition of the Emergency Guidelines for Schools. The Emergency Guidelines for Schools Manual is meant to provide recommended procedures for school staff who have no medical/nursing training to use when the school nurse is not available. It is recommended that staff who are in a position to provide first-aid to students complete an approved first-aid and CPR course. These guidelines have been created as recommended procedures. It is not the intent of these guidelines to supersede or make invalid any laws or rules established by a school system, a school board, or the State. Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. To Request a copy of the Emergency Guidelines for Schools, 2011 Florida Edition in PDF format, please contact Melissa Keahey, EMSC Program Manager at 850-245-4440 ext. 2686 or Melissa Keahey Protecting Children during Emergencies
The following is an excellent resource which outlines the deficiencies of disaster planning for children in child care situations. Pediatric Emergency Care Safety Initiative The Pediatric Emergency Care Safety Initiative (PECSI) is a new FREE online e-learning program for emergency physicians and nurses. The program offers eight courses for healthcare professionals and students to enhance skills in the recognition and management of high acuity high-risk pediatric patients in emergency situations and offers 7 FREE CME and CEU credit. PECSI was created with the Moodle program and is funded through a two-year grant awarded to the University of Florida, Health Science Center/Jacksonville, Department of Emergency Medicine from the Florida Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association (FMMJUA). Participants must use Internet Explorer 8, Google Chrome, Safari, or Mozilla and create a user name and password. For more information, CLICK HERE or visit http://emedjax-pecsi.com/ Free Pediatric/Neonatal Education Are you prepared to care for a sick child? What comes next in the care of a newborn? The Florida EMSC Program and the Florida Neonatal & Pediatric Transport Network Association have partnered together to conduct FREE pediatric/neonatal training for prehospital and hospital professionals. The Florida EMSC education programs are designed to enhance pediatric/neonatal skill sets in the EMS community. Funding for these programs is provided by our federal partnership grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. If you are interested in hosting a FREE pediatric/neonatal education program at your agency/organization, please click on the link
below to complete the request form or contact Melissa Keahey, EMSC Program
Manager at 850-245-4440 ext. 2686 or email
Melissa Keahey. The Bureau of EMS supported in part a grant project by Nova Southeastern University, concerning drowning prevention for children. The link to the related site of the participating organization, with drowning prevention information, follows for your possible interest. However, in keeping with the Bureau's normal practices, provision of this link does not endorse or recommend any content or activity. http://www.nova.edu/ichp/drowning/ New Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Tool Helps Hospitals Evaluate Disaster Drills Hospital disaster response drills are real-time tests of a facilitys readiness to respond to a sudden demand for services resulting from a community-wide disaster. Routine evaluation of these drills can help a hospital make sure it is ready to meet community needs and provide high-quality care during a disaster event. Beginning in September, hospitals participating in the Hospital Preparedness Program, administered through HHS, will be required to provide executive summaries of the results of disaster drills they conduct. AHRQ's new Tool for Evaluating Core Elements of Hospital Disaster Drills can help hospitals meet this requirement. The Tool for Evaluating Core Elements of Hospital Disaster Drills is available on the AHRQ Web site at: http://www.ahrq.gov/prep/drillelements. Single, free copies can be ordered by sending an e-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov or by calling 1-800-358-9295. For more information about the Hospital Preparedness Program, visit http://www.hhs.gov/aspr/opeo/hpp. MeetingsThe next Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Advisory Committee meeting will be held
in conjunction with the quarterly EMS Advisory Council meeting. Details pertaining to the meeting
are listed below: 
OverviewEMSC has been active in the Florida EMS system for several years, with the help of a group of dedicated EMS and pediatric health care providers. The lead agency is the Department of Health Bureau of Emergency Medical Services. Due to combined, diligent efforts, the 1997 Florida Legislature established a committee to advise the Department of Health on matters concerning preventative, prehospital, hospital, rehabilitative, and other post medical care for children (Section 401.245(6), Florida Statutes). Members are appointed by the State Surgeon General and serve two-year terms. The committee meets quarterly in conjunction with the EMS Advisory Council and constituent group meetings. On August 25, 1997, the Florida Department of Health was awarded a federal partnership grant by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Maternal and Child Health Bureau to support the activities of the Florida Bureau of EMS and its EMSC Advisory Committee. Since then, the Bureau has consistently applied for and received funding for federal EMSC partnership grants every three years. The most recent grant became effective March 1, 2003 and will end on February 28, 2006. The primary goal for the years 2003-2006 is statewide integration of children's issues into the EMS system. This goal reflects one of the key goals in the National EMSC Program's Five Year Plan. The Florida EMSC program will continue its efforts to improve statewide communication and education by regularly updating the web site, strengthening liaisons with other state agencies, organizations and consumer groups, and continued partnership with SAFE KIDS , NFPA Risk Watch, and other educational and prevention programs. The Florida EMSC program has made great strides in becoming a sustained program in the Florida Bureau of EMS and the Florida Department of Health. There is a legislatively mandated EMSC Advisory Committee and in-kind support from the Bureau of EMS by way of a permanent EMSC coordinator, a nurse director, a program specialist, and other administrative personnel. The EMSC program has become more integrated with the EMS system by changes in committee structure, reporting procedures, and improved communication. The EMSC program is also well supported by other state agencies and organizations, including the Florida College of Emergency Physicians, Children's Medical Services, Florida Pediatric Society, Florida Hospital Association, Florida Committee on Trauma and many more. In addition to these partnerships, there is a new and expanded leadership group in the Florida EMSC program that is dedicated to making Florida a model EMSC state. EMSC Advisory CommitteeFlorida law has established an EMSC Advisory Committee to advise the Department of Health on matters concerning preventative, pre-hospital,
hospital, rehabilitative, and other post medical care for children. Members are appointed by the State Surgeon General and serve two-year
terms. |