PULSE Magazine | May 2019 Issue

P U L S E May 2019 ANAUSTIN-TRAVIS COUNTY EMS PUBLICATION

1

May 2019

Contents

Featured News

04

NATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK

During Emergency Medical Services Week, we pay tribute to our Nation’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers, whose selfless dedication and extraordinary efforts help save countless lives each day.

18

____________________________________________

“CLICK IT OR TICKET” PRESS CONFERENCE HONORING THE KAILEE MILLS FOUNDATION

06

BEYOND THE CALL

On Wednesday, May 1st the “Click it or Ticket” press conference was held at Republic Square Park in Austin. This year’s event highlighted the work of the Kailee Mills Foundation. David Mills, CEO of the Kailee Mills Foundation, conveyed his family’s heartbreaking story.

For many in EMS, the sense of responsibility to care for the community doesn’t end when the shift does. EMS means more than dedication to duty and lifesaving patient care. EMS is also community care that takes time, energy and heart—far beyond the scope of your everyday calling.

__________________________________________

____________________________________________

26-31

08

MEET –A-MEDIC

A CULTURE OF IMPROVEMENT

Have you been following ATCEMS Recruiting’s Meet-A -Medic Blog posts? If not we’ve collected their most recent posts to help you get to know your peers a little better. Meet-A-Medic blog posts are shared on the ATCEMS Facebook page every Monday.

Chief Rodriguez was recently featured in an article for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The IHI uses improvement science to advance and sustain better outcomes in health and health care across the world.

2

Division News

11

CHP POP-UP RESOURCE CLINIC

ATCEMS Community Health Paramedics held their monthly Pop Up Resource Clinic (PURC) bringing resources and healthcare to the streets. The clinic is an opportunity that matches persons experienc- ing homelessness to the services that they may need.

_________________________________________

16, 17

SPECIAL OPERATIONS ANIMAL RESCUE AND TTPOA TRAINING Two of our Special Operations Rescue Medics (Captains M. Paul & T. Burrier) attended the Large Animal Rescue Technician class with Texas A&M Task Force 1 in College Station, Texas. ATCEMS Tactical Medics recently taught a class at the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (TTPOA) conference.

In Every Issue

32

EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION

ATCEMS employees receive kudos, special thanks and congratulations for a job well done.

___________________________________________

36

WHAT IS:

SATURATED FATS AND CARBON ATOMS

Not all saturated fats are equal when it comes to heart health. The type of saturated fats we eat can affect our risk of a heart attack,. People whose diets contain relatively little palmitic and stearic acid—saturated fats composed of 16 or more carbon atoms (longer-chain saturated fats) that are typically found in meats and eat plant-based proteins instead have decreased chances of myocar- dial infarction.

___________________________________________

3

National Emergency Medical Services Week City Hall Proclamation

During Emergency Medical Services Week, we pay tribute to our Nation’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers, whose selfless dedication and extraordinary efforts help save countless lives each day. As the first link to emergency medical care, EMS personnel are a critical component of our healthcare system. Day or night, dedicated EMS medic’s intensively prepare for and stand at the ready to help their fellow Americans through chaotic and distressing situations. In every circumstance, and in crises where every second counts, EMS providers demonstrate courage and devotion to saving lives. They protect the health and safety of others with unmatched skill and extraordinary resolve. This month, and always, we express our endless gratitude and respect to the fine men and women of our EMS system for their continued commitment to excellence in emergency care. Austin—Travis County EMS was honored to be a part of two proclamation ceremonies during the week. One proclamation was from City of Austin Government and the other from Travis County, Texas - Government. Thank you both for your recognition of National EMS Week and our EMS Clinicians.

4

5

For many in EMS, the sense of responsibility to care for the community doesn’t end when the shift does. EMS means more than dedication to duty and lifesaving patient care. EMS is also community care that takes time, energy and heart—far beyond the scope of your everyday calling. BEYOND THE CALL Your dedication to improving the lives of others is a hallmark of the EMS profession. But we can only do so much individually. The truth is, we're at our best when (and because) we work together-within our EMS service, with neighboring departments, hospitals and other healthcare providers. Responding and providing care side-by-side, with countless hours of preparation and training, we impact the lives of our patients, their families, and our communities. STRONGER TOGETHER It’s about so much more than lights and sirens. It’s about giving the most of ourselves in the name of helping others. It’s about being there for people when things go wrong—and doing our part to help make sure things go right. It’s about supporting each other when things get tough, and being there for our communities when they look to us for help. It’s about being in service to others, every day. ALWAYS IN SERVICE Every day, you’re called upon to help others through one of the most frightening times of their lives. Every day, you’re called upon to provide a sense of security and relief during chaotic and challenging situations. Every day, you’re called upon to do the work that only a select few can do. Every day, you’re CALLED TO CARE

6

A CALLING As calls flow in throughout the day and into the night first responders stand ready. Gunshots, stabbing, violence or accidents and illness, whatever the call may be, does not change the fabric of a paramedic’s response. First responders do their best:

Every day Every hour Every call

With focus, exceptional skills, integrity and professionalism. Knowing you make a difference in someone’s life is beyond rewarding, it’s an honor and...

A Calling

7

By Ernesto Rodriguez | Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Creating an Emergency Medical Services Improvement Culture

Chief Ernesto Rodriguez - Austin-Travis County EMS was recently featured in an article for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).

The IHI uses improvement science to advance and sustain better outcomes in health and health care across the world. They bring awareness of safety and quality to millions, accelerate learning and the systematic improvement of care, develop solutions to previously intractable challenges, and mobilize health systems, communities, regions, and nations to reduce harm and deaths. Working in collaboration with the growing IHI community they work to spark bold, inventive ways to improve the health of individuals and populations.

They generate optimism, harvest fresh ideas, and support anyone, anywhere who wants to profoundly change health and health care for the better.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals don’t typically take part in health care quality improvement trainings, but Ernesto Rodriguez, the Chief of Emergency Medical Services in Austin, Texas, USA, believes that needs to change. A graduate of the Improvement Advisor (IA) pro- gram , Chief Rodriguez describes how creating an improvement culture in his organization has helped his team work more efficiently, communicate more effectively (including with elected officials), and saved their community money. I’ve been very interested in quality improvement for a long time. One of the improvement advisors (IAs) I met on my journey was [IHI Senior Lead, Improvement Science & Methods] Dave Williams. He did a training in our agency and I believe it was Dave who first introduced me to The Improvement Guide . I started reading it and ended up thorough- ly confused! I decided I needed someone to help me understand improvement, so I enrolled in Wave 34 of IHI’s Improvement Advisor (IA) pro- gram ed my world has never been the same. EMS does a lot of critical things in a very short amount of time with very little room for error. When you operate in an environment where every- thing you do matters, and you don’t have redo op- tions, you’ve got to get it right. It’s important to find ways to simplify and standardize some of what we do and to provide the tools and the information so that people can make good and wise choices as they perform critical interventions. There is a lot to be learned [from health care quality improvement] and the exposure to many On his interest in learning more about quality improvement On why more EMS agencies should learn about health care quality improvement

different facets of health care is eye-opening. It’s good to learn with professionals from a variety of disciplines about how we can do what we do better. On why he started investing in building the improvement capability of his staff After I went through the IA program, one of the first things I learned was that I couldn’t do what I wanted to do by myself because we didn’t just need to improve the organization — we had to transform it. We had to go to the root of who we are to change our culture and come out the other end being different. That’s not something that a single person can do by themselves. I decided to identify individuals with some skills and interest and sign them up for improvement training. When I looked into IHI’s Improvement Coach program , I found that it provides all of the essentials we need, so I sent three individuals to participate. The key result was that we sent them as individuals, and they came back as a team. That propelled us going forward. An example of how improvement thinking reduced waste and saved thousands of dollars We buy ambulances and they cost around $200,000 each. We buy them year after year, replacing old ones with new ones, and we continuously got complaints about the work space in the ambulances from our medics. The cabinets aren’t designed properly. Our equipment doesn’t fit. The flow is wrong. So, we had been spending all this money trying to buy better ambulances, but we failed at it over and over. After coming back from an IA training, I had the idea to use PDSA cycles and see what we can learn using an ambulance prototype. I talked

8

about it with several of our employees who are responsible for buying and designing, and I said, “Hey, let’s figure out how to mock up an ambu- lance.” My idea was to have a bunch of our medics walk through the mockup and give us some feed- back. The team built a wooden ambulance out of plywood using the exact dimensions of our ambulance. It included seats, a stretcher, and all the cabinets. We had a hundred medics walk through the mockup with a schematic diagram for our next design. Based on the input we received, we redesigned our ambulances. We don’t get complaints anymore. We get compliments. The medics tell us they finally have ambulances that help them get their jobs done. I would estimate that we’ve probably saved easily $100,000 a year because we don’t have to make repeated modifications. Now when we get an ambulance, it’s ready to work. Turning an ambulance over to a medic crew and they’re smiling and can’t wait to get in it because they’ve heard how cool it is — that’s success. On his mission to promote EMS measurement and transparency We introduced the concept of making our data accessible to everyone. We used an open data platform provided by the city’s internet gurus. Now, we put our data online. Not only can some- one log into our system and look at our perfor- mance, they can also download the data behind it and do their own analyses. It’s forced me to be smarter, faster, quicker, and to find better ways to involve the workforce. For me, it feels like we grew up. We make more intelligent choices because they’re backed up by data. As an industry, EMS doesn’t typically monitor our performance as well as we should. We certainly don’t share the results of what we do know publicly. I personally have set out to change that. One of the things I’ve done is worked with my team to put together a performance dashboard. We’ve identified the areas where we expect key results, including emergency response times and providing recommended evidence-based care. We’ve defined what our measures ought to be and what the results should look like. We’ve made it public.

It required some courage to be so transparent because sometimes you don’t do as well as you want to be doing. But that’s part of what we learned through IHI. It’s okay to not be as good as you want to be. It’s not okay to ignore it. You have to find a way to make it better. On using improvement skills when working with elected officials Our improvement skills help us communicate what our work means to our community. One example is how we’ve responded to our elected officials concerns about the opioid crisis. We took a dive into our data and produced a dashboard that covers the last fiscal year focusing on opioids. We used some techniques that we learned through the IA and the Improvement Coach programs. We were able to produce an infographic utilizing our open data system. It showed the impact on the community and on our organization. It helped us identify a population we could work with. And it was all on one page. I don’t think we ever had the capability before to present our data and say, “This is what this means to us. This is what it means to the community. This is how we can help address the problem.” On his proudest moment as an Improvement Advisor My proudest moment is when I see the results of what we do communicated in an effective way. The world is exposed to data every day. We see it every day, and a lot of times you’re left confused. But our data speaks clearly because one of the things that we’ve learned — and it was almost a sidebar thing that we didn’t anticipate learning — was how to communicate better with information. We’ve learned how to communicate intelligently using data. We display our data better. We think through our charts better. We look and quantify things more deeply than we did before. We learn to aggregate things in intelligent ways that make sense. Whenever we launch a project, we gather together and start by asking, “What’s the aim? What’s the purpose? What are we trying to do? How are we going to measure that? What’s that going to look like when we’re done?” We ask all these simple questions that seem like common sense that we never asked before. I look at that and I say, “Wow. We’ve really made a difference.”

9

100 CLUB OF CENTRAL TEXAS ANNUAL GOOD FRIDAY EVENT

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services along with Austin Fire Department, Austin Police Department, and other area public safety agencies got the opportunity to help The 100 Club of Central Texas during their annual Good Friday event. ATCEMS personnel helped serve McDonald's patrons during the lunch hour and a portion of all proceeds will go to support families of first responders who are injured or killed in the line of duty.

10

ATCEMS Community Health Paramedics held their monthly Pop Up Resource Clinic (PURC) bringing resources and healthcare to the streets. POP UP RESOURCE CLINIC CHP The clinic is an opportunity that matches persons experiencing homelessness to the services that they may need. Some of the "interventions" available to participants are:  medical assistance  dental assistance  obtaining an identification card  primary medical care  medical testing  substance abuse counseling  housing, and even assistance with their pets.

11

Memorial Day Flags for Veterans at the Texas State Cemetery

On Veterans Day 2015, while visiting the grave of his grandfather at a Redding, CA cemetery, then 10 year old Preston Sharp noticed the lack of flags or flowers on the graves to honor local veterans. This both troubled and inspired Preston. He was distressed that our local veterans were going unrecognized on such a momentous day and motivated to do something to change it. That day, Preston set a goal to place a flag and flower on the graves of each of those veterans at McDonald's cemetery, but that goal quickly grew to include other Redding area cemeteries and from there has grown to include cemeteries across the United States. To date, Preston has organized the placement of more than 180,000 flags and red carnations on veterans headstones. With the assistance of local community groups and public safety organizations, including Austin-Travis County EMS, Preston is making sure that our Veterans are not forgotten. He encourages us to take the time to say "Thank You" to those that have provided their services to our country, not just on Memorial Day but throughout the year.

Special thanks to ATCEMS Division Chief Ed Piker and the M06 crew of Ross Copland and Duane Ramos who helped place American flags on the gravesites of our fallen heroes.

12

13

Community Relations

OUT IN THE COMMUNITY

Thank you guys for setting up the ambulance visit at Westlake High School today. We enjoyed having the crew of M21 at Westlake today. Please pass along a special thank you to whoever is on DC4 today, as they let the medics stay a little longer than scheduled because the students had so many questions for them. We appreciate all the support ATCEMS has given our CERT program over the years! Today ATCEMS Special Operations Rescue Medics from Medic-21 (Clinical Specialists D. Van Zandt & N. Olivo) visited Westlake High School to speak with students during their Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) class. Westlake High School has offered a teen CERT class since 2011 as a one-semester, half-credit elective students may take which prepares them to become disaster preparedness leaders in the community.

Nolan Screen CERT Executive Board & ATCEMS Explorer

14

Clinical Specialist Samirrppa and Medic Heater conducted a show and tell for career day with the students from Brooks Elementary. The medics to the opportunity to talk about EMS and our role in the community. The student then had the chance to tour the unit and review the equipment we carry. Teacher said that 15 of her students were interested in becoming an EMT/paramedic!

15

SPECIAL OPERATIONS SPECIAL OPERATIONS TEAM MEMBERS OBTAIN ANIMAL RESCUE TRAINING

Two of our Special Operations Rescue Medics ( Captains M. Paul & T. Burrier ) attended the Large Animal Rescue Technician class with Texas A&M Task Force 1 in College Station, Texas .

The covered situations involved confined space, below grade, low and high angle rescues. Techniques for each type were discussed and applied to a variety of scenarios. In addition, animal behavior, body language and positioning of both animals and humans, as well as safety concerns and basic first aid were covered. A hands-on scenario involving a large horse manne- quin (pictured below) at the end of the course required students to apply the knowledge gained throughout the course with limited assistance from the instructors.

Spec Ops medics work with an animal mannequin to practice rescue techniques.

16

By Captain M. Clark

Tactical Medics Train Officers During TTPOA Conference

The Austin-Travis County Tactical Medics recently taught a class at the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association (TTPOA) conference. The TTPOA is the largest organization for SWAT officers in the state. Police officers from all across the country attend and take classes directly related to SWAT teams and tactical operations. The instructors are usually hand picked and are considered subject matter experts in their field.

ATCEMS Tactical is one of the first and most respected tactical medic programs in the nation and were invited to host an advanced tactical medical class this year, which is a great honor.

Topics included:

 Trauma pit crew: John Dunn - DPS Tactical medic  Emergency Crics: Captain T. Fuentes - ATCEMS Tactical  Medical threat assessment/ medical planning: Dr Pickett - Office Of The Medical Director City Of Austin-Travis County  Traumatic arrest / finger thoracotomy: Dr. Mark E. Escott - Office Of The Medical Director City Of Austin-Travis County  TacMedic team selection and process: Captain A. Capra ATCEMS Tactical  TacMedic team deployment, operations, & critical incident debrief: Captain M. Clark - ATCEMS Tactical The class was very well received and we were able to share, on a national stage, specifics about our team to those looking to start up or improve an existing TacMedic programs. Tactical medicine has come a long way over the years, but is still a relatively new concept. Everyone can agree that medicine in a tactical environment is crucial, but there are always many challenges in implementing a successful program. This class was meant to answer some of the questions others have and help them mitigate them for their system.

17

“Click it or Ticket” Press Conference Honoring the Kailee Mills Foundation The Kailee Mills Foundation educates the public on the importance of seat belt use while encouraging and inspiring communities to protect themselves and their passengers by always wearing their seat belt. On Wednesday, May 1st the Click it or Ticket press conference was held at Republic Square Park in Austin. This year’s event highlighted the work of the Kailee Mills Foundation. David Mills, CEO of the Kailee Mills Foundation, conveyed his family’s heartbreaking story. “In the blink of an eye, our 16-year-old daughter was gone. She had just left our home with her friends to go to a Halloween party. She was riding in the backseat, and only traveling a mile away from our home to a friend's house. They were only a few blocks away from our home when the car she was riding in veered off the road. The car rolled over, Kailee was ejected from the backseat of the car, and died instantly. Her three friends walked away with only minor cuts and bruises. Kailee was the only one in the car not wearing a seat belt. Just seconds before the crash, Kailee removed her seat belt to slide over in the backseat and take a selfie with her friend. It was that split second that shattered the hearts of so many. Car crashes happen more often than we are consciously aware of. You hear they weren't wearing their seat belt and died. See or read the news. But it always seems outside of your reality. Something that happens to other people. Why wouldn't they be wearing their seat belt? Doesn't everyone wear one? We never thought it would happen to us—to our daughter. We know that if she was wearing her seat belt, she'd still be here. Instead, the girl we called our “ray of sunshine”, is gone.”

18

Kailee’s parents said she was very good about wearing her seat belt. “We can't recall one single time that we had to remind her and never caught her with- out it on. Her friends were all in shock because she was the one that always made sure everyone was buckled up. She never put her car in drive until all of her passengers were buckled up. As a backseat passenger, close to home, not going far, she let her guard down and had her seat belt off at the wrong time. These types of things happen in mere seconds and when you least expect it. We are all guilty of a momentary lapse in judgement when it comes to how safe we feel some- times; especially when we are close to home. We all need a reminder, that life is precious, and we have to protect always protect ourselves.” In the weeks after the crash, the Mills looked up statistics on seat belt use and traffic crashes. “What we found not only surprised us, but made us sick to our stomachs. We learned how many peo- ple die each year on the road because they weren’t buckled up; and how many lives could be saved. So many of these fatalities were completely preventable, if they were wearing seat belts. We want to change these statistics.” Car accidents are the leading cause of death in this country for people ages 1-54. Each one of those fatalities leave behind family and friends who must find the strength to carry on without them; that deep loss is difficult and painful be- yond words. We know that pain first-hand because we live with it every day. Even though surveys show that the seat belt use rate in this country has topped 90 percent in recent years, that still leaves over 35 million people who do not wear their seat belts. “We want our daughter’s story to serve as a reminder to others about the im- portance of wearing seat belts. Our goal is to prevent other families from having to go through the same pain and loss that we are going through. Kailee was always helping people and this is her legacy: to help educate and impact the culture sur- rounding seat belt use, and help families who have to endure loss.”

19

Buckle Up For Kailee “We chose to honor our daughter by focusing our energy on something positive: raise awareness about the importance of seat belt use. We hope that what we are doing will inspire others to choose to do something positive with the tragedies in their lives.” From two heartbroken parents, here is their message:

 Always put on your seat belt—whether you are the driver or a passenger— and make sure everyone is buckled up BEFORE the vehicle is in motion.

 Talk to your children and CONTINUE talking to them about the importance of wear- ing a seat belt and what the risks are when you do not wear one.

 It only takes three seconds to fasten your seat belt. Those three seconds can change your life and the lives of those who know and love you.

 It takes NO effort to keep your seat belt on. Stay buckled in until your vehicle is safely in park.

 Drive responsibly. It’s not worth your life or your passenger’s life.

 Adults, it is our responsibility to set the example for the youth around us.

A very special thank you to ATCEMS Communications Clinical Specialist Katherine Phillips for connecting us with the Kailee Mills Foundation. We are proud to help support their important work.

Buckle up: every trip, every passenger, every mile. Buckle up for Kailee!

To receive a free “Buckle up for Kailee” seat belt decal contact EMSPubEd@austintexas.gov

20

Wellness

Austin Public Safety Wellness Center offers: Ask the Registered Dietician

Have a question about nutrition, food and/or diet? We are collaborating with the City of Austin Registered Dietician (RD), Lauren McGill, to offer public safety workers the opportunity to ask questions about nutrition.

How it works: Submit your question to https://www.atxpublicsafetywellness.com/fitness/nutrition by the 15 th of each month. Ten questions will be selected for the RD to answer by the end of that month. If your question was not answered/selected, please resubmit.

Questions or concerns please email or call Anne Schaak @ anne.schaak@austintexas.gov 512-974-0200. For more information about Lauren McGill, go to

http://cityspace.ci.austin.tx.us/services/healthyconnections/weight-watchers-at-work

21

ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING

Austin Travis County EMS medics participated in an active shooter drill at Lakeline Mall with multiple public safety agencies. Preparation is always the key for first responders but the same holds true for civilians that may be involved in an active shooter incident. Do you know what to do? 1-RUN • Have an escape route and plan in mind • Leave your belongings behind • Keep your hands visible

2-HIDE • Hide in an area out of the shooter’s view • Block entry to your hiding place and lock the doors • Silence your cell phone and/or pager 3-FIGHT • As a last resort only when your life is in imminent danger • Attempt to incapacitate the shooter • Act with physical aggression & throw items at the shooter

22

ABOVE AND BEYOND Kindness for animals because all life matters.

Diana Price, Clinical Specialist Ty Roberts, Medic

Some days we don’t just run on people and we don’t just help those who call while on duty. Today coming back from Round Rock hospital going back to station around 0645 we found a dog that was hit by a car and left in the road with cars just passing her. It was obvious she had died and so my partner (Ty Roberts) and I stopped and moved her out of the road so she wouldn't continue to get hit. We took her collar and called the pet watch number to find her owner because I would want someon e to let me know where my pet was and not wonder what happened. I was able to obtain an address and phone number of the dog owner and called. Initially no answer so I just left my name and number for them to call me when they could. About four hours later I got the call and it was obviously a little old man and he seemed anxious about the call. He had been looking for his dog who got scared in the storm we were having. In that moment I had to tell him I had found his dog and that she had died and her location. He informed me that her name was Kate and that she was 14.9 years old. I give death notices frequently with my job but this one was hard. I could hear in his voice that he had hope and fear and I wasn’t standing next to him I was on the phone which made it much harder. I offered to come and help him with her and he declined the help. I called him a little later to make sure he was ok and had found her and again offered to help him with her. He only asked if we had her collar and we did so I took it to him. It was a hard day and I cried with him. He thanked me and said that was the kindest thing anyone had done for him. Kate was his best friend and only companion and now will forever be a memory for me. Some things never leave you with this job and I am sure that this little old man and his dog Kate will stick with me forever. RIP sweet girl. Much gratitude and deepest appreciation for your devotion and compassion of animals. Finding Kate and dealing with her in such a caring way I'm sure brought comfort to the elderly gentleman who lost his best friend gave him closure during a painful time. It takes a special heart to deal with the tragic loss of a fur baby and to do it for one that you never had the chance to meet. This speaks volumes of the kind of people you both are and shows that you both cherish all life. Well done!! “I think the owner of Kate appreciate it and didn’t feel so alone. Kate was a Australian Shep- herd and he had her since she was a puppy. I can’t stand it when animals get hit and people keep running them over as if they didn’t matter. All life matters and part of our job and our role in life is to make sure they know they mattered.” D. Price “There are times with this job that I feel like we make more of a difference with what we do than the medicine. We don’t often show emotion to people we are helping and most of the time we are very stoic but I just couldn't be that day.”

Kate

23

While on the way to a car seat event last Friday Clinical Specialist Jason Cantu noticed a dog running in the road followed by people trying to catch it. He slowed his vehicle and opened the door and the dog jumped in with- out hesitation. He stopped to talk to the peo- ple chasing the dog and discovered that the owner was not among them. Having to get to the car seat event, Jason decided to take the beautiful German Shepherd with him and track down the owner. The dog had a collar that identified her name as “Iris” but the phone number on the collar had been disconnected. Jason contacted EMS Communications who connected him with

Austin 311 and Animal Control. However, Jason was informed that the estimated wait time was 2 – 72 hours for Animal Control to arrive and take custody of the dog. So Iris remained with Jason for the entire car seat event. When Jason returned to EMS Headquarters he enlisted the help of Clemente Leal and they decided to try and visit the address on the name tag to return the dog. When they arrived at the residence they found what seemed to be an abandoned home. The front door was wide open but no one an- swered when they called out. Fearing some- one may be hurt inside the home Jason called for the help of APD.

24

APD arrived within minutes and gained ac- cess to the home but found it empty. The APD officer offered to contact the Austin Humane Society for Jason and Clemente, but Clemente offered to foster the dog until the owner could be contacted Clemente made arrangements with his family to expect a dog that was larger than life! When Clemente arrived home with Iris she walked around and found comfort at his home. Clemente’s son Isaiah immediately took to Iris and he took her for a walk and she followed him everywhere. During the night, Iris was found sleeping in bed with Isaiah. On Saturday morning, Clemente and Isai- ah had to go to San Antonio. Iris didn’t want Isaiah to leave and began scratching the door. Around 10:00 am, Clemente’s wife called him and told him the dog was missing. Upon arriving back at home, he noticed the wooden fence gate in the back yard had been broken just enough for Iris to get out. Clemente started searching the neighbor- hood for Iris. Neighbors mentioned seeing her earlier in the morning near the main highway. Fearing that Iris made her way to the busy highway Clemente frantically searched for several miles but could not find Iris. He decided to call New Braunfels Humane Socie- ty, hoping that they had her, and sure enough she was there safe and sound picked up by New Braunfels Police. After a long explanation about Iris’s adventures, New Braunfels Humane Society contacted Austin Animal Control. They took the information and allowed Clemente to continue to foster Iris, but only 30 minutes after arriving back at his residence Clemente received a phone call! It was Iris’s owner, she gave a full description of Iris, confirming she was the owner. So Clemente drove Iris to Kyle and met the owner. When Iris saw her, it was with obvious excitement that this was her rightful owner. Jason Cantu and Clemente Leal are both animal lovers. Not only do they show a great example of care and safety for our citizens

but also their four legged fury friends. Thank you Jason and Clemente for keeping Iris safe and go above and beyond for a furry friend.

“Am I clear right?”

25

Meet-A-Medic: Jacinda Thurmon, Medic-Communications

What inspired you to become a medic/What attracted you to this career choice? I was inspired to become an EMT by my grand- mother. I originally wanted to be a teacher, but that all changed when I moved to New Mexico to live with her. She was a volunteer firefighter and former EMT with our local department in Angel Fire, New Mexico. She convinced me to go to one training with her to see how I liked it, and after that, I was hooked. I instantly fell in love with the fire department and EMS. I’ve always wanted to help people somehow, and this field was an exciting way for me to do it. My grandmother helped me through all of my training and even my EMT-Basic course. I also was inspired by the amazing EMTs and Medics that I learned from during my first few years as a volunteer firefighter. How long have you been with ATCEMS and what motivated you to work here? I have been with Austin for a year and a half. I have always viewed Austin as an amazing depart- ment and was impressed by the reputation the department had. I set a goal for myself to get on with ATCEMS when I was first starting out in my career. I have worked as a volunteer, in an urgent care, on an ambulance, and I even worked with ski patrol. I had never considered a job in Communications, but I thought it would be good to see another side of EMS that I hadn’t before. I am so grateful I did, too. The experience I have gained in Communications has changed my perspective on 911 call-takers and dispatchers completely. D Shift Family

I’m Jacinda Thurmon, currently working in Communications for ATCEMS as a Medic. I was born and raised in Texas, but started my career in New Mexico in 2016. I was a volunteer firefighter and worked for AMR before coming back to Texas and continuing my career in EMS in my native state. I spend most of my time cracking jokes with my friends, driving around, and shopping. Where are you from originally and what brought you to Austin? I am originally from Montgomery, TX, but I grew up in Copperas Cove, TX, right outside of Fort Hood. I was close to the city growing up, so I spent a lot of time in Austin and absolutely fell in love with it. After high school, I moved to New Mexico, which is where I began volunteering with a local fire department and where I became an EMT. I became homesick after a few years and had always dreamed of working in Austin, so I gave it a shot and applied. Lucky enough for me, those trips from Albuquerque to Austin during the hiring process paid off! Then: A Volunteer Firefighter

26

What is your favorite part about working here at ATCEMS? My favorite part about working at ATCEMS is the group of people I am surrounded by every day. I hands down have the most amazing co-workers anyone could ask for. The support system we have here is incredible. We are truly just a big family. Whether it’s advice on a call or life advice, some- one is always there to help. I couldn’t do what I do without the teamwork between our medics and even our other brother/sister agencies. If you had guests visiting Austin for the weekend, where is the first place you would take them? I am just a big kid, so my favorite place to take people is Austin’s Park and Pizza! I also love shop- ping, so the Domain is a nice spot to grab a bite to eat and get some new threads. It would definitely be between those two.

Who inspires you? My parents inspire me. I would not be the person I am today without them, and I am so grateful for everything they have done for me. They remind me every day to keep pushing forward when things get rough, and to be the absolute best person I can be. They have done such an amazing job raising my two siblings and me, and I only hope to be as cool as they are someday. My father is such a hard worker and has always motivated me to be the same way. My mom is such an amazing human being, and reminds me to always think of others. What is the next place you would like to visit? Why? I have so many places I would like to cross off of my bucket list, so it’s hard to pick just one. My boyfriend is in the Army and has been overseas several times, so there are a few places in Europe he wants to show me someday that I would love to visit! Jacinda and her boyfriend, Clint (pictured below)

What is your favorite taco joint in town? La Chilanguita, hands down! It is off of Rundberg/I- 35 and it is so yummy! Also, I can’t complain that there is an elote stand right next to it.

What do you do on your days to relax and un- wind? I spend most of my days off hanging out with my friends and family. I also love decorating and checking out my favorite home goods stores for new things. “Retail therapy” is my favorite way to unwind.

(pictured below is Jacinda & her parents)

Word of advice for an aspiring medic? Working in EMS can be hard sometimes, but it is so rewarding. My biggest piece of advice is to make sure you are passionate about helping others. Every time you put that uniform on, you have an opportunity to change someone’s life. Also, we see people at their absolute worst sometimes. Don’t hesitate to talk to someone if the job gets tough or starts to weigh on you.

27

Meet-A-Medic: Jon DeLong, Medic-Communications

reputation they (we) have. I also looked at it as giving back to the community that helped raise me and where I spent my whole life. I knew Austin as well as any Austinite could and felt that knowledge would be very beneficial to my line of work versus working an area that I had little background info on. What is your favorite part about working here at ATCEMS? It sounds cliché, but my favorite parts about working with ATCEMS really do include the people I work with (both patients and fellow medics) and how much the department invests in their employees with educational opportunities, public outreach opportunities, promotions, etc. If you had guests visiting Austin for the weekend, where is the first place you would take them? If I had guests visiting Austin, I’d have to take them to all the typical Austin places (of course), but first and foremost would be Magnolia Café. They have food that suits any hour of the day and it’s definitely an “Austin thing”.

I’m Jonathan DeLong. I come from a background with Search and Rescue as well as generalized Emergency Response. I started working for Austin- Travis County EMS in April of 2018. I stay busy keeping up with friends and family on my off time. You can usually find me at a shooting range or out relaxing with friends.

Where are you from originally and what brought you to Austin? I am from Austin! I guess you could say my parents brought me here.

What is your favorite taco joint in town? Juan in a Million

What inspired you to become a medic/What attracted you to this career choice? I always wanted to be in public service and always participated in Emergency Response organizations so being a medic just fell into place with me. Oddly enough it was not my first career choice. I originally wanted to be a firefighter through college and then move on to being a federal agent. When I didn’t get on with a fire department I decided to obtain my EMT-B certification in order to make myself more marketable. While going through my EMT class I just fell in love with being a medic and knew that was what I wanted to do as a career. How long have you been with ATCEMS and what motivated you to work here? I started with ATCEMS in April of 2018 but did not actually start working until May of 2018. I wanted to work for ATCEMS because of the great

28

What do you do on your days to relax and unwind? On my days off, you can usually find me at the shooting range, out with friends either around water or just around town, or sleeping to recover from my last shift. I usually work nights so I picked up playing video games a little but shhhhh don’t tell anyone.

Who inspires you? I’d definitely say my grandfather inspires me greatly.

What is the next place you would like to visit? Why? My next vacation will either be somewhere in Africa, because I am always looking for an inter- esting/different excursion or experience. I’ve also heard that backpacking across Jamaica is loads of fun . Word of advice for an aspiring medic? Slow down and take it one step at a time. Be excited, take your course and use the energy and excitement to land the job of your dreams. Find a good organization or department to work for, an entity that will invest in you, take time to train you, challenge you and that suits all of your needs. From there, work your way up to AEMT or Para- medic and promote. It’s super exciting to start your EMT classes, even more exciting to graduate, hold onto that energy, and eventually become employed where you want to be. Working at the place you’ve wanted to be is absolutely thrilling.

29

Meet-A-Medic: Iraj Lotfalian, Medic-Field

I’m Iraj Lotfalian, currently I’m one of the newest members of ATCEMS Field medics. I used to be a fire fighter for 3 years and I served in USAF for 4 years as Aerospace Medical Techni- cian. I’m back in school and plan to eventually get my degree as a PA. I spend my free time outdoors, usually swimming or paddle boarding, but most of the time traveling cause there is nothing better than swimming in a new lake, river or ocean.

Where are you from originally and what brought you to Austin? I’m originally from Iran, and I’ve been in Austin for 6 years. I originally came to Austin to pursue higher education and my dreams as a basketball player (I played semi-professional basketball overseas in Turkey). What inspired you to become a medic/What attracted you to this career choice? I always liked the idea of practicing medicine, and since I was a kid I wanted to be doctor. As a medic, I get to practice medicine in a fast paced environment and with different daily challenges. I know that we all have bad days; I like being able to help someone else on their bad day and hopefully make a positive impact. How long have you been with ATCEMS and what motivated you to work here? I have been with ATCEMS since October 2018 as part of the last hiring group. I enjoy being able to see all different parts of my city, and I like the variety of calls I get here. If you had guests visiting Austin for the weekend, where is the first place you would take them? I would take them to Elephant Room , which is a jazz bar, for live music and then a walk around the Capitol building at night. What is your favorite taco joint in town? I don’t discriminate against tacos, each one has its own beauty and taste. What do you do on your days to relax and unwind? I go to live jazz and blues events, and hiking the many trails of Austin never fails.

Who inspires you? My father.

What is the next place you would like to visit? Why? I’d like to visit Alaska and hike in the pure nature up there. I love the cold. I also might try bow hunting.

Word of advice for an aspiring medic? It’s never too late to go back to school and learn more.

30

Meet-A-Medic: Walter Finch, Clinical Specialist, SpecOps-Rescue

I’ve been a Paramedic in Austin for 13 year and spent most of that time in Rescue. I’m married with 4 kids, and own a gym with my wife. I enjoy weightlifting, working on cars, sailing and doing just about anything in the water!

Where are you from originally and what brought you to Austin? I was born in Argentina and decided to move to Austin to be a Paramedic.

What inspired you to become a medic/What at- tracted you to this career choice? I was going to medic school to be a fire fighter, but once I started ride-outs I found that I really enjoy the medi- cine. How long have you been with ATCEMS and what motivated you to work here? I’ve been here for 13 years. The opportunity to work with the best and the Special Operations team brought and kept me here.

What is your favorite part about working here at ATCEMS? The people and Spec Ops.

If you had guests visiting Austin for the weekend, where is the first place you would take them? The green belt

What is your favorite taco joint in town? THE Taco Joint

What do you do on your days to relax and unwind? I like to workout, cook, spend time with family, and sail.

What is the next place you would like to visit? Why? Hawaii- for the surf and beaches.

Word of advice for an aspiring medic? Everything is gonna be alright.

31

EMS WEEK

32

33

Employee Recognition

CONGRATULATIONS

Clinical Specialist H. Moore

Captain Smith

St. David's HealthCare emergency department staff presented ATCEMS Capt. J. Smith the first ever “Medic Of The Month”. Capt. Smith received the award for outstanding patient care, attitude positivity, and overall clinical excellence. Staff reports: “Jake always does an amazing job with critical AND non-critical patients.” “Every time I see Jake, he has a positive attitude.” “He is so friendly and always willing to help out!” “We love when we see it’s Jake bringing us the patient!”

Congratulations to Clinical Specialist H. Moore on being chosen by ED staff at St David’s Medical Center for May’s Medic of the Month!

“Hank always has a good attitude, is easy to approach, and is very thorough with patient care. I love interactions with Hank!” “Hank is so helpful and friendly to be around! We love Hank!”

Clinical Specialist E. Campbell

Captain M. Daves St. David's North Austin Medical

Congratulations to St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Emergency Department's April Medic of the Month - #ATCEMS Clinical Specialist E. Campbell. "Paramedic Campbell walked by Trauma Rm 4 (on her way out - after bringing in a different patient) stopped and helped with an OD/ combative patient that she saw our ED staff struggling with."

Center Emergency Department's April Medic of the Month is Matt Daves! “Thank you for being a great team player and giving high quality care to our patients."

NAH Staff

RRMC Staff.

34

EXCELLENT

Capt. C. Stedman Medic J. Whiteside

Captain D. Curvin Medic R. Kosiba

ATCEMS Medics were one again required to utilize our pet oxygen masks. Multiple cats were found inside a burning building a couple days ago. Thankfully, their efforts were successful! Great work

ATCEMS medics were able to, once again, use our pet oxygen masks to revive a family pet!

The Austin Fire Department & ATCEMS responded to a 911 call for a fire and it was discovered that the family’s dog was still inside of the house. AFD was able to locate & rescue the dog from the house and deliver her to Captain D. Curvin and Medic R. Kosiba for treatment. The dog had been overcome by smoke and was lethargic when Medic-7 took over patient care. After several minutes of treatment with oxygen from our pet face mask, the furry family member was back to normal and returned to a very appreciative family.

ATCEMS held a pinning and swearing ceremony for some recently promoted officers.

Commander C. Thornhill Captains E. Harvey Captain E. Sanchez Captain T. Burrier

Congratulations to each of you as you begin the next step of your journey in your careers here at ATCEMS!

35