Effective Communication In Fire And EMS Operations

Effective Communications in Fire and EMS Operations Communication. It is the basis of nearly all of our interactions with other humans in our lives. From the time we are born, we communicate the need to be held, fed, and changed. In our teens we explore new ways to communicate with other humans. As adults, we communicate with people of all ages when we go about our day. People communicate with their significant other and their boss. For people in the field of emergency medicine communication is an integral part of what they do. Emergency professionals communicate with patients, their families, other units in their agency, and those in other agencies. This paper will examine several points of communication that have been observed in the department

In a relationship, people may become hurt or angry. At most jobs, the employee may be reprimanded or even fired for failure to communicate. In the field of emergency services, if there is an error or breakdown of communication, not only can an employee (or employer) face financial loss, people can die. Patients given the wrong drug or dosage, firefighters unable to receive evacuation commands, or medics going into a dangerous situation without prior knowledge or police backup. Effective communication is a responsibility of all parties involved in the emergency field. Effective communication is a responsibility of all parties involved in the emergency field. The lives of public servants, their partners and their patient’s lives depend on good

The first change that I would like to suggest in my department is the removal of all ten codes, and transition to what is known as “plain language.” Ten codes are a radio shorthand for common messages. For example, in most practicing agencies, “10-4” (pronounced “ten four”) is a way to say “Okay”. It is a wide known ten code that most people, even civilians know. However, not all ten codes are created equally. “10-50” may mean “motor vehicle accident” in one department, and “send a wrecker to scene” in a different department. While ten codes are a common occurrence in many departments, many departments have adopted different meanings to ten codes. This can be an issue when one person works for multiple entities, as many firefighters and medics do, or during mutual aid situations. It would be easy to misinterpret the ten code when working at one department on Tuesday and another on Wednesday. In addition, many new firefighters and EMT’s are not being taught ten codes in their