Knowledge and Skills for Emergency Responders

Abstract
Countries all over the world are prone to face a broad range of emergencies that result from hazards of varying degree and scale, international consequences, and other complexities. Through experiencing these emergencies, a country’s political, social, economic, and public health are hugely impacted and can even lead to long-term consequences that can persist for years even after the occurrence of the emergency. The cause of the emergencies can be from natural disasters, disease outbreaks, radio-nuclear or chemical spills, and conflict, among other hazards. The emergencies undermine the social development of a country by hitting the people’s hard-earned health gains. Moreover, health facilities and their infrastructure can also be damaged bringing about the weakening of health systems, which means that attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be slowed. When such emergencies occur, the international community faces pressing challenges when preparing for, responding to, and recovering. The following purpose of this paper is to look at the professional development model for Emergency Medical Services personnel.
Introduction
Over 700 natural and technological emergencies occur yearly around the globe, and they have the potential of affecting nearly 270 million people and killing over 120, 000 (World Disasters Report, 2011). The most affected continents are the developing countries because they have limited capacities when preparing and responding to emergencies. Fire, EMS, or emergency management have a sole mission that looks at preventing or minimizing the loss of life and damage to the environment from adverse effects borne of fire, medical emergencies, and hazardous conditions. In their respective departments, they develop approaches geared towards reducing hazards to the community. Through the knowledge, skills, expertise, and training, offered, they reduce the risk by providing effective service delivery and education. All the three areas have specializations that lead towards a specific area for professional development purposes. However, the courses have core areas that include communications and IT, the basic principles of fire and emergency services management, leadership and ethics, financial management, disaster planning and control, strategic planning and community relations during emergencies. These are the core areas for professional development in any of the departments an individual is interested in undertaking.
What does it take someone to work in the fire, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), or emergency management?
The EMS is an area of a national network of services that are mainly coordinated to provide medical assistance and aid from a primary response to definitive care. In the network, the areas involved are personnel training in rescue, transportation, stabilization, and even advanced management that look at areas such as trauma and medical emergencies. It was in 2007 that the National EMS Scope of Practice Model was published. The document defines the four levels of EMS personnel, the practices, and minimum skills required for each level. On education level, mastery is recommended especially from previous competencies. Therefore, individuals in this field should demonstrate each skill within his or her practice scope and for patients covering all age groups.
Under the Standards Section, a definition of clinical behavior, competencies, and judgments that need to be met by EMS personnel under the entry-level are given. The competencies for individuals in EMS include mathematics, reading, and writing besides EMT-Basic, physiology, and human anatomy as essentials. The preparatory section looks at the EMS system where the paramedic’s roles and responsibilities are carefully outlined. Moreover, it covers the well-being of the paramedic as it looks at the prevention of injury and his or her illness is covered.
Paramedic
The entry requirements for individuals in this field include having a high school diploma, displaying high physical fitness levels, passing the emergency medical technicians (EMT) Basic, and intermediate (EMT-B or EMT-I) programs and the licensing exams. With the intermediate program, the paramedics can go the field and engages in real life situations because they are qualified. Therefore, the practicum program gives individuals hands-on experience related to their professional growth. Moreover, they will need to gain experience by working in emergency services and later complete a program accredited for paramedics called emergency medical paramedics (EMT-P). For one get a license, they will need to pass the licensing exam that will accord him or her power to practice as an individual or under an agency. The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) normally proctors the exam.
A paramedic is normally trained to cater for all the basic needs related to life support procedures relevant to pre-hospital emergency care. The knowledge is a need because professional will have to make clinical decisions, drug therapy, and assessment of patients, defibrillation, airway management, and cardiac rhythm interpretation (Health & Care Professions Council, 2012). With the individuals having advanced skills of assessment and their formulation, they can provide the emergency care. Moreover, the paramedic also needs to formulate a field diagnosis for the out-of-hospital patient to administer proper care that reduces mortality and morbidity. In paramedicine, the training and development opportunities include communication, anatomy and physiology, driver training, and emergency first aid. The study needs an individual to quality in paramedical science and does practical work under supervision. Normal training for EMS personnel differs, but it usually takes between two and five years for an individual to complete the course of ambulance services.
Walz and Zigmont (2016) showed that EMS education is conducted at the community college level where it has been grouped in three ways. The first approach relates to clinical curriculum enabling someone to attain paramedic certification. This is linked to programs offered in conjunction with allied health programs and academic health centers. The second approach combines curriculums that provide clinicians with administration and management knowledge. The last approach relates to the nonclinical curriculum as it leads to EMS providers to become leaders in EMS agencies.
The life skills of a paramedic include being able to learn from mistakes considering that no individual in the world is perfect including doctors and nurses. Self-recrimination, shame, and fear are things that can paralyze a paramedic and increases the likelihood of making future mistakes. Nonetheless, one should just learn from the mistakes made and make mental notes, as well as, take criticisms well. The second skill involves being a good team player. It should incorporate the development of good relations with employees and coworkers (Curtis & Ramsden, 2011).
The third skill relates to developing good communication skills that are clear and concise especially because they need when to conveying information to the hospital emergency personnel and dispatcher. The paramedic should also learn to take care of oneself, which translates down to staying in good physical condition. In this instance, the paramedic should relieve stress as a way of reducing episodes of burnout and job trauma. Lastly, the paramedic should always be prepared. This will entail regular replacement of supplies and the proper maintenance of equipment. By so doing, this promotes a good working environment and relation with coworkers (Curtis & Ramsden, 2011).
Overall, a registered paramedic will need to keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date using the annual continuing professional development (CPD). Moreover, seminars and conferences organized by paramedic institutions help the professionals to exchange ideas and update their skills through the testimonies they share. All paramedics should ensure that they are well equipped with updated knowledge and technology because they are dealing with patients under the emergency services department.

References
Curtis, K. & Ramsden, C. (2011). Emergency and trauma care for nurses and paramedics. Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Health & Care Professions Council. (2012). Code of conduct, performance, and ethics. London: HCPC.
Walz, B. & Zigmont, J. (2016). Foundations of EMS systems. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
World Disasters Report. (2011). Geneva. International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.