Category: Industry Insights

The alarms are going off. The ED is full of chatter and noise. You’re trying to get your patient to the right room, and you only have a moment to…

If you’ve spent any significant amount of time working in a fire department, you’re well-familiar with an important (but sometimes tedious) job of asset management. Hours spent meticulously doing checks…

Emergency response jobs are some of the most demanding in the world. Responders often risk their own personal safety and health on a daily basis, while working long shifts that…

Purchasing a new electronic patient care record (ePCR) tool can be an investment for your agency on many levels. Besides the initial cost of purchase and training, you’ll use this…

Since the migration to electronic patient care records (ePCRs) in the late 2010s, software has become an increasingly important part of the daily experience for a medic. We all use…

Fire departments across the country are feeling the squeeze of tighter budgets and making do with less. Sometimes pitching your budgetary needs can feel like going into battle, but it…

A trauma registrar’s job is full of data points, attention to detail, and – unfortunately – hours often spent making follow up emails and calls to track down missing information….

More and more fire departments are today moving towards using automated, fire-specific record management systems (RMS) to maintain operations data for their stations. From employee HR records and scheduling to…

An effective community risk reduction (CRR) program can be a powerful tool for a fire department looking to improve the overall safety of its community. Whether you are installing fire…

As healthcare professionals and administrators continue to adapt to working in COVID-era conditions – caring for patients while also taking extra steps to keep their providers safe – many hospitals…

Creating digital patient care reports – or electronic patient care records (ePCRs) – in the prehospital setting is an important part of documenting treatments, collecting the right data needed to…

Every year, EMS and fire departments host a variety of outreach efforts, also known as community risk reduction (CRR) programs, to improve their communities’ health and safety proactively. From school…

If your EMS agency is using an electronic patient care record (ePCR) tool, you don’t want to miss out on the benefits you can gain from specialized forms. Today’s top…

Transcript: Hello, my name is Bill Gardner. I’m a retired fire chief with 35 years experience in public safety — both fire and EMS. One of the most important things…

Transcript: Hello, my name is Bill Gardner. I’m a retired fire chief with 35 years in public safety, both fire and EMS. The Fire Service of today has taken on…

You can check your email on your phone, see who is at your front door from your work, and monitor your city’s traffic in real time via satellite imagery. But…

While some hospitals across the nation are slowly recovering from the massive first wave of COVID-19 cases – and others are gearing up to battle the growing second wave –…

Digital patient records – also known as electronic patient care records or ePCRs – offer countless benefits in prehospital care. From built-in analytics, easier-to-complete forms, and less paperwork post-call, ePCR…

Today’s fire departments are increasingly facing the blessing and the curse of large amounts of data. From incident reports and inspections to personnel information and electronic patient care records (ePCRs),…

As department’s needs change, compliance requirements evolve, and technologies mature, EMS leaders have a responsibility to ensure their patient record solution is up to snuff. Whether making the big leap…

Built on decades of service to the fire industry and a wide network of industry professionals and partners, ESO recently released the newest version of its fire-specific record management system…

Sharing patient information along the continuum of care not only improves patient care and operational efficiencies, but it also allows learning opportunities for all providers. Having access to a complete…

Larger departments face challenges ranging from training the newest individual, all the way up to managing change in leadership. A single, cloud-based work environment not only brings a new team…

A recent study of the global fire service is indicating that agencies across the world are experiencing a paradigm shift in not only how they are currently use data, but…

EMS agencies and first responders continue to fight COVID-19 on the frontlines in a health emergency unprecedented in recent history. And while health care professionals face the most immediate risks…

Data is everywhere on the fire field and information is constantly being recorded and shared. Whether it is new “smart” PPE that can monitor hazardous chemicals in the air, trucks…

ESO marked the start of 2020 with the release of a new set of industry predictions papers, leveraging its years of expertise along with an extensive collection of data submitted…

When a patient picks up the phone to call 911, the clock starts ticking. As the ambulance arrives and the EMS team goes to work, healthcare begins and does not…

As an industry leader in fire, pre-hospital, and hospital industries, ESO encounters a wealth of data from its clients and partners. Each year, fire data is collected and analyzed to…

You most likely know what the most common types of calls your fire agency receives on a regular basis; much of it depends on your communities and their particular characteristics….

Accurate documentation for EMS agencies is key to success both in the field, and in the office. Not only does it improve patient outcomes, it also provides accurate claims processing,…

Every so often, a concept that has been passed down for generations of first responders is questioned, and surprising new data potentially changes one of the most basic, accepted treatment…

In September 2018, the powerful Hurricane Florence made landfall in the Carolinas, causing catastrophic damage by dumping more than 30” of rain, sustaining winds of up to 140 mph, and…

Is it becoming more dangerous to work in the EMS industry? Recent studies, both international and domestic, are suggesting that EMS personnel are increasingly experiencing workplace abuse, both physical and…

Talk of “workplace diversity” is nothing new across many industries. But when it comes to healthcare and emergency medicine, creating a workforce that reflects the communities being served can help…

After decades of blurred lines and state-driven interpretation of the Controlled Substance Act, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is refining and clarifying its requirements specific to EMS agencies…

For most Americans, a typical day at the office comes with the usual ups and downs, some stress, difficult clients, perhaps some inner-office politics. For first responders, on the other…

At the end of 2018, ESO released its second annual EMS Index, an in-depth report covering key data points and trends in the EMS industry, based on more than 7.58…

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released concerning statistics about the use and abuse of opioids in the U.S., sparking a nationwide response to the duly…

If you are a part of an EMS agency in any U.S. state – or the majority of U.S. territories – you undoubtedly are aware of the efforts of the…

An electronic patient care record (ePCR) is a digital document containing key patient information, assessments, treatments, narrative, and signatures. Before ePCRs arriving on scene, EMS agencies, ambulances, and fire departments…

For fire agencies everywhere, inspecting properties within a community is a key role that fulfills not only national, state, and local safety requirements but can actually help increase efficiencies within…

In firefighting, property inspection plays a key role served by fire departments in their communities, creating not only safer communities on a daily basis but also paving the way for…

Data in the fire industry has been a forefront topic in recent years, and for good reason. Tracking and analyzing data, statistics, and trends can be an extremely powerful tool…

Have you ever wondered exactly what people who approve fire grant applications are looking for when they make their decisions? If you’ve ever wished for an insider’s perspective on fire…

If you’ve ever found yourself painfully re-entering data from a call from one software tool to another, you’ve probably felt the frustration of those duplicated efforts. With numerous other tasks…

Ambulance service providers across the U.S. will soon have the chance to partner with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in an experimental 5-year payment model aimed at…

As the nation celebrates National EMS Week, EMS agencies and citizens alike across the U.S. are recognizing the important work emergency health professionals accomplish in their communities. An important element…

If you work at a fire department you use software every day to document calls, perform checks, run reports and more. Software has become an integral part of the fire…

For today’s professional EMS and fire agencies, data analysis is a necessary component of daily operating procedures. Not only does it ensure that your agency remains in compliance and can…

There are more than 7.4 million mental health–related emergency department (ED) visits in the U.S. every year, and of these, approximately 30 percent arrive by ambulance. Unfortunately, due to a…

They’re heroic and brave and can handle any situation. They run towards danger while others are running away. They enter a fire and emerge with rescued people, animals, property. They…

New and free tools are now available to help first responders be more prepared for emergency response as well as more efficiently locate victims, team members, and community resources, all…

If you’ve ever had a quality improvement project spin its wheels and get nowhere – or put countless hours of effort and work into implementing an intervention just to have…

It is predicted that an additional 3.4 million U.S. adults will have had a stroke by 2030, a 20.5% increase in prevalence from 2012. With this rising prevalence of strokes,…

Although firefighters primarily think of people they protect and serve as members of their community, they are, in fact, also customers. And just like any business, it’s important for executives…

Understanding the Role of the 911 Dispatcher In more than 6,000 public safety answering points (PSAPs) around the nation, an unsung hero plays a key role. They help save lives…

Performance metrics are becoming increasingly important in the health care industry, and EMS agencies are beginning to feel the effect. “Value-based health care” is on the rise and the percentage…

On an especially busy shift or during long hours, it may be tempting to rush through the electronic patient care record (ePCR), or feel compelled to move on quickly to…

When going through medical school, most future physicians imagine saving lives, making a difference in the health of countless adults and children, or maybe even discovering the cure for some terrible…

In emergency response, EMTs have traditionally focused on the immediate impression and care of a patient, rapid transport to the appropriate facility, and, finally, a successful hand off to an…

It’s not uncommon for people today to conduct a wide range of daily tasks and business remotely. From online banking, to grocery shopping, to airline reservations, and even registering your…

Today’s firefighting agency has an invaluable tool in its mission to protect lives and properties: the thermal imaging camera (TIC). A TIC is a device that detects infrared energy, and…

Hospital readmissions can pose a real problem for health care providers, not only in keeping emergency departments (EDs) packed and overt-stressed, but in driving costs higher and higher, and causing…

A recent study is showing that emergency department spending per patient has nearly doubled from 2009 to 2016 – with a marked increase in the number of highest severity ratings…

In 1966, a famous whitepaper was published and made its way all the way to the desk of the President of the United States, offering research that proved that, at…

Earlier this year, we identified a number of trends we believed would have an impact on EMS organizations in 2018. The prevailing theme is data. Or, rather, the need for…

You may often hear about “The Cloud” or SaaS solutions – short for “software as a service” – and wonder if and how this could benefit the business of first…

As healthcare providers and administrators continue to pursue the so-called Triple Aim – to improve patient experience of care, to improve the health of populations, and to reduce the per…

What is Smart Firefighting?  According to the National Fire Protection Agency, in 2015, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 365,500 home structure fires that caused 2,560 deaths, 11,075 civilian injuries,…

Future Firefighting Tech: 4 New Technologies That Ensure Firefighter Safety Very few other occupations on Earth result in immediate death if a worker’s personal protective equipment (PPE) is breached. Similar…

Two former U.S. electrical engineering students have discovered a cutting-edge and unconventional way to fight fires: with sound. Specifically, bass frequencies between 30 and 60 Hz. While the concept of…

When fighting a fire or responding to an incident, every piece of information can be important in creating an effective response. From pre-planning data pulled from inspections, to knowledge of…

Data is available in an over-abundance in health care settings, and a patient’s experience is becoming more and more digitized. The key, however, is knowing how to process and use…

As a wide range of industries rely more and more on the Internet of Things (IoT) to make life more seamless, individuals are recording and sharing information at unprecedented levels….

If you’re like many EMS service providers across the U.S., you’re probably preparing for – or currently working towards – integration of the new NEMSIS Version 3 standards for your…

It’s been said that the for a veteran firefighter, the officer’s hand light is the heaviest tool you’ll ever pick up, because it represents the weight of responsibility that you must now…

The assessment and treatment of acute stroke patients by EMS technicians is on the cusp of a major shift, similar to that experienced in recent years for the screening and…

As a fire department, are you effective? Are you making defensible decisions for things like staffing, operations, budget? If you answered yes, Jason Hathcock and Frank Blackley challenge you to…

Earlier this year, we predicted trends that were going to have an impact on firefighters and fire departments around the country. One of them was about the use of data….

There are fewer faster or dramatic ways to change the relationship between EMS and hospitals than with the vendor-agnostic, bidirectional data exchange that comes with ESO Health Data Exchange (HDE)….

From one fire agency to the next, you can bet your next paycheck that each has their own way of conducting inspections. There’s also no doubt that inspectors are focused…

The best presentations at ESO’s annual Wave conferences turn into conversations among attendees and presenters. Everyone shares experiences, “aha” moments, and resources. That’s what happened when Karrie Austin, RN, hosted…

Drug overdose deaths and opioid-involved deaths continue to increase in the United States. According to the latest figures, more than six out of 10 drug overdose deaths now involve an opioid, and every day 91 Americans die of opioid overdose.