Medical : Special Healthcare Needs

Please view the PowerPoint presentation, any posted videos, and read all given reference material in order to complete each section of this EMS Refresher course. The content is intended to be viewed at a time and location that is convenient for you, and it is greatly appreciated to receive any feedback you may have. Thank you for participating in this program.

Special Healthcare Needs – (pdf format)

Inline Suctioning with a Tracheostomy Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wamB7jpWCiQ

Dialysis training video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQKQ4eoKfTg

PEG feeding tube training

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atQGkK0zW2s

EMS1 Top Articles

Wis. fire, EMS district warns of service cuts amid $2.2M shortfall August 24, 2026
The Baraboo Area Fire and EMS District is asking its five municipalities for sharply higher contributions as unpaid patient bills, wage increases and rising operating costs strain its budget
Md. county weighs using EMS crews to help shorthanded firefighters August 24, 2026
Somerset County officials and volunteer fire chiefs are developing a policy that would allow EMS crews to assist with hoses, hydrants and equipment while remaining available for patient care
Ill. PD launches full-time behavioral health crisis team to reduce workload, improve crisis care August 24, 2026
Naperville’s full-time Mobile Crisis Intervention Team pairs specially trained officers with clinicians to manage mental health emergencies
Ohio city proposes CPR, first aid, FD fee hikes of up to 60% August 24, 2026
Parma’s proposal would increase fees for CPR and first-aid training, inspections and permits to help cover rising fire department operating costs
Bipartisan bill would fund firefighter, EMS mental health programs August 23, 2026
The proposal would provide $7.5 million annually for suicide prevention, peer support, counseling and other mental health resources
Phoenix honors fallen firefighter/paramedic with street dedication August 23, 2026
A street outside Station 25 was dedicated to Miguel Angulo, who died in 2021 after contracting COVID-19 following an EMS call
Calif. first responders turn to peer-support dogs to help cope with trauma August 22, 2026
Specially trained Critical Incident Stress K-9s are helping first responders process traumatic calls, reduce stress and open up during peer-support debriefings
Nurse, new EMT and firefighter save man in cardiac arrest at Pa. fire company August 22, 2026
The trio began lifesaving care within seconds after a 74-year-old man collapsed during a bingo game
Conn. dive team finds lost wedding ring in underwater search August 21, 2026
Newtown Underwater Search and Rescue volunteers used scuba and snorkeling techniques to recover a sentimental wedding band near Saugatuck Falls
Bringing evidence-based medicine to the streets August 21, 2026
An EMS-focused journal club can sharpen critical appraisal skills, strengthen clinical practice and build lasting connections between prehospital and emergency department teams

NIST Live Feed

2026 NIST-NSF Disaster Resilience Research Symposium August 18, 2026
In cooperation with the National Science Foundation, the Engineering Laboratory at NIST, Gaithersburg, is proud to host the 9th annual symposium featuring the Disaster Resilience Grant Research Program recipients on August 18th-19th, 2026. This in
New AI Model Shows How to Evacuate for Fires One Safe Step at a Time June 4, 2026
A NIST-led team has created a new AI model that can identify safe evacuation routes in a single-story floor plan during a fire, with a multilevel version in the works.
Wear and Tear Changes Measurable PFAS Levels in Firefighter Hoods, Gloves and Wildland Gear May 13, 2026
In the fourth of an ongoing series of reports, NIST shows that wear and tear increased the levels of PFAS found in hoods and gloves.
NIST’s Alex Maranghides Receives Service to America Medal July 17, 2025
The award recognizes Maranghides for 25 years of work investigating devastating wildfires in the United States and creating actionable guidelines on how to save lives and property.
2025 Material Flammability Research Highlights June 30, 2025
Members of the Material Flammability Characterization Project recently presented or co-authored a series papers at the 16th International Conference and Exhibition on fire science and engineering (Interflam 2025, UK), the Flame Retardancy of
5x5: The Public Safety Innovation Summit June 3, 2025
REGISTER NOW 5x5 ― the confirmation of a strong and clear signal ― and the place to make your voice heard and drive public safety communications forward. In 2025, the FirstNet Authority and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Public
NIST Updates Critical Wildfire Evacuation and Sheltering Guidance April 24, 2025
The ESCAPE report redefines how to save lives in the face of fast-moving wildfires.
Staff Spotlight - Dr. Brittany Stinger March 10, 2025
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Brittany Stinger to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a National Research Council (NRC) Postdoctoral Fellow in the Flammability Reduction Group of the Fire Research Division (FRD). Dr. Stinger
PFAS Found in Firefighter Gloves, Hoods and Wildland Gear December 17, 2024
The amount of PFAS in each sample varied greatly, so it may be possible to design gear that reduces exposure.
AI Can ‘Hear’ When a Lithium Battery Is About to Catch Fire November 14, 2024
NIST researchers have trained AI to detect the telltale sound even in noisy environments.