Category: Featured

Fire Apparatus (Non-Ambulance) Transports – Priority #1 for 2022
Author: Tim Nowak (3-minute read) COVID-19 aside, the consideration over whether fire apparatuses (not ambulances) can or should transport patients to hospitals will top headlines as a highly contentious practice as we progress in 2022 and it should be your #1 priority item as a fire chief entering this new …

Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection Survey…Ready, Set, Collect!
PCG is proud to offer the ambulance community with support services for the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection survey. Thank you to all of those who were able to attend the webinar event live on December 15th. We feel that the information presented in the webinar was well received and …

6 Take-Aways from NHTSA’s Lights & Sirens Use
Author: Tim Nowak (2-3 minute read) “Primum non nocere – first, do no harm.” This is the opening sentence in the 2017 report produced for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS)*. This study examines the use of lights & siren (L&S) by ambulances. …

“These are unprecedented times”
Author: Charley Hurley (3-minute read) It’s a phrase that many people say they’re sick of hearing and yet, the statement is quite profound when you really consider all that this country has been through over the past two years. “These are unprecedented times.” America has exited from its longest …

National Fire Prevention Week Begins October 9th
Remembering The Great Peshtigo Fire, in addition to The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 Author: Tim Nowak (2-minute read) It was a matter of coincidence … two prominent fires that started on the same exact day in history, yet one gains the spotlight – despite being the significantly smaller …

News Digest: Availability of Additional $25.5 Billion in COVID-19 Provider Funding
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be making $25.5 billion in new funding available for healthcare providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Why it matters: Fire/EMS providers can submit an application to receive these funds and get additional financial relief to make up for lost revenue and …

Tim Nowak voted to inaugural Board of Directors for the National Association of Mobile Integrated Healthcare Providers (NAMIHP)
“Working together to help solve the problem of fragmented healthcare.” The focal statement on the homepage of NAMIHP’s website immediately captures one’s attention, and while partly due to size and placement, it’s likely the bold claim/call to action that resonates with site visitors and NAMIHP members alike. It is a …

5 Secrets to Successful Long-term Fire & EMS Planning
Author: Tim Nowak (4-minute read) Anecdotally speaking, the average “lifespan” of a fire/emergency medical services (EMS) chief is only about five years … that’s excluding some of the long-tenured volunteer fire chiefs remaining within today’s current market. Generational mindsets, local cost-of-living, expanding opportunities within the industry for growth, and quite …

4 Reasons Why You Need to Create an Annual Report
Author: Tim Nowak (4-minute read) Outside of your fire department or EMS agency’s website, how else do you communicate your system’s performance? Do you use call volume trends, positive feedback, and other reporting measures? Via your social media page? How about monthly commission or board meetings? Do these monthly …

Digital Health Literacy Inequities During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digitization of healthcare services, as safety precautions prompted a transition of care delivery from in-person to virtual. The health risks posed by the COVID-19 virus incentivized providers to expedite the integration of technology with existing delivery services in order to support patients during the pandemic. …