Local news media is interested in EMS when it is at its best—saving lives—or at its worst. The coverage you receive is a reflection of intentional pre-planning and relationship building as well as inadequate preparation for sentinel events – collisions, thefts, billing fraud, LODDs, and at-work arrests. This session explores the best practices of several agencies who excel at media relations and the trends in news coverage that expose opportunities for policy change and training improvement. The session concludes with several insights about opportunities to better align field providers with mission of the EMS agency. Greg Friese, MS, editor-in-chief of EMS1, is an experienced writer, paramedic and educator. Friese presented these slides at the 2016 Pinnacle EMS leadership forum in San Antonio.

1. Preparing for Sentinel
EMS News Events

2. AUDACIOUS

4. R
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G
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T
W
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O
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Where is
the line?

5. Best Practices

6. Are we preparing or …
1. Define sentinel event
2. Pre-plan
3. Practice the place
4. Follow the plan

7. … are we surviving?

8. LODD: Tim McClanahan

9. Notification of LODD at 2007

10. Notification of LODD at 2009

11. Next Day Follow-up at 0647

12. Next Day Follow-up at 0654

13. What keeps you
up at night?

14. What gets you
out of bed?

15. What is a
sentinel event?

16. Joint Commission says …
Any unanticipated event in
a healthcare setting resulting in
death or serious physical or
psychological injury to a patient or
patients, not related to the natural
course of the patient's illness.

17. Greg says …
When the unthinkable happens
… to a patient or patients
… and or caregivers

18. Sentinel Events

19. Clinical Care Sentinel Events
• Cardiac arrest
• RSI
• Pediatric death
• Medication error

21. Clinical Care
• Cardiac arrest
• RSI
• Pediatric death
• Medication error
• Patient vs. gravity

22. Sentinel Events in Operations

23. Death

24. Theft

25. Workplace Violence
• Assault
• Bullying
• Harassment
• Hazing
• Homicide
• Suicide

26. Social Media Assisted Job Loss
• Video
• Screen shots
• Text comments
• Audio recordings

27. Social Media Assisted Job Loss

28. Scene Confrontations
• Bystanders
• Journalists
• Anyone is a “Journalist!”

29. Off-Duty

30. Quiz: What is
the #1 dream
EMS news story
for local media?

35. IN CASE OF
EMERGENCY
BREAK GLASS

36. Immediate: Internal Notification
• Direct formal media requests
• Don’t respond to informal
• Don’t post or report
• Share official announcements

37. Immediate: Unpin Top Post

40. Social Posts: Early and Regularly

41. Preparedness and Prevention

42. Do Today
• Google News Alerts
• Subscribe to EMS industry news coverage
• News clipping service
• Other monitoring

43. Do Next Week

44. Do Next Week: When/Then
• MedStar
• St. Charles County Ambulance District
• FDNY
• AMR
• Acadian
• Richmond Ambulance Authority
• London Ambulance Service
• Wake County

45. Do Weekly: Tell Your Story

46. Do Weekly: Media Outreach
• “I am on my way to _______. If you meet me
there I will give you an update on ________
and __________.
• Need a story? I have ideas ….
1. Heat!
2. Training at station on taking care of kids.
3. Medics will be at this event because …

47. Do in a Month: Write Templates
Line of Duty Death
• Email to staff
• Email to media contacts
• Email to elected officials
• FB update

49. Do in a Month: Graphics

50. Do Regularly: Connect
• Meet and greet with media
• Build relationships
• Create/maintain a Facebook page

51. Quiz: Who is
responsible for
reporting EMS
good news?

52. Do Year Round: Tell Your Story

54. Do Year Round: Tell Your Story
1. CPR survivor celebration/recognition
2. EMS Week
3. Hot car death
4. Any out of hospital birth
5. Special event transport
6. Active shooter response training

55. Do Year Round: Tell Your Story
7. Opioid crisis
8. Patient satisfaction
9. Driver training
10.Give back/donations
11.Join other community events
12.New equipment training

56. Thanks!
greg.friese@ems1.com
@gfriese