OCFD reviews pediatric cardiac arrest training, recertifies EMTs and paramedics

OCEAN CITY, Md. – Tuesday morning, the Ocean City Fire Department (OCFD) refreshed themselves on how to respond to pediatric cardiac arrest calls. “When we encounter pediatric patients, we don’t encounter them often. But, when we do, they’re typically very sick or very injured,” said Lt. Eric Borneman, who oversees EMS training and operations for OCFD.

It’s part of a bi-annual recertification process for EMTs and paramedics. Pediatric cardiac arrests are called “high stress low frequency”. The training was performed on dummies equipped to present realistic sounds, appearances, and symptoms of real-life patients. OCFD personnel practiced intubation, reading monitors with mock up vital signs, and reviewing best practices.

Pediatric patients typically need different sized equipment, and lower doses of medication. OCFD personnel trained with a specialized bag that contains all the tools they would need. “The bag isolates that equipment, so we can use and have access to it, and it’s going to be more specific to the call. It’s set up to be provider friendly to reduce that stress in the application of the appropriate tools,” said Lt. Borneman.

Lt. Borneman says those types of calls don’t happen very often, but can be very traumatic or stressful for everyone involved. “We don’t get to choose which calls we go on. So, being prepared, and trying to make everybody well-equipped and well-versed in the application for proper management of that patient – traumatic or medical – for our pediatric population, is very important,” he said.