Bridging the Gap from Rural Trauma to Rural Healthcare: Fire Department Education Sessions.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
• Rural Healthcare
• Firefighter Training

Background:

• Declining volunteer participation in South Dakota's EMS poses a significant challenge.
• Rural firefighters are often first on scene for high-acuity calls.
• The South Dakota Department of Health suggests firefighter assistance to bolster EMS retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate educational training for rural firefighters assisting EMS.
• To address identified knowledge deficits in critical emergency care skills.

Main Methods:

• A focus group identified key skill gaps for firefighters assisting EMS.
• Three nights of hands-on training sessions were conducted.
• Pre- and post-training surveys measured firefighter confidence levels.

Main Results:

• Firefighters showed statistically significant increases in confidence across most trained skills.
• Confidence in Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist System (LUCAS) device application and decontamination procedures more than doubled.
• Training enhanced firefighters' preparedness to support EMS in rural settings.

Conclusions:

• Training rural firefighters to assist EMS can significantly improve their confidence and competence.
• This initiative supports the goal of enhancing EMS volunteer retention in South Dakota.
• Bridging the gap between rural trauma and healthcare through interdisciplinary training is crucial.