OLCD-FIRE0011 - Emergency Medical Service Management and the Fire Department

Course Description

This course concerns itself with understanding the variety of different fire service involvements within both fire-based and non-fire based Emergency Medical Systems (EMS), as well as appropriate medical oversite compliance systems necessary to meet modern care needs of the patient and community. By following best practices, the departments' emergency delivery will be to the highest standards, providing time-critical response together with effective patient care through strategically and geographically well-positioned appropriate fire stations and apparatus staffed by applicably equipped and trained emergency medical personnel. In many cases, this will be higher trained firefighters.

Course Outline

Unit 1: What is an EMS System?

By a combination of reading, studying and assignment preparation, you will gain an understanding of:

• the different components which constitute a prehospital EMS system;
• the resources required for each component of the EMS system;
• the role of the fire service within the EMS system and each of the components;
• the global and Canadian history of EMS.

Unit 2: Fire EMS Delivery Models

By a combination of reading, studying and assignment preparation, you will gain an understanding of:

• the wide variety of fire service involvement within EMS systems and the main features of each system;
• prevalent Canadian systems and how they interface with other EMS components; and
• advantages and disadvantages of each system from a variety of customer, fire service and other perspectives.

Unit 3: Fire EMS Management

By a combination of reading, studying and assignment preparation, you will gain an understanding of:

• the universality of common principles of management;
• management methodologies that are being used within fire/EMS organizations together with their application and results;
• the importance of the fire service culture when attempting to change organization roles and direction.

Unit 4: Professional Competency

By a combination of reading, studying and assignment preparation, you will gain an understanding of:

• the need for fire/EMS service involvement to be carried out in a professionally competent manner;
• the importance of medical direction in providing fire/EMS services at all levels;
• common levels of EMS caregiver competency; and
• medical direction methods within fire/EMS services.

Unit 5: Costing Budgeting

By a combination of reading, studying and assignment preparation, you will gain an understanding of:

• the budget structure within fire departments;
• the cost implications of various fire department EMS models;
• factors to consider when constructing a fire ambulance transport competitive bid; and
• a variety of fire/EMS costing models.

Unit 6: Canadian EMS

By a combination of reading, studying and assignment preparation, you will gain an understanding of:

• the history of Canadian EMS;
• the background as to the legislative context of Canadian EMS;
• the background and history of EMS from the perspective of a number of different companies;
• the background and history of Canadian Fire Service EMS.

Unit 7: EMS in the New Millennium

By a combination of reading, studying and assignment preparation, you will gain an understanding of:

• the trends within EMS delivery systems together with their likely effect upon Canadian fire services;
• the strengths and weaknesses of private and third service EMS providers;
• the potential options for Canadian fire based EMS systems.

What You Will Learn

• A variety of the most common fire service involvement methods together with their systems within Emergency Health Services.
• Oversight methods towards ensuring competent quality patient care.
• Current trends within fire service-EMS involvement and systems.
• The importance of delivering time critical response and effective patient care rapidly.

Notes

Fire Officer Certification: Is one of four required courses for Fire Officer IV. Before students can earn Fire Officer IV, they must have received Fire Officer III from the Faculty of Open Learning and Career Development. All grades must be 70% or higher. Self-serve tracking of progress towards Fire Officer IV Accreditation is available. To request enrolment in the CE0100 Fire Officer IV Accreditation Track, email openlearning@dal.ca .

For more Fire Service Management courses click here.

The Faculty of OLCD recommends an intermediate level of English language proficiency for the most effective learning and participation in our online and face-to-face courses. A list of minimum recommended scores on some common English tests can be found on our website. If you have questions about your English language proficiency and ability to succeed in this course, please contact openlearning@dal.ca.

Recommended For

• Students working toward or within decision making areas of their fire service.
• Students who believe their fire service should be based upon the emergency needs of their community.
• Members of the fire service who wish to better understand paramedicine educational systems.
• Senior fire service leaders desirous of understanding the changing importance of EMS involvement.

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

• Advanced Certificate in Fire Service Administration : Elective
• Fire Officer IV Accreditation Track : Required (4)
• Certificate in Fire Service Administration : Electives (3)
• Certificate in Fire Service Administration: Emergency Management : Elective
• Certificate in Fire Service Administration: Operational Planning : Elective (2)