Escambia County EMS Begins Training with UF Health

Throughout the past week, Escambia County Emergency Medical Services personnel took part in specialized training from doctors at UF Health to maximize their training to the fullest level of their license. 

During the training, Escambia County EMS experienced a variety of academic lectures and hands-on learning. 

"Our overall goal is to develop the best EMS systems we can to serve the citizens of Escambia County," said Escambia County Medical Director Dr. Joshua Gordon. "One of the pillars of how we create and nurture a strong EMS system is in-person training."

Escambia County EMS received training in airway management techniques, discussion on patient refusal, termination of resuscitation and excited delirium. EMS personnel also received additional training in managing patients in cardiac arrest and patients who present safety concerns for themselves and EMS crews. 

Two of the topics UF Health doctors spent additional training on were Airway Management Techniques and Excited Delirium.

"Excited Delirium is a condition where the patient is hyper-aggressive," said UF Health Emergency Physician Dr. Peter Alexandrov, "There are several ways a patient can be hyper-aggressive and we go over how to properly handle those patients."

One of the treatments used on a patient experiencing Excited Delirium is the antipsychotic medication, Haldol. "Haldol is used to help our crews safely de-escalate encounters with patients who are endangering themselves and also our EMS crews," said Dr. Gordon. "We discussed how this new medication works, how to safety use it, as well as side effects to look out for."

Escambia County's partnership with UF Health officially began on Aug. 1. As part of the agreement, Dr. Joshua Gordon became of medical director over Escambia County EMS. The contractual agreement also includes additional training provided by UF Health.

“Our partnership with UF Health is critical for the success of our EMS and for the citizens of Escambia County," said Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore. "UF Health is there to help us provide the best possible service to our citizens, while also helping our team perform at the peak of their profession.”

Overall, the training provided by UF Health is beneficial for Escambia County EMS as they are providing the tools to make clinical decisions. Another key component to the UF Health partnership is the support structure in place. 

"UF Health gives Escambia County EMS, with further training, the opportunity to maximize their practice within the scope of their license," said Dr. Alexandrov. "Our partnership will allow Escambia County EMS to achieve their goals to deliver the best possible patient care.

Along with the partnership with UF Health, Escambia County Public Safety has seen growth in a variety of positions, including the addition of Escambia County Fire Rescue Chief Jason Catrambone, Escambia County EMS Chief David Torsell and EMS Deputy Chief Chris Stephens. 

"UF Health provides us with guidance," said Escambia County EMS Deputy Chief Chris Stephens. "Ultimately, this is a win for our citizens." 

Escambia County Public Safety is responsible for keeping citizens safe from emergencies and both man-made and natural disasters. Its divisions include Emergency Communications, Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Rescue and Pensacola Beach Lifeguards. For the latest information on emergency management services in Escambia County, residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts on myescambia.com.

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(Dr. Peter Alexandrov teaching an academic lecture to a group of EMTs and paramedics)