EMS BUREAU OVERVIEW

Rick Nosek, EMS Coordinator
rnosek@villageofschillerpark.com  

“The mission of the EMS bureau is to provide highly skilled, yet compassionate care to the sick and injured, resident and visitor alike; to provide adjunct and direct assistance at the scene of a fire, manmade or natural disaster; to provide public education in areas of medical care..."

Schiller Park has been providing pre-hospital medical care at the paramedic level for thirty-one years. The Bureau of EMS consists of the EMS Coordinator, firefighter/paramedics and the civilian paramedics of the fire department. In addition, the EMS Coordinator serves as the Village Privacy Officer, the Infection Control Officer and on other boards and committees.

During this time, many changes have occurred in the delivery of pre-hospital life support. From the bygone volunteer days of the Emergency Squad, the Schiller Park Fire Department today staffs two advanced life support ambulances and has an advanced life support med-engine. Staffed with firefighter/paramedics, our first response vehicles can immediately begin caring for the sick and injured, within our community.  Our department has been a member of the Northwest Community EMS System since 1977. This was the first EMS System in the State of Illinois, as well as the first multi-juristictional EMS systemin the country, and today provides medical direction to 21 fire departments and 3 private ambulance companies.

Some of the diagnostic equipment carried by the Schiller Park paramedics includes 12-lead ECG monitor/defibrillators; devices that measure oxygen levels in the blood as well as measuring a patient’s carbon dioxide levels. Capnography allows our paramedics to monitor the effectiveness in treating patients in severe respiratory distress or cardiac arrest. These high-tech machines help the paramedics provide superior medical care. Schiller Park was the first department in the area to provide 12-lead ECG monitoring (by participating in a clinical experiment) and has been using this technology since 2000. By quickly identifying certain cardiac problems, the paramedics are able to transport the patient to a hospital with advanced procedures to reduce or reverse the heart attack. Other local municipalities have seen the benefit and are now beginning to invest in this type of equipment. Our paramedics routinely perform tests that a few years ago could only have been performed in a hospital’s emergency room. This means the patient is now being diagnosed faster and definitive treatment is rapidly being administered.

While there have been no incidents since the early 2000's, the EMS Bureau is prepared for domestic terrorism. The bureau has updated equipment to protect personnel and the public in the event of biological or chemical attacks. While it is unlikely that Schiller Park would become a target, the fire department prepares for any contingency. The fire department works with other communities in the area to ensure the safety of both the public at large and the emergency responders. Crews are trained to recognize and manage events involving weapons of mass destruction.

Public education is critical is critical in preventing needless death and injury. The bureau offers public CPR classes as just one way of informing the public. EMS related articles are a regular part of the village newsletter. Also, educating village staff is part of our mission. The EMS Coordinator works with the emergency responders to make sure they are safe from infectious diseases. This not only protects them, it also protects the public.

We are also concerned about protecting the privacy of our patients. We follow the rules of the Health Insurance Portability Privacy Act (HIPAA). This law limits the way your medical information may be used. To view the Notice of Privacy please click on the Notice of Privacy link.

If you have any questions about the programs offered by the bureau, please send an e-mail to the EMS Coordinator. He will be happy to assist you.