by Chelle Cordero
1st Responder Network

The proposed changes to New York State Public Health Law Article 30 has a lot of folks concerned about the impact it will have on EMS.

In the interest of budget cuts and financial efficiency, the size of the State EMS advisory council and the number of regional councils would be streamlined and the overall make-up would be different. (read more…)

May you never need to call the ambulance
(except maybe for childbirth…),
but if you do, we are there for you.

Download this FREE .pdf ebook now from PayLoadz

THIS BOOKLET IS INTENDED AS A GUIDE TO HELP YOU GET THROUGH A MEDICAL OR TRAUMA CRISIS IT IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL OR EMERGENCY RESPONSE OR ADVICE.

I HAVE BEEN AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN, CPR AND FIRST AID INSTRUCTOR, AND VOLUNTEER WITH A LOCAL AMBULANCE CORPS FOR NEARLY THREE DECADES. I’VE RESPONDED TO NUMEROUS EMERGENCIES, PERFORMED CPR, DELIVERED BABIES, TRANSPORTED TRAUMA VICTIMS AND SOMETIMES JUST OFFERED COMFORT TO A PATIENT ENROUTE TO THE HOSPITAL.

PEOPLE DEAL WITH EMERGENCIES DIFFERENTLY, BUT NO MATTER HOW SERIOUS OR MINOR THE EVENT MAY SEEM TO SOMEONE ELSE, EACH PERSON WHO EXPERIENCES PAIN, FEAR OR LOSS FOR THEMSELVES OR A LOVED ONE IS DEALING WITH A TRUE CRISIS. IT IS MY HOPE THAT THIS BOOKLET WILL GIVE A LITTLE COMFORT WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH AN EMERGENCY.

Best wishes for your continued GOOD health!

~Chelle

By CHELLE CORDERO
1st Responder Network

It is more than annoying to have your actions second guessed after the fact, it’s even more annoying when the person telling you “how to do it better” doesn’t have the knowledge themselves to do the job in the first place.

While there may be valid reasons for an EMS agency to review their performance, business practices and personnel, it is vitally important that those who are doing the assessments are qualified to judge what they are seeing.  (Read More…)

Punctuation marks, like words, help to communicate thoughts. Commas are used to insert pauses in speech, include an aside, or separate items in a list of three or more.  Commas can also clarify the meaning of a statement.

See the difference in meaning just by the placement of a comma:
Woman, without her man, is nothing.
Woman, without her, man is nothing.

Use colons (:) to introduce a list or a series, such as: a list of states, a list of colors, a list of flowers, etc. Use a semi-colon (;) to join two independent but related clauses; you can also use an adverb to combine these clauses.

Periods, question marks and exclamation points are the only acceptable ways to end a sentence. Sometimes an ellipsis (…) is used at the end of a sentence to indicate an unfinished thought.

Learn the basics of punctuation. More importantly, be consistent in using punctuation in your writing.

Take the time to explore the features of your digital camera. Many cameras offer more features than a simple lens and “push-here” button. You will find that your camera may offer you ways to almost guarantee the perfect shot.

Does your camera have a Histogram graph? A Histogram? What’s a Histogram?

A Histogram is a graph that displays how light is distributed in your picture. The left side of the graph represents the shadows, while the highlights are on the right. You’ll find directions in your camera’s manual to learn how to switch the Histogram graph on while you review your pictures. Reviewing the tones of a shot on the spot can offer you a chance to redo the picture and capture a great image.

Learning about Histograms in photo editing will also serve you well as you can possibly “fix” a few of those original “oopsies”.

A Histogram of a well-balanced photo.

No matter how good your story, or article, might be – if no one is interested enough to read it, it will just go to waste.

Think of catchy BUT APPROPRIATE titles or headlines, an attractive cover and an intriguing blurb to interest them. Your cover (title, etc) should say something about the content of your story in order to be attractive to the people you want to draw in.

Choose a SHORT 2-3 sentence blurb about your story. Similar to an “elevator pitch”, this blurb needs to be the quick sell. Most people will not waste time deliberating whether or not to buy your book, etc. In book form this blurb will go on the back cover so that when a potential reader takes a quick look, they will be inspired to read it.

You never know just when that special shot will present itself – an unexpected smile, a surprise visit, a sunset that is captivating…

Digital cameras have opened up a world of photography with no film cost, usually seeing instant results and easy uploading to a computer or printing at a convenient drugstore booth. There are cameras that fit in your pocket or purse – even some cell phone cameras will take extraordinary pics. While your everyday camera may not be the one you would pack for a photo shoot, a good and inexpensive digital camera will work to catch the shots you just don’t want to miss. And don’t underestimate the advantage of having an easy “back-up” camera as well.

Take practice shots with a camera you have now, see how well you like the photo you can capture. If you decide you want to purchase, check out some of the camera displays in a local store. Look at the cost, the size, how it fits in your hand and pocket. how easy it is to operate. Remember to check out the power and picture storage options. Prices begin well under $100.

Remember the Boy Scout motto – Be Prepared.

* the camera picture depicted does not represent any endorsement of the product.

Set a timer for 30-minutes and write ANYTHING so long as you are writing. You can write about your day, your dreams, your plans for your next vacation, a special memory that you have… ANYTHING.

The idea is to get the creative juices flowing and once you have the momentum, you will find it easier to just write about a chosen subject.

Sometimes it takes a simple change in your writing environment to get those words coming, so experiment with where you write and the sounds you hear (TV, music, birds chirping, etc).

Happy writing!

The lower the F-stop number, the more the photo is focused on a subject; this works well if you want to focus attention on an individual.

Use the higher F-stop numbers to capture terrific scenic shots or the type you might describe as a great “postcard pic”.