DISPATCHES

DISPATCHES

Education, training, and ethical considerations stressed in forum on communicable disease

Recommendations from a panel of experts on communicable disease range from establishment of an information resource center to development of a National Fire Academy field training program on communicable disease control protocols.

The experts shared their views on issues surrounding AIDS and hepatitis-B and the impact on emergency rescue workers last July at a three-day “Forum on Communicable Diseases.” Fire service personnel, legal experts, emergency medical and infection control professionals, and federal health and labor agency representatives from around the country were part of the forum, which was sponsored by the United States Fire Administration.

Of the twelve recommendations made by the group, three are currently being developed by the USFA: a video teleconference on communicable disease protocol, scheduled for May 17 via the Emergency Education Network; presenting forum results at seminars and conferences; and reconvening the forum.

Other recommendations include:

Implementation of communicable disease control training within the Department of Transportation’s existing EMS curricula. (DOT’S refresher program for emergency rescue workers does contain information on communicable disease protection in the workplace, and the USFA/FEMA plan to work with DOT to make this training program available to all emergency workers.)

  • Development of an infection control course by the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross specifically for health care workers.
  • That the National Fire Academy
  • develop a field training program on communicable disease control protocols.
  • That the USFA recommend that National Fire Protection Association standards 1500, 1901, and 1004 address the area of communicable diseases.
  • That a resource information center specifically for communicable diseaserelated information be established within FEMA’s Learning Resource Center.
  • Establishment of a national uniform notification system that provides needto-know information to health care workers on cases involving persons with communicable diseases.
  • That health care workers be provided with current preventive measures (including vaccinations) for communicable diseases.
  • That emergency service agencies be notified that there isn’t any legal justification for refusing treatment to patients with a proven or perceived existence of a communicable disease.
  • That the media be properly and completely informed on this issue.

Copies of the full report are available. by writing: FEMA, P.O. Box 70274, Washington, D.C. 20024.

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