Online Education for Emergency Responders:
efficient and cost effective!

Do you need to deliver training across multiple stations and shifts?

EPS rapidly converts existing classroom lectures for efficient online delivery.

I want to use classroom time for scenarios and skills practice.

We agree! Deliver lecture content online and use valuable classroom time for competency checks and hands-on scenarios.

I have ideas for online education lessons.

Tell us. We can design and deliver new lessons for your LMS, intranet, or website that are engaging, educational, and interactive.

Can I learn how to develop online education programs?

Just ask. We teach our proven production process to emergency responder educators and training officers.

Contact EPS for a FREE consultation and assessment of your organization's e-learning opportunities.

Content: 50th Episode of the EMSEduCast

On Wednesday March 3 at 2000 CST we are recording the 50th episode of the EMSEduCast – the podcast by and for EMS educators. Ways to subscribe to new episodes and listen to any of the episodes from the archives include:

1. iTunes
2. RSS Feed
3. ProMed Network

Also make sure to join the EMSEduCast Facebook page for the latest news, discussions with the hosts and other listeners and to connect with other listeners.

Posted at 1:00 pm on 03/03/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: Content, News & Events | +Read On

Connections: EMS Today Conference

Are you going to EMS Today?

It has been the most frequently asked question I have been asked the past two weeks. The EMS Today Conference, from JEMS Conferences and Expositions, started today in Baltimore, Maryland and runs through the weekend.

Unfortunately I am not going to EMS Today, but if you are I want to encourage you to connect with these people:

Dave Konig, co-founder of PIOSocialMediaTraining.com, will be attending the conference. Look for Dave to talk all things social media. He is an evangalist for how EMS agencies can use social media to accomplish their mission.

Mark Glencourse, Justin Schoor, and Ted Setla from the Chronicles of EMS are hosting a meet-up with JEMSConnect.com and will be at the Zoll booth in the exhibit hall. Meet-up details.

Chris Montera of the EMS Garage podcast and Jamie Davis from the MedicCast podcast will be hosting a series of live podcasts near the JEMS booth in the exhibit hall. Watch a live broadcast or invite yourself on to the stage to talk with them.

John Dillon will be at the C3Softworks booth. He and I have been delivering classroom and online training programs on how to use games to teach. Ask John to schedule a training program for your school or conference.

Many of my favorite bloggers will be at the Chronicles of EMS Meetup and kicking around the exhibit hall. Look for the Rhett from FireCritic.com, Chris from LifeUndertheLights.com, and John from Firedaily.com.

Follow all the action at EMS Today with the Twitter hashtag #EMSToday

Who am I missing? Who are you going to connect with at EMS Today?

Posted at 7:00 am on 03/02/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: Connections | +Read On

Connections: EPS Team Member in the News

EPS411.com team member and flight paramedic Kevin Collopy appears in this video (see below) and article about the new helicopter and training simulator that the flight service he works for is putting into service.

Kevin and I are co-authoring a series of 12 CE articles for EMS Magazine that will begin with the March issue. Kevin wrote about abdominal trauma. Look for that article soon in EMS Magazine and at EMSResponder.com. Readers will also be able to take a test at RapidCE.com to receive CECBEMS approved CE credit. Some of the other articles we have in progress for future issues include:

• facial trauma
• febrile seizures
• pediatric pain management

You can connect with Kevin on EMSUnited and EMSConnect.

Posted at 5:12 pm on 02/23/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: EPS Subject Matter Experts, News & Events | +Read On

How many slides for a 30 minute elearning program?

EPS produces narrated flash movies that are the result of converting PowerPoint to flash with a program called Articulate Presenter. One of the most common questions I receive is “How many PowerPoint slides should I have in a 30 minute elearning program?”

They are rarely satisfied with my answer, “The number of slides doesn’t matter.”

“Well someone told me to never use more than 30 slides in a 30 minute presentation.” Or I was advised this:

“We can’t have this lesson be any more than 10 slides.”

The better question is “How many words should be in the audio script for a 30 minute elearning program?”

When converting PowerPoint to Flash, PowerPoint is the storyboard for designing the lesson. Each slide is like a frame in a movie. If the slide has animations it is like multiple frames in a movie. When I watch a movie every 3 to 10 seconds (sometimes even quicker) the on-screen visual changes. A newscast is filled with changing graphics. In this regard an elearning lesson is much more like a television show or movie than a classroom presentation.

30 minute lesson = ~4000 words

Typically we script elearning lessons by writing the narration in the notes view of the PowerPoint slide. The word count of the script determines the length of the lesson. 150 slides with 10 words of narration (the audio track) is a lesson that is 10 to 12 minutes long. 75 slides with a word count for the narration that is about 4100 words will be a lesson that is about 30 minutes long.

When creating a lesson I usually write one paragraph or one important point per slide. That leads to slides that will be on screen for 10 to 45 seconds. Each slide usually has one or more animations so something is happening on the screen at least every 30 seconds. Visual change with interesting audio content and opportunities to interact with the lesson helps keep students engaged throughout the lesson.

Explain your parameters for determining the length of an elearning lesson. Thanks.

Posted at 8:06 am on 02/18/2010 | 1 Comment
Filed Under: Ideas, Rapid E-Learning How To | +Read On

Content: Promote AED Program with Social Media

Last week I wrote a guest post on using social media to promote a public access defibrillation program for the Cardiac Science Blog.

You can read the post here: Public Access Defibrillation and Social Media: 7 Ideas You Can Use Right Now

Posted at 7:00 am on 02/16/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: Content | +Read On

Content: Chronicles of EMS Premiere

Something really amazing is about to happen – in just a few hours the pilot episode of the Chronicles of EMS will be broadcast to a live audience at the Hotel Frank in San Francisco and for an online audience around the world.

I really want you to watch the Chronicles. Watch the premiere party from 4pm to 7pm Pacific Time and the episode at 5 pm PST 2/12/2010.

React to the Chronicles of EMS.

Share with the Chronicles of EMS.

Engage with EMS professionals and supports from around the world.

EMS needs you to be a leader. Be a part of the Chronicles of EMS.

As you read this on 2/12 I am in San Francisco for the premiere party with more than 50 EMS professionals and supporters from around the world. I am sure I will be tweeting during the event so look for my updates and photos at Twitter.com/gfriese.

Posted at 1:00 pm on 02/12/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: News & Events | +Read On

Content: Incident Management Training

One of my 2010 projects is writing quiz questions for a monthly EMS knowledge challenge at EMS1.com. The quiz questions are loaded into the C3Softworks Bravo software and can be delivered in a variety of training formats. Some user comments:

• Enjoyed the review….
• Good review of responsibilities on a disaster scene
• Great for remembering skills I haven’t used for awhile
• This was great!

Test your Incident Management knowledge and response capabilities. Contact me if you want more information on how to use games for training.

Posted at 7:00 am on 02/09/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: Content, Rapid E-Learning How To | +Read On

Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilations CE Lesson

Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilations: Prehospital Use of CPAP and BiPAP
Fortunately, for EMS providers and their respiratory distress patients, non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NiPPV) treatments are becoming widely adopted. NiPPV comes in two forms, C-PAP and Bi-PAP, and has been shown to be a safe and effective prehospital treatment that greatly improves patient vital signs and comfort by emergency department arrival. In this lesson for CentreLearn and RapidCE.com users learn about relevant physiology, indications, contraindications, benefits, application steps, and adjunctive therapies.

Posted at 3:23 pm on 02/08/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: EMT CE Lesson Announcements | +Read On

Non-Visulaized Airways CE Lesson Part 2

Non-Visualized Airways Part 2: Anatomy, Difficult Airways, and King LT and LMA insertion
In this two part lesson we review the indications and insertion techniques for three non-visualized airways – the Combitube, laryngeal mask airway, and the King LT. Part one reviews airway anatomy and explores difficult airway situations. Part 2 is mostly focused on the indications, contraindications, and insertion of the King LT and LMA. Learn more at RapidCE.com.

Posted at 3:20 pm on 02/08/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: EMT CE Lesson Announcements | +Read On

Non-Visulaized Airways CE Lesson Part 1

Non-Visualized Airways Part 1: Anatomy, Difficult Airways, and Combitube
In this two part lesson for RapidCE.com and CentreLearn users we review the indications and insertion techniques for three non-visualized airways – the Combitube, laryngeal mask airway, and the King LT. Part one reviews airway anatomy and explores difficult airway situations. It focuses on the indications, contraindications, and insertion of the Combitube.

Posted at 3:15 pm on 02/08/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: EMT CE Lesson Announcements | +Read On

Content: New CE Lessons for EMTs, Paramedics, and Firefighters

EPS creates online CE lessons for EMTs, Paramedics, and Firefighters that are distributed through the CentreLearn LMS and RapidCE.com. Several new courses authored by EPS subject matter experts have been added to the continuing education library. New courses include:

Non-Visualized Airways Part 1
1. Review airway anatomy
2. Explore difficult airway situations
3. Describe indications, contraindications, and insertion of the Combitube

Visualized Airways Part 2
1. Review airway anatomy
2. Explore difficult airway situations
3. Describe indications, contraindications, and insertion of the King L-T and Laryngeal Mask Airway

Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation
1. Describe Non-invasive Positive Pressure Ventilations and their physiology
2. Identify the indications, contraindications and benefits of non-invasive positive pressure ventilations
3. Explain the steps to applying NiPPV and how to adjust its settings
4. Discuss adjunctive therapies and ongoing monitoring for patients on NiPPV

A BLS and ALS version is available for each of these EMT and paramedic continuing education lessons. To learn more browse RapidCE.com or CentreLearn.com.

EPS also designed and produced three lessons on fire inspection.
High Rise Fire and Life Safety Inspection
1. Review inspection process
2. Review historical fires and impact on codes
3. Identify common hazards
4. Develop effective corrective action statements

Assembly Occupancy Fire and Life Safety Inspection
1. Review inspection process
2. Review historical fires and impact on codes
3. Identify common hazards
4. Develop effective corrective action statements

School Fire and Life Safety Inspection
1. Review inspection process
2. Review historical fires and impact on codes
3. Identify common hazards
4. Develop effective corrective action statements

Posted at 7:00 am on 02/07/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: EMT CE Lesson Announcements, News & Events | +Read On

Content: Wilderness First Responder Course

I am a lead instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates. Since 2001 I have taught 2, 4, 5, and 8 day wilderness medicine courses to outdoor enthusiasts, trip leaders, and remote area workers. WMA training is designed to help students assess a patient’s problems, anticipate how those problems may change over time and deliver interventions in severe environments with limited and improvised equipment.

March 15-19 I am co-instructing a 5 day Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course at Camp Manito-wish YMCA. In my opinion Manito-wish is an ideal place to take a wilderness medicine course. The classroom space is modern and comfortable and we have immediate access to outdoor space for scenarios and simulations.

To sign-up for this course or learn about other courses visit the WMA website.

I will also be the lead instructor for a Wilderness First Aid course April 17-18 in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Learn more about WFA training.

Posted at 7:00 am on 02/04/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: Content, News & Events | +Read On

Connections: Camp Manito-wish YMCA Video

I was a camper and staff member at Camp Manito-wish YMCA. I am still an active volunteer and share my passion and experience for social media with the full-time camp staff.

What organizations are you passionate about that might benefit from your experience as an online and classroom educator?

Posted at 7:00 am on 02/03/2010 | 1 Comment
Filed Under: Connections, Tools, Reviews, & Other Neat Stuff | +Read On

Content: Review of Linchpin

I wrote and posted a review of Linchpin: are you indispensable? by Seth Godin at EverydayEMSTips.com.

I think you are indispensable so take a few minutes to read why.

Posted at 7:00 am on 01/27/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: Content | +Read On

Idea: Collaborative Test Taking

This month I have been working my way through the Paramedic alphabet courses – ACLS, BLS, PALS, and ITLS. Next month I will add GEMS and a special training on STEMI. I also have a day with Bob Page scheduled for next week on 12 Lead ECG. Lots of training.

While wrestling through a written test recently I had this idea. Each student takes the test on their own and submits their answers for grading. Then in groups of two or three – just like a real patient contact – students answer the same set of questions. While reading the test questions I had occasions, again just like a real call, I would want to say to another paramedic:

• “What do you think is going on here?”
• “Should we do A or B?”
• “When would it make sense to do C?”

Do you allow students to collaborate on test taking?

For online education one of the frequent complaints is cheating. Well why not require students to take the test with a partner.

What do you think?

Posted at 7:00 am on 01/26/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: Ideas, Rapid E-Learning How To | +Read On

Content: Recent Posts at EverydayEMSTips.com

Once a day I add a new post to EverydayEMSTips.com by me or a guest blogger. These are recent posts from EverydayEMSTips.com.

Book Review: Saber’s Edge – a combat medic in Ramadi Iraq. Saber’s Edge: A Combat Medic in Ramadi, Iraq is Tom Middleton’s chronicle of his experiences as a Firefighter/Paramedic/Nurse in Ramidi Iraq in 2005.

Event Review: Arrowhead EMS Association Conference Review of the 30th annual Arrowhead EMS Association conference in Duluth, Minnesota.

Office Hours: Live Call-In for EMS Students and Professionals.  Episode 2 of EMS Office Hours Jim Hoffman and I talk about: EMS Boot Camp – we just completed our newest session on IV insertion tips and tricks right before this call in.

Office Hours: Presenting at EMS Conferences Episode 3 In Episode 3 of EMS Office Hours I talk about the ins and outs of becoming a conference speaker.

Press Release: iPhone Scheduling App for EMS Professionals. Brice Bingman, a Computer Programmer with Northrop Grumman Corp., recently teamed up with San Diego Paramedic Jason Friesen to develop a Kelly/Platoon Schedule application for the iPhone. Emergency Calendar (eCal) is a simple, user-friendly iPhone application.

Top 5: CE Lessons for EMS professionals (#31daysofCE). I produce and design online education lessons for RapidCE.com. Since 2004 me and my team of physicians, nurses, and paramedics have produced more than 125 lessons in categories of medial emergencies, trauma, environmental emergencies, patient assessment, pediatrics, geriatrics, and workplace health. This is a list of my 5 favorite lessons.

Essential #EMS Feeds for your Blog Reader. Last week I asked, “How do you read blogs?” Many Everyday EMS Tips readers told me they use a feed reader, like Google Reader, to stay up to date on EMS and connected with their favorite bloggers. These are essential feeds for EMS Professionals.

Video: Surviving Cardiac Arrest with Dr. Mickey Eisenberg Dr. Mickey Eisenberg is the guest for the January 20 episode of the EMSEduCast. We are looking forward to Dr. Eisenberg’s second visit on the EMSEduCast to discuss factors associated with survival from sudden cardiac arrest.

Posted at 7:00 am on 01/22/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: Content | +Read On

Idea: Smartphone Apps Review Team

More and more EMS professionals are carrying a Smartphone – like an iPhone, Blackberry, Palm Pre, or Google Droid – on duty and during training. There are tens of thousands of Smartphone applications available across the various platforms. While only a few are EMS specific many others are applicable and useful to EMS professionals on and off the job.

I am assembling a Smartphone Apps Review Team to suggest apps for review, write app reviews, and recommend apps to other EMS professionals. App reviews could be posted at EverydayEMSTips.com, on the reviewer’s blog or website, and submitted for publication in EMS industry magazines and websites.

App Reviewer Benefits

• Content for your blog
• Links back to your blog or affiliate sites from EverydayEMSTips.com
• Publication credits
• More Smartphone apps

If there is a paid app a team member wants to review I will ask the developer for a reviewer copy.

Guidelines for app reviews:

• 200 to 500 words
• Describe the problem the app solves. What does it do?
• Explain how and when the app is used.
• Recommend best uses for the app.
• Check the EverydayEMSTips.com product review guidelines for additional information.
• Screenshots or screencasts that show how the app functions would be a great addition to the app review.

To join the Smarthphone EMS Apps Review Team:

Email greg.friese@everydayemstips.com with your suggestions for apps you would like to review. Ideally, include a review of an app – EMS or non-EMS related, that you are already using.

Posted at 11:26 am on 01/21/2010 | 3 Comments
Filed Under: Ideas, Social Media & Networking | +Read On

Connection: Social Media Takes the EMS Industry to a Whole New Level

First Ever Social Television online Premiere February 12th, 2010 If you are part of the public safety, fire or EMS community on Twitter or Facebook then you certainly have heard about “The Chronicles of EMS” Social TV Reality Series (Twitter hashtag #CoEMS (http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23CoEMS)).  If you are not, and do not know about it then you have been missing out on a truly unique project that is only possible because of the connections people can make through social media. Chronicles of EMS – Trailer (Premiere Feb 12th @ 5pm ChroniclesofEMS.com) from Thaddeus Setla on Vimeo. The idea for “The Chronicles of EMS” was born after Thaddeus Setla – Paramedic/ Filmmaker was a guest on EMS Garage podcast (http://emsgarage.com) with Justin Schorr, a paramedic/firefighter with the San Francisco Fire Department and author of the blog The Happy Medic (http://thehappymedic.com), and Mark Glencorse, a paramedic from the UK with North East Ambulance Service in Newcastle upon Tyne, and author of the blog UK Medic 999 (http://999medic.com). During the podcast it was explained about an exchange between Justin and Mark exploring their prospective EMS systems in person and did at one time have the BBC interested in filming, but their participation fell through. Thaddeus expressed an interest in the project but required minimal funding to get started.  In 5 days the website was up and the name “Chronicles of EMS” was born raising over $9000 through facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. The experience was shared throughout the EMS community as the crew uploaded behind the scenes footage and interacted with the audience as they filmed the pilot episode in a first of its kind Social TV experiment. Thanks to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo. EMS1 and the EMS/fire blogging community–the very types of media that brought Mark and Justin together — “The Chronicles of EMS” has created an amazing buzz.  The anxiously awaited trailer was released on December 17, 2009 and it did not disappoint!  View it here (http://chroniclesofems.com).  The pilot episode is premiering February 12th at 5pm online at Chronicles of EMS.com. The event has become a networking meetup at the Hotel Frank in San Francisco and the information can be found at the MeetUp Site (http://www.meetup.com/EMSMediaTV). There are high hopes that the series will continue. For more information contact: http://setlafilms.com 510.859.3456 Press release original – http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3459284.htm

Posted at 7:00 am on 01/21/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: Connections, News & Events | +Read On

Content: 5 Reasons and Methods for Public Information Officers to Use Social Media

In this webinar for PIOSocialMediaTraining.com I explore and discuss reasons and methods for public information officers, incident command staff, and other emergency responders to develop and distribute social media. During this recorded interactive session that was co-distributed with EMSBootCamp.com I share tips, techniques, best practices, and examples of emergency response organizations using social media.

Do you want to experience a live event? Or do you want to learn how to use webinars for live emergency training programs? Post your questions in the comments area.

Posted at 7:00 am on 01/20/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: Content | +Read On

Idea: Creating a Newsletter or Magazine

Very few emergency responders read blogs and belong to social networks. A challenge is how we get outstanding blog and social media content to our colleagues. This is how I would create a guerrilla newsletter to distribute at agencies, training centers, stations, hospital EMS rooms, and anywhere emergency responders congregate or meet:

• Gather content from other blogs and your own blog
• Assemble content in a Word document or set of PowerPoint slides
• Editorialize on content in a few paragraphs
• Create a PDF of the Word document or PowerPoint slides
• Put the PDF online and encourage people to download, print, share and distribute
• Track downloads of the PDF and new fans to Facebook page for the newsletter

Keep doing if it works by returning to step 1. If it doesn’t work stop doing it. I would suggest producing three to six issues over three to six months before determining how well the effort is working.

The only cost to starting is your time and maybe some bandwidth. So what is stopping you from trying this?

And if the idea really succeeds maybe you can sell some ads, assemble the issues into an e-book, or syndicate the content to industry publications.

Who wants to start this idea for EMS professionals? I will gladly contribute content from EverydayEMSTips.com.

Share your tips to get this started.

Posted at 7:00 am on 01/19/2010 | 1 Comment
Filed Under: Ideas, Social Media & Networking, Tools, Reviews, & Other Neat Stuff | +Read On

Idea: Sharing Speaker Evaluation Comments from 2009 EMS Expo

One of my 2009 highlights was speaking at the EMS Expo in Atlanta, Georgia. I presented two sessions:

• Trends in online education for emergency responders
• Understanding and using social networking for personnel communication and education

At the end of each session participants were asked to fill out a conference evaluation which was a combination of likert scale questions. I don’t give much weight to the likert scale questions, but I always appreciate participants that take time to write free text comments. Since I am presenting both of these topics again today at the Arrowhead EMS association conference in Duluth, Minnesota I have spent some time reviewing the participant comments as I fine tune my presentations.

So my idea is to share these comments. Maybe there are some gems or ideas for you as you prepare to deliver a conference, classroom, or online presentation. I am also interested in how you use participant comments as you prepare presentations … especially when you are delivering the same topic over and over?

Trends in Online Education Participant Comments
69 participants, 55 completed evaluations

Ways in which the session might have been improved.

Comments:

• Handouts, he’s a fast talker
• Do not let people in after the class has started. There were people coming in 30-40 minutes after the start and were disruptive. How does one get full CEU’s for 1/2 a session?
• Have computer session where we actually get some of the online info and how to implement it
• Show some of the processes. How do I put together a podcast, etc.?
• I would like to learn how to set up these programs and applications
• No note pad in goody bag, how come?
• In the past handouts were available
• A little more information on online education technology
• A little more basic, please, you lost me in many areas with terminology I’ve never heard before
• Ask the audience more direct questions
• More actual examples of existing education websites. Show us URL or websites of good existing learning sites for EMS.

Additional participant quotes and comments:

• Excellent topic and presentation, Greg’s discussion of this topic is timely and highly applicable for providers
• Interesting class. Good speaker, enjoyed lecture!
• Great presentation
• Excellent presentation
• This guy is great. Very useful information
• Thanks
• Overall very informative
• Very informative. I really enjoyed his lecture showing new ways of learning
• I am new to e-learning and use of it in my classes but this course gave me very useful tips and was fairly easy to follow. Love the Monday morning training tip.

Understanding and using social media
51 participants, 37 completed evaluations

Ways in which session might have been improved. Comments:

• Handouts with room for notes. Maybe a pre-conference class on how to do aspects of developing use of social networking
• Lecture is broad and sporadic. Expected less on media networking and more on interpersonal networking
• Didn’t know this was going to be about totally socializing online. Thought it was going to be about networking by other means as well
• I would like to learn how to open an account, work on a page (technically) even if I know it’s a conference and it’s hard to realize!
• More basic discussion on how social networking sites work
• Please be careful of blocking the screen. It’s distracting
• More specific examples of implementation.

Additional participant quotes and comments:

• Outstanding
• Perfect, very good
• I could listen all day, but stop standing in front of the projector
• Positive start-up and organization of topic throughout. I am assessing our service’s ability to use video. I found the topic and presentation to be thought-provoking and well worth my time and attention. Thank you for the opportunity to learn.

Posted on 7:00 am on 01/17/2010 | No Comments
Filed Under: Ideas, Testimonials | +Read On