Category Archives: Emergency Management

Emergency Management, Technology

Wireless reliance

Wireless information appliances will improve overall performance and communications, but will also have an adverse impact as we see today with Blackberry devices. Many people who work with Blackberry devices disregard them during off hours as they become bothersome. This is detrimental as the instantaneous notification is usually expected to be answered immediately. We will see more of this affect towards these devices. On the other hand, those people who welcome the ability to be connected and available at all times will be more accessible and therefore viewed by others as in a better light, perhaps. These people will become the “go-to” people and increase others perception of them on the network. This will lead to reliance on in-house electronic social networking to promote the usefulness of improved connectivity. Realistically, organizations must be clear on the expectations of the responsibilities of having increased connectivity with these and other wireless information appliances.

Another issue with increased connectivity is the increase in the opportunity of exploitation. As Metcalfe’s Law states that a network becomes exponentially more valuable as the user base increases, the inverse of Metcalfe’s Law should also hold true in that the network becomes increasingly vulnerable with a significant risk in membership and the connections themselves. Security becomes exponentially important as the network becomes more valuable.

Whenever I talk about network security, I try to relate it to the brick-and-mortar world: Homes in rural areas with unlocked doors are more secure than the dead-bolted homes of the urban environment.

Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Public Health, Technology

Communicate Clearly – Streamlining the Communication Process

In my current profession, I am tasked with responding to disaster areas and treating the afflicted and displaced. I must communicate my intent and direction clearly and with a presence of authority. Understanding the various communication modes and methods that different people utilize and respond to, perhaps across cultures or socio-economic backgrounds, will allow me to streamline my communication processes to directly impact the most people in the most efficient manner possible.

Previously, I stated that I only have one long-term personal goal: leave a positive mark on the society in which I live. My attention to this goal is unwavering and will never change. Technology being what it is today, effortless communications across lines previously drawn is paramount in improving society. I value improving the lives of others: individuals and society as a whole. I feel I have already met the outcome objective of Walden University which is one of the reasons why I chose to enroll here. Apparently, others share many of the same goals.

In college, I have found a chance to interact with a variety of people from a variety of backgrounds without ever really knowing who they are. Not unlike a double-blind study, the results of the discourse are authentic to the environment. I found this to be quite interesting and attempted to hone my communication skills in such ways as to be a benefit for as many of my classmates as possible. I will never know if I have succeeded in this, but I feel the intent and the experience will stay with me far longer than the results. Being able to communicate clearly with yourself, however simple a task that may seem at first, allows one a clearer understanding of one’s needs and allows for the development of a plan for attaining those goals that meet these needs. That is being true to one’s self!

Emergency Management, Emergency Medical Services, Technology

Professional Networks – The Internet, EMS, & Social Media

In the emergency medical service arena, there are a number of online networks designed to provide support for EMS personnel. Most of these networks are listservs or discussion groups aimed at bolstering education and best current practices.

I first started in EMS as a route to become a firefighter, but after working for a short time as an EMT, I decided that I enjoyed the practice of medicine much more than fire suppression. It was about this time that I formed a goal to be the best that I could be in this industry. There is an inherent problem with this: most in EMS feel that they are the best at what they do. I had to figure out a benchmark to compare myself to.

Searching the internet, I found a small group of EMTs, paramedics and physicians who promoted teaching as learning. This group also debated best practices constantly. Most importantly, all were welcome to contribute. Partaking in many discussions over the years has broadened my knowledge and has made me keenly aware of many of the problems facing EMS that I was going to have to deal with. This group has helped me to grow as an EMT, motivated me through my education as a paramedic and instilled in me some of the virtues of being an effective educator and a mentor within the EMS community. This same group has helped turn inexperienced and insecure providers into authors, consultants, researchers, managers, and educators. These truly were the best and the brightest in the field. Many of group participants were only known to me by their email address or the initials with which they signed their posts, but now, after meeting and forming in-person relationships, I count many of them among my friends and colleagues.

This only outlines one of my professional networks. I truly understand the value of professional networking, and I have promoted this within the educational environment in the past. Networking among colleagues, whether professionally or academically, encourages teamwork and collaboration. It also encourages a healthy competitive nature in the participants which translates to more overall growth. In the academic arena, students are able to rely on other students’ expertise in some areas while, at the same time, providing expertise in others.

The new online social networking venues (LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, et al.) appear to be replacing the listservs of old. These applications provide the user a broader, more personal sense of their social and professional network. Opening one’s self up to your colleagues in this manner can only encourage more personal growth and professionalism.

Emergency Management, Technology

Academic Goals

Settling on a degree program among the vast array of choices available has been a goal of mine for a very long time. Many people that I know always assume that I have already obtained a degree, no matter how many times I tell them the opposite. They are always surprised by this. Fortunately, soon after graduating high school, I found a career where I excel, and it has always brought me financial stability and the variety which I crave; therefore, I have never felt a professional need to further my academics in my current field.

Obtaining a degree, in my mind, is a personal goal that lends to the creation of academic and professional goals, both short and long-term. I only have one long-term personal goal: leave a positive mark on the society in which I live. This creates a positive personal growth atmosphere where I feel that I can accomplish any task worth undertaking. This is where I start my journey in academia.

The educational choices presented to me were quite diverse, and I was fortunate enough to have the time to weigh the various options. One of the issues that I considered heavily is the motivation of the institutions in their recruitment processes. More students certainly equates to more money, and I do not fault any business for making money. In contrast, I needed to find an institution that promoted other values as well, specifically societal values. Walden University’s values of promoting and affecting positive social change are admirable to say the least. This agrees with my values and coincides with my goal of leaving that positive mark on society. This is why I chose Walden University for my academic growth.

One of my long-term professional goals is to gain a position to be able to help rescue and rebuild in the face of disaster. Today’s society relies heavily on the free flow of information, and in the event of disaster, improving the stream of this data is crucial to the economic prosperity of the affected region. I chose to enroll in the Computer Information Systems program and specialize in forensics to better understand the specifics in disaster-related network response. This will allow me to help more people when they need help the most.

To use a long held standard, “The best way to do is to teach many to do.” So that I may do the most good, I wish to eventually become an expert in my field and teach others in the profession. Thus, my long-term academic goal is to obtain my Ph. D. to further the research and to continue to formulate best practices of recovery in disastrous situations.

Emergency Medical Services, Technology

Communication styles – In-person vs. online

Each and every day I am faced with having to effectively communicate with a variety of people, and a communication error on my part can lead to the death or a significant disability of a patient in my care. Complicating the matter, not only do I have to communicate with a variety of people, but I have to communicate with a variety of types of people. This variety creates circumstances where I must alter my communication methods frequently.

As Kathleen Daily Mock, BSN, JD, writes, “By incorporating effective communication techniques into daily patient interactions, clinicians can decrease their malpractice risk. More importantly, clinicians can positively and effectively impact patient health outcomes without increasing the length of visit….” (Physician’s News Digest, Feb. 2001)

To add to that, I must also interact with my co-workers in such ways as to direct the specific care of my patients and maintain a positive and professional working environment. To these ends, I actively look for verbal and non-verbal cues to seek out truth, meaning and understanding. Most perform this skill automatically, or passively, and do not realize it. (“Emotions in Man and Animals”, Darwin, C., 1872)

The use of online communication limits the perception of affect which creates a challenge to both the author and reader. Contemporary convention seems to have changed recently making the use of “emoticons”, or emoting icons, commonly accepted. Though I do not utilize emoticons too often, I do see the validity of their use in attempting to convey the lacking non-verbal cues that we are, perhaps, longing for in daily online communication.

As I have been an active participant in the online community for many years, I feel very confident in my familiarity with “netiquette”, or network etiquette. I am, unfortunately, at a disadvantage in conveying my thoughts to those not as familiar with the use of non-descriptive textual communications. To help counter this, I will assume that all communication directed to me is crafted of the best intention and positive nature.