In March and April this year every member of the Moraga-Orinda Fire District had the opportunity to attend three hours of physician-led education designed to enable paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) to improve the success of airway intubations in the field. According to Niels Tangherlini, MOFD Ambulance Supervisor, this new technology allows the health-care provider to see a visualization of the inside of the patient’s throat during the process of inserting an airway.  Tangherlini confirmed that every paramedic, EMT as well as every firefighter in the district completed the training.

    Funded in part by the Rescue 1 Foundation, the Airway 100 program supports MOFD’s paramedics and EMTs in ensuring they have the skills and tools needed to address airway issues for the patients they treat. The educational program funded by Rescue 1 included several 3-hour physician-led sessions that covered basic airway maneuvers up to addressing the most difficult airways.

    Contra Costa County recently approved paramedics using video laryngoscopes to perform endotracheal intubation. Although infrequent, intubation is the gold standard of airway care for a patient who is unconscious and having difficulty protecting their own airway. 

    In upgrading to video laryngoscope, the MOFD took the opportunity to launch an aggressive training program aimed at improving all aspects of airway care.  Known as the Difficult Airway Course, these sessions are typically attended by doctors and gave MOFD members a host of new techniques to use when caring for some of the most critical patients.

    To facilitate this training and ongoing training, Rescue 1 purchased a high-fidelity airway manikin for each of the five MOFD stations and a difficult airway manikin for use by the ambulance supervisor. 

    In addition, the doctors leading the training sessions were able to make recommendations for equipment improvements that MOFD has been able to immediately implement. These included changes in both types of endotracheal tubes and suction equipment. All are meant to ensure the highest standard of care for patients experiencing a critical emergency in the areas served by MOFD.

    The ongoing part of the program will have paramedics using computer-led training simulations during their shifts throughout the year. Tangherlini has prescribed one training session for each paramedic per shift. Rescue 1 purchased video laryngoscopes to facilitate these trainings across the MOFD. 

    The Rescue 1 Foundation thanked the Angie Sakalay Trust for providing the funds for this important advancement in medical treatment.

    Tangherlini pointed out to this reporter that California is one of only five states that currently does not permit paramedics to perform cricothyrotomies. A cricothyrotomy is an emergency, life-saving procedure that establishes an airway by creating an incision through the skin  and cricothyroid membrane in the neck. Tangherlini says that he will continue to strongly encourage the California legislature to restore this procedure to those that California paramedics are permitted to employ in emergencies in the field.

    Donations to Rescue 1 Foundation may be made on their website, https://www.rescue1foundation.org/donate and more information about this and past projects can also be found there.