We are currently working on updating Arizona’s ambulance rules to align with House Bill 2609 and new statutory requirements that go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. These new requirements create standard principles for the ambulance industry across the state, including response time standards and tracking and improving patient care.  ADHS began the process of […]

The theme of this year’s National Trauma Awareness Month (observed annually in May) is Roadway Safety is No Accident. The Arizona Department of Health Services’ Bureau of EMS and Trauma System and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) are joining forces to spread the message that  Prevention is Key: Safety is a Choice.  According […]

An abundance of snow no doubt has many Arizonans planning trips to the high country. If your family fun will include sledding, please take along some advice to play safely.  The Arizona State Trauma Registry maintained by ADHS Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System recorded 40 sledding injuries between 2019 and 2021. And these are […]

Americans were stunned when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during a Monday Night Football game with sudden cardiac arrest. The actions taken to save his life illustrate the value of rapid treatment with high quality CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator, or AED. Thankfully, Hamlin has been released from the hospital […]

A program administered by ADHS helps Arizona emergency responders save lives by providing lifesaving naloxone to administer or leave behind when responding to opioid overdoses.  State law permits EMS agencies to leave behind pre-packaged, intranasal naloxone (Narcan®) if an emergency medical care technician determines that it can be used in the future by the at-risk […]

Last week in Arizona there were nearly 18,000 emergency calls to 911 reported through the Arizona Prehospital Information and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Registry System (AZ-PIERS). That included 1,271 calls about injuries related to falls, 567 for motor vehicle crashes, and 343 for cardiac arrest and strokes.  We keep track of those numbers not out […]

You might associate Crash Responder Safety Week more with our colleagues at the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Arizona Department of Transportation. But it’s special to ADHS as well because of our role in supporting Arizona’s emergency medical services and trauma system.  From 2019 to 2021, there were more than 100,000 traffic-related crashes involving […]