San Juan Island EMS

Keep your home brightly lit to avoid tripping on objects that are hard to see. Also: Place night lights in your bedroom, bathroom and hallways. Place a lamp within reach of your bed for middle-of-the-night needs. Make clear paths to light switches that aren’t near room entrances. Consider trading traditional switches for glow-in-the-dark or illuminated [...]

Island Air Ambulance, in its ongoing effort to maintain licensure and to improve patient care and safety, is pursuing the highest available national accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Medial Transport Systems.  This exhaustive process of operational and patient safety and efficacy is the industry standard of quality.  We will be keeping the community [...]

The new Frank Wilson EMS Building is now under construction at the site of the new Peace Island Medical Center near the airport.  The groundwork is almost complete and the foundation is going in next. Stay tunes for updates as the work progresses.

  This is a website dedicated to those who have lost their lives in the line of duty of providing air medial services. A local Friday Harbor artist will be designing a statue for the garden.  Please visit their website and consider giving a generous contribution to help make the Air Medical Memorial a reality.

James Bryner BA, RN, CEN is a Flight Nurse for us and was born and raised in California where he obtained a Bachelors degree in psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz.  Seeking a way to help people in a more direct, hands-on fashion, he went back to school and received his nursing [...]

Our island home lost a beloved family member, treasured friend, and caring advocate when Michael Roger succumbed to lymphoma on Thursday evening, October 20, 2011.   He was in the care of Hospice House in Bellingham, where family and friends were close by his side during his brief stay. Michael spent his professional career defending the [...]

It’s Safety Fair Time! Games, a coloring contest, a rescue demonstration, food and lots of fun are on the agenda at the Safety Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 9, at the Mullis Street Fire Station. Participating agencies include the San Juan Island Fire Department, San Juan Island Emergency Medical Services, [...]

The EMTs, Paramedics, Flight Nurses and Pilots of our agency.

Record tourism and increased population necessitate a robust and world class EMS and transportation system here in the San Juans.  We have just that!  Island Air Ambulance is ready for the summer.  After a long winter of preparation of extra pilot training, additional medical training for the EMTs and Paramedics, affiliation with regional and national [...]

National EMS week is being celebrated here on San Juan Island May 15-21, 2011.

Kings Marine through their efforts to hold the Frank Wilson Memorial Fishing Derby have made a generous donation of $2,500 to San Juan Island EMS.  The funds will be used for the New Frank Wilson EMS Building under construction along with the new hospital project groundbreaking July 23rd this summer.

San Juan Island EMS has again increased its ability to treat critically ill and injured patients through cutting edge technology.  The Glidescope Ranger is an advance airway camera that allows the paramedic to look deep into the airway and place a breathing tube without compromising the patient’s neck.  This state of the art technology is [...]

Dr. Malcolm Heath 2011 featured pilot at SJ Aviation Museum Presentation 1 p.m. March 27 FH Airport Click here for a terrific story on Dr. Heath as reported on the SanJuanIslander.com!  

With all of the recent world events such as earthquake, tsunami, radiation leaks, and hurricanes, it makes us all feel a littler vulnerable.  If we are unprepared, we feel even more uncertain about possible disaster and devistation. A little preparedness can go a long way.  Here are some resources for you to get prepared. INFORMATION: [...]

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: As the situation at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Station evolves, it is worth highlighting to islanders that at this time there is widespread agreement by experts that there is no potential hazard to the mainland United States, even in the event of a catastrophic meltdown. The distance [...]

Airlift Northwest medical helicopters will again stage in Friday Harbor during the summer of 2011. As a continued partnership with Airlift Northwest, the medical helicopter (normally staged at St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham)  will stage in Friday Harbor with the assistance of San Juan Island EMS. If weather and call volume permits, the helicopter [...]

The San Juan Department of Emergency Management now has a tool in place that allows islanders to enroll their email, cell phone, and home phone in the emergency notification system.  In a critical emergency, they can use this tool to reach out to residents via email, text message, or in some cases, recorded messages sent [...]

The Remember Alex Brown Foundation was established to teach teenagers about the dangers of distracted driving by the surviving parents of a girl who lost her life to texting while driving. A local student at the Friday Harbor Elementary School saw this family’s efforts on the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and wants to help [...]

Check out the STORY online for information on this great fundraiser and memorial. Proceeds benefit the San Juan Island EMT Association.

     The 2010 San Juan Island EMS Awards Banquet took place at the Paradise Lanes in Friday Harbor on January 15, a very entertaining evening.  Humberto Orozco was acknowledged by his peers who voted him the EMT of the Year. Humberto also received the Frank Wilson Service Award chosen and presented by the Inter Island [...]

Come to  “Meet and Greet” our new paramedic Travis Potter, Wednesday, January 19 at 4:30 PM at the Frank Wilson EMS Building at 540 Spring Street.

San Juan Island EMS has partnered with Island Air to provide Island Air Ambulance since 2007. In these past three years, Island Air Ambulance has become a FAA and State of Washington verified air medical service capable of transporting advanced life support patients to the mainland. Beginning in 2011, there will no longer be any [...]

The Safety Committee of VALMARK (King’s Market, Market Place, King’s Video, and King’s Marine Center) was presented with the San Juan Island EMS Community Safety Partner Award by EMT Lainey Volk on December 14, 2010. The company trained all of their employees in CPR/AED use and purchased 3 AEDs (automatic external defibrillator) for quick access [...]

Thank you, Veterans for your sacrifice and leadership in keeping us free. We are humbled by your service. ~ The EMTs and Paramedics of San Juan Island EMS

San Juan Island EMS is pleased to award Village at the Harbour the recognition of our first Community Safety Partner award for their continuing efforts of providing proactive education, training, and best patient practices in the areas of cardiac resuscitation response and fall and injury prevention. “We were pleased to grant the Village at the Harbour Assisted Living [...]

The new CPR guidelines are now available, and it turns out that simple is best.

Dr Michael Sullivan and Chief Jim Cole, as well as Paramedic Patrick Shepler from Orcas Fire,  have completed the Resuscitation Academy in Seattle. This week long academy presents and trains individuals in the latest science and practice of successful out of hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation.  Current science and operational best practices are taught and enabled [...]

San Juan Island EMS has been re-accredited by the American Heart Association as a Community Training Center (CTC) for another 2-year period. 2010-2012 SJIEMS operates the only American Heart Association Community Training Center (CTC) in San Juan County serving as a Community Training Center for Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) [...]

Friday Harbor, Wash. – The San Juan Island EMT Association received a generous $5000 grant from the San Juan Island Community Foundation to expand training and purchase additional cardiac resuscitation equipment to be used by San Juan Island EMS. The award was presented at the Community Foundation’s annual Breakfast of Champions on September 24, 2010. “The [...]

Remember that your personal first aid kit should reflect you and your individual situation.  Think about likely scenarios and plan from that end in mind. Here are some suggestions to get you started. Consider taking a Wilderness First Aid course this fall as well.            PERSONAL FIRST AID KIT         1        Medium [...]

We are striving for 100% survival from witnessed cardiac arrests. The three most important factors are: 1. Effective CPR started immediately. 2. An Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) applied within 3 minutes. 3. Calling 9-1-1 with accurate information for a quick EMS response. Click here to see a Google map showing all of the AED units deployed throughout our EMS District. [...]

The warm weather has finally arrived!  Welcome to summertime in the San Juan Islands.  A few quick reminders will help you enjoy the summer without some of the headaches. 1. Drink plenty of water, usually a 2 liter bottle’s worth of water each day. If you are more than sedentary, you may need to double that [...]

SJIEMS’s San Juan School of Wilderness EMS, certified over 40 camp counselors and wilderness guides in wilderness medicine. The SOLO Wilderness First Aid Course is a two day intensive course designed to teach life saving skills for those who are far away from traditional medical care. For further information, look under the education tab for [...]

San Juan Island EMTs now have life saving epinephrine in their individual emergency response kits.  Because of a change in the state law, EMTs are now able to carry vials of Epinephrine in a cost effective way, allowing for every EMT to have the life saving drug to the scene in just minutes. Following a [...]

“Anytime. Anywhere. We’ll be there” is the theme for the annual Emergency Services Week of May 16 – 20, 2010 proclaimed by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the San Juan County Council. EMS Week salutes the excellent services provided every day, under often daunting circumstances, by the 40 EMTs and paramedics of [...]

San Juan Island emergency services personnel and a US Coast Guard search and rescue team conducted joint training in Friday Harbor on Saturday, May 1, 2010. The exercise included practicing patient transfer procedures to and from an airborne helicopter, and simulating loading critically ill passengers and necessary equipment onto the helicopter. Personnel from San Juan [...]

The File of Life Kit is again available here on San Juan Island, thanks to the San Juan Lions Club and the San Juan Leo Club.  Each kit contains a refrigerator pouch and a wallett pouch with the forms to record your medical history, medications, allergies, physician and emergency contact information.  There is also a sticker [...]

Congratulations to our partner Island Air for receiving the 5 Star Safety Award from their insurance carrier.  The only service to receive this award to date, puts Island Air into a class by themselves. Congratulations Island Air!

Island Hospital is now offering FREE round trip taxi service to Island Hospital or to one of its hospital operated clinics from the Anacortes Ferry Terminal. This includes the family members of those Airlifted to the hospital who are following their loved one to the mainland. Those who need this service can call Mert’s Taxi, [...]

San Juan Island EMS members were acknowledged with special awards at the annual EMS Banquet on January 16. The EMT of the Year Award and the Chief’s Award went to Herb Mason. Rebecca Smith was the Officer of the Year. The Rookie of the Year Award was presented to Humberto Orozco. The physicians of the [...]

From our EMS Family to yours… Have a happy, safe, and family filled Thanksgiving!

San Juan County Sheriff’s boat P/V Guardian has been recognized by the State of Washington as a licensed ambulance, following a three year process of fundraising, planning, modification, and training.
“For many years to come, this multipurpose, dual hull twin-engine catamaran will serve and augment the emergency medical transport and water rescue needs of all of San Juan County through its upgraded capability,” said EMS Chief Jim Cole. “The P/V Guardian now gives us the ability to transport San Juan County residents from their home island with a certified ambulance when airborne transport is impractical.”…

San Juan Island EMS (SJIEMS) has garnered a very special distinction. For over a year, SJIEMS has been the #1 agency for patient satisfaction as ranked in a national patient satisfaction survey from the EMS Survey Team. On this last quarterly report, SJIEMS was ranked #1 in EVERY area on the survey except for one! [...]

The ten most important facts about the Swine Flu that you need to know…

The San Juan Island Yacht Club had a cruise last weekend to Sucia Island. A highpoint was a presentation by Fleet Surgeon Steve Enright regarding how boaters can minimize medical emergencies in remote waters. He discussed the following…

Airlift Northwest will end their summer staging this weekend on Labor Day. The medical helicopters have been staging here on San Juan Island on alternating busy weekends Friday to Sunday during daylight hours.  We have called upon them many more times throughout the summer. EMS wants to thank the pilots and flight nurses for their [...]

Kids are going back to school.  That means the frenetic activity surrounding morning rituals, homework completion, lots of traffic and pedestrian activity is about to begin.  The weather if getting cooler, the roads may be slick, and daylight hours will fade.  Here are a few tips to keep the children safe. Have a talk with [...]

San Juan Island EMS offers a new quarterly newsletter for our community called the San Juan Responder! Everyone is encouraged to download and read the newsletter which is available electronically by clicking on this link. Each edition will inform you about operations and personnel, including any news and information that can be helpful. Download it now.

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