EMS returns with family health fair
It has been more than two years since Solano County Emergency Medical Services has hosted an event to highlight the importance of EMS. But in that time, the world has gotten a major lesson in how important medical workers and first responders are.
Regardless whether the COVID-19 pandemic is winding down, it is still vital for people to know about the resources EMS can provide. The county provided such an avenue Wednesday — one specifically geared toward families and young kids.
In honor of EMS for Children Day, the county hosted a health fair in the Solano Town Center parking lot outside of H&M, where people got to receive information on important resources, kids got to go inside emergency services vehicles and — because it was so hot out — everyone who signed in got tickets for a free cup of Kona Ice.
Desiree Miranda, health education specialist for Solano EMS, said the agency has celebrated National EMS Week in the past but has been unable to do so because of COVID.
“This has been like a launch since our previous activity,” she said. “We decided to do a health and safety fair.”
The day selected was May 18, which happens to be EMS for Children Day, so that became the focus for Wednesday's event.
Many partnering agencies — such as Solano Public Health, Medic Ambulance, Kaiser Permanente and NorthBay Healthcare — had booths set up with resources, free items and even some activities. Others — such as California Highway Patrol, Travis Air Force Base and Fairfield Fire Department — even had emergency vehicles that attendees could tour.
“It's really an opportunity for families, but specifically for youth to interact with our EMS personnel, get a chance to see how the system works and also get to explore the ambulances as well as the firetrucks as well,” Miranda said.
The CHP had bikes and a patrol car on display, NorthBay had a dummy for attendees to do interactive CPR simulations on, NurseFamily Partnership had free books and toys, and Drug Safe Solano had free nasal spray.
Some booths had information on specific topics. Vibe Solano had information on the Solano Car Seat Connection, a program founded by Tracy Nachand in 1996 to provide information on the importance of car seats to Solano residents who receive benefits through the county.
“We provide them information and education on how to use the seats properly, and then at the end of the session, we help them get a new car seat at a reduced cost,” Nachand said.
With May being Stroke Awareness Month, Kaiser's booth was all about recognizing the signs of a stroke and also had brochures on staying safe in the sun and water.
Ruben Quitoriano, clinical nurse educator at Kaiser Vallejo, said people who know what to look for in strokes can respond faster when they occur.
“Some of the first people that can recognize strokes or at least that something's wrong is family members or friends,” he said. “If they can recognize something's going wrong, they can get help faster.”
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary booth was centered around lifejacket safety, complete with types of lifejackets on display, brochures and even coloring books on topics such as boater safety and protecting marine life.
Kit Galvin, flotilla commander for northern Solano, said the main goal was to highlight that lifejackets save lives.
“One of the things most people don't realize is the proper fit of a lifejacket for a child,” she said. “We have some child sizes, things they can try on to see what constitutes a proper fit.”
The Travis booth showcased the F-350 ambulance used on base for emergencies on the flight line or base in general. Kids got to go inside the ambulance and see the various supplies used.
Capt. Joey Gelhaus, a paramedic, said it was a good opportunity to show the public what airmen do at Travis.
“Because we are a military base and we don't always have that access for civilians to get on, sometimes they don't know what our capabilities are,” he said. “It's good to come out here and share our ambulance and speak on what our capabilities are.”
Medic Ambulance had one of its trucks open for people to climb inside and also the types of equipment used for emergencies such as a gurney, cardiac machine and bags with supplies.
As a bonus, Medic Ambulance brought out one of its newest additions, Andy, a remote-controlled miniature ambulance that spins around, lights up, sings and even answers people's questions.
Emergency medical technician Rosie Gonzalez said Andy has proven to be a big hit. “It's just a little fun thing for the kids,” she said.
Gonzalez said kids enjoy the tour and are very inquisitive.
“I like answering their questions (and) giving them a little tour of our ambulance and all of our equipment,” she said.
Solano EMS Coordinator Benjamin Gammon said he hoped kids learned more about the roles EMS plays and that the event could spark interest in future careers.
“If there's anything that we've learned from the pandemic is that we need as many first responders as we can,” he said.