State Emergency Medical Services Gives Pediatric Restraint Systems to Fire and Rescue Agencies

Properly restraining a child in a vehicle is just as important after an emergency as it is in case of an emergency.

That’s why staff from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services’ Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program are delivering pediatric restraint systems at no cost to emergency medical service agencies across the state. In March, almost 40 restraint systems were delivered to fire and rescue departments in Northern Nevada and on April 5 another 32 were deployed to rural partners.

“The EMS Program is excited to be able to provide pediatric restraint devices to ambulance services around the state that otherwise may not be able to purchase such beneficial equipment,” said Bobbie Sullivan, EMS program manager. “Although the probability of pediatric transports on a daily basis tends to be low, the positive impact of having this equipment cannot be understated.”

The pediatric restraints were purchased by the Nevada EMS for Children State Partnership Grant, a federal grant funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Nevada received more than $300,000 to purchase the pediatric restraint systems and other pediatric medical supplies and to support training for hospitals and EMS/fire services.

Just like an adult, in an emergency children are transported on a cot, and need to be restrained for their own safety. These restraint systems adapt a normal adult-size cot to more safely carry a child, since agencies receiving the restraint systems do not use dedicated pediatric cots. The systems are adjustable, accommodating children from 4 to 110 pounds, include straps of different lengths to accommodate different heights and are ergonomically designed to fit children of all shapes and sizes. Beyond fit and comfort, these systems are made with no Velcro or stitching to reduce surface area that can get infected, and provide emergency personnel with full access to a child’s torso for medical intervention without removing the restraint.

The emergency response agencies across Nevada received restraint systems based on the number of in-service or reserve ambulances an agency is operating. The goal of the program is to put child restraint systems in all 215 ambulances regulated by Nevada EMS.
Below is a list of agencies and the number of pediatric restraint systems received:

• Carson City Fire Department – 3
• Central Lyon Fire Department – 7
• East Fork Fire Protection District – 6
• Gerlach Fire Department – 2
• North Lyon Fire Protection District – 4
• Pyramid Lake Fire Rescue EMS – 3
• Reno Fire Department – 3
• Storey County Fire Department – 6
• Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District – 2
• Walker River Tribal Clinic EMS – 2
• Carlin Volunteer Fire Department – 2
• Elko County Ambulance Service – 10
• Elko Fire Department – 1
• Humboldt General Hospital EMS – 7
• Lander County EMS – 5
• Owyhee Tribal Ambulance – 4
• Pershing County Ambulance – 3

To request photos taken of state EMS delivering restraint systems to various agencies, send an email to nkorme@health.nv.gov.