Safe Transport of Children

Goals

• To recommend the criteria or specifications for proper restraint of children in ambulances. Such criteria will be evidence-based and will consider safety of both patients and providers.
• To have the recommended criteria adopted by one or more accredited standard setting organizations.
• To develop a strategy and resources for educating EMS providers on safely transporting children in ground ambulances based on the recommended criteria or standards.

Meeting schedule

The Safe Transport of Children Committee generally meets the 4th Thursday of even-numbered months, at 1:30 PM Eastern, except when conflicting with a holiday or when meeting in conjunction with the NASEMSO Annual Meeting.

Trainings

• Here to Help: Proper Child Restraints in Emergency Vehicles
  What you will learn in this one hour North Carolina OEMS online training video: In this engaging and informative training video, designed for EMS personnel, including administrators and training officers, you’ll hear from experts why it’s important to appropriately restrain, and safeguard children in ambulances. You’ll learn about pediatric restraint devices and see a demonstration of how to use the equipment to properly restrain and transport children. You’ll also get some tips on safe pediatric transport. View the printable version of the course: Here to Help: Proper Child Restraints in Emergency Vehicles(PDF, 60 KB)
• NH Fire & EMS Academy – Pediatric Ambulance Safety Restraints https://ola.nhfa-ems.com. Users must sign up for a free account with the NH Fire & EMS Academy. Learning objectives of this module: (1) Review of protocols and relevant state (NH) laws; (2) Review common devices used to secure a child in the ambulance; (3) Show how to use various devices to secure a child in the ambulance.
• The Safe Transport of Children in Ambulances
  Children’s Hospital Colorado, presented by Jason Kotas, NREMT, CPST. Click here for the video (lecture starts at 43:35); Slides available here.
• Pre-Hospital Transport of the Critically Ill Pediatric Patient
  Oklahoma EMSC PowerPoint presentation.

Brochures, Fact Sheets, & Flyers

• Safe Transportation of Children in Emergency Ground Ambulances. Idaho EMSC Brochure.
• Guidelines for Safe Pediatric Transports. This document from North Carolina EMSC provides guidance for restraining pediatric patients, and children who are not patients, when being transported in an ambulance.
• Transport Children Safely in your Ambulance. Pennsylvania EMSC flyer.
• Keeping Kids Safe in Ambulances. Pennsylvania EMSC Infographic.

Chair

Eric Hicken,CPM, EMT-P
EMSC Program Manager
Office of EMS
NJ Department of Health

Vice Chair

Cynthia Wright-Johnson MSN RN
Director, EMS for Children
Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS)