EMS Pediatric Readiness

Vermont EMS for Children holds monthly pediatric case reviews for prehospital practitioners featuring EMS incidents from across the state. The Zoom link and the topics of the cases are sent to EMS practitioners in advance. Cases are recorded and uploaded to Vector for those unable to attend the live session. Please contact EMSC@vermont.gov if you have questions or interesting pediatric cases to be reviewed. 

There are a lot of injury prevention resources to consider when planning your next open house or community event.  Check out the resources here!

The EMS for Children (EMSC) program works with state and local services to increase educational opportunities for emergency providers to improve their abilities to treat ill and injured children. The program has supported Pediatric Education for Prehospital Professionals (PEPP) and ensures pediatric topics are presented at the annual EMS conference.

Find a class:

• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Pediatric Advanced Emergency Assessment, Recognition and Stabilization (PEARS
• Advanced Pediatric Life Support (APLS)
• Pediatric Education for the Prehospital Provider (PEPP

The Safe Transport training, also known as Child Passenger Safety (CPS) for EMS, was developed to increase the number of properly restrained children during ambulance transport.

The course is designed to educate EMS personnel and others involved in transporting children in ambulances about the selection and installation of ambulance-specific restraints and some types of conventional child restraints in the ambulance.

For more information, visit NASEMSO's Safe Transport of Children and NASEMSO’s Pediatric Transport Products for Ground Ambulances.

The Pediatric Safe Program is designed to recognize the commitment of agencies that are improving pediatric emergency care. This voluntary, statewide initiative recognizes Vermont EMS agencies that go beyond basic requirements to provide excellent care to your community’s children.

Learn more:

• Program Overview
• Application

The following agencies have demonstrated a commitment quality emergency medical care for the children in their communities by achieving “Pediatric Safe” recognition:

• Burlington Fire Department

• Caledonia Essex Area Ambulance Service (CALEX)

• Colchester Rescue

• Georgia Fire & Rescue Department

• Glover Ambulance Squad

• Hartford Fire Department

• Lyndon Rescue

• Morristown EMS

• Newport Ambulance Service

• Rescue Inc.

• Richmond Rescue

• Thetford Volunteer Fire Department

• Vergennes Area Rescue Squad

• Williston Fire Department

Children have unique physiological, emotional, and developmental characteristics that require specialized emergency care. That’s why it’s important for emergency departments to be pediatric ready. The National Pediatric Readiness Assessment (NPRP) is a tool EDs can use to measure the level of pediatric readiness and to aid in identifying gaps that may exist in preparation to provide pediatric emergency care. High pediatric readiness – or having pediatric champions, policies, equipment, resources, and competencies required to provide effective pediatric emergency care – is associated with a four-fold lower rate of mortality in children.

To learn more about pediatric readiness in the emergency department setting, including Vermont’s Always Ready for Children pediatric recognition program for hospitals, please click on the links below or contact EMSC@vermont.gov.

• Always Ready for Children Summary Document
• Pediatric Readiness in Hospitals Checklist