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. 

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)
• Pediatric Education for the Prehospital Provider (PEPP)

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.

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

• AmCare Ambulance Service
• Barre City Fire Department
• Barre Town EMS
• Bennington Rescue Squad
• Bristol Rescue Squad
• Burlington Fire Department
• Caledonia Essex Area Ambulance (CALEX)
• Essex Rescue
• First Branch Ambulance
• Georgia Fire and Rescue
• Glover Ambulance Squad
• Hardwick Emergency Rescue Squad
• Hartford Fire Department
• Lyndon Rescue Squad
• Morristown EMS
• Newport Ambulance Service
• Rescue Inc.
• Richmond Rescue
• Shelburne Rescue
• Thetford Fire Department
• UVM Health Network Critical Care Transport
• 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