Did You Know? || Injury Prevention Team

Written by: Lisa Sepulveda, Community Relations Manager

ATCEMS Medics provide child safety seat checks with community members.

Did you know that Austin-Travis County EMS has an Injury Prevention team? Austin-Travis County EMS Injury Prevention provides education and resources focused on reducing preventable injuries in our community. We have created targeted injury prevention programming that addresses the most common injuries EMS responds to on a daily basis, and developed a network of partnerships and volunteers to help execute programming and create sustainable change. Our Injury Prevention team works collaboratively within our communities to address common injuries by applying what we know, and working together to prevent unnecessary tragedies to children, families and communities. ATCEMS Injury Prevention programs include Child Passenger Safety, Safe Baby Academy and Senior Safety/Fall Prevention and all are provided FREE to our community.

The Child Passenger Safety Program began in 2008 when we started conducting monthly Child Seat Check Events. Since then, our team has grown from four certified CPS (child passenger safety) technicians to 20+ CPS technicians conducting four monthly seat check events in Austin and Travis County. In conjunction with ensuring families child restraints are being correctly used, ATCEMS also provides FREE child safety seats to families’ in need. Grant funding provides the resources for the Child Passenger Safety Program.

Captain Randy Chhabra with a family that attended a FREE child safety seat class. The mother was able to receive 2 free seats to ensure her children receive proper restraint while riding in her vehicle.

Safe Baby Academy is a FREE, three hour class for expectant families or parents and caregivers of children under 12 months that provides education and hands-on practice for child passenger safety, safe sleep, home safety, water safety, infant CPR and choking awareness. Our Injury Prevention team conducts classes several times monthly, we also offer Safe Baby Academy classes in Spanish.

ATCEMS Medic educates new parents on a variety of “safe baby” skills.

In 2016 we launched the Senior Safety /Fall Prevention program. Elderly falls attribute to a significant amount of both dispatches and transports to the Emergency Room when compared to other traumatic call types and a large percentage of these falls occur in the home. Austin-Travis County EMS has a team of trained personnel who conduct FREE home safety assessments to identify potential risks and hazards for slips, trips and falls in the home environment.

Medic II — Liz Yankiver poses with one of her “Fall Prevention” clients.

For more information check out our webpage.

Austin-Travis County EMS medics have the opportunity to work with our Injury Prevention team when they aren’t on the ambulance or answering 9–1–1 calls, and if you are passionate about community outreach there are also opportunities to transfer into this division. Medics on the Injury Prevention team can develop or sharpen their teaching skills, or cultivate new ones such as public speaking, public relations, marketing, graphic design, photography and videography. In addition, Injury Prevention team members travel to conferences and represent the department at a variety of community events and venues.

Interested in a career with ATCEMS? Contact our Recruiting team at EMSRecruiting@austintexas.gov or give us a call at 512–974–1098. You can find dates for the hiring process elements here.

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This publication features ATCEMS work culture and the lives of our medics. *Readings from other publications posted to Medium do not necessarily reflect the views or position of Austin-Travis County EMS, the City of Austin, or Travis County*