EMT's needed at Florida High School Games

LARGO, Florida -- The mother of a Largo High School football player is still in shock after her son was accidentally knocked unconscious during a game on Friday night.

"I didn't know if I was walking on the field to a paralyzed child or to a dead child. Just walking out there was just the worst feeling any parent can feel at the moment," said Melissa Bonacci.

It happened as the Largo Packers squared off with the Falcons at Dunedin High School.

"I can't really remember it fully, but I remember the play and how I went in, I was just too low and his knee just hit right on my temple and that's all I can remember," said Taj Taylor, Bonacci's son.

Among Bonacci concerns are the lack of EMTs stationed at high school football games that can attend to an injured player.

"At least can we have a paramedic on site? At least just have them there that they could be the first responders," she said.

I took those concerns to Pinellas County School Athletic director Nick Grasso, who told me the district did away with EMTs years ago and that they do have health care professionals at all games.

"There were two certified trainers, one from Largo Med, one from Morton Plant, and there was also a medical doctor, a physician on site," said Grasso.

Bonacci said there were people there helping her son, but they did not have the proper equipment that EMTs have to look after Taj.

Grasso told 10 News by phone, "We ask that our schools also have a safety security medical plan as well as a safety security plan in place."

Bonacci said it took the ambulance 20 minutes to arrive at the field to take her son to the hospital.

Grasso said, according to reports that he received, it only took them about five minutes to get there.

Still, the concerned mother said she plans to push to have EMTs stationed at high school football games.

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EMT Job Spotlight – Movie Set Medic

Movie set emergency medical technicians spend many hours on the set watching after the actors, crews and supervising many of the stunts for safety precautions. People may think that working on a movie set is glamorous, but most of the time medics are standing around in the heat, snow, rain and wind waiting for something to happen.

Preparedness of Medics

Set Medics are ready and able to assist in the coordinating and management of the need for medical staff on any type of production. Most set medics will work on a production for the full length of time that it takes to make the movie. Other Medics may have obligations on two sets as fill-ins or relief medics.

Responsibilities of Movie Set Medics

Depending on the type of movie being filmed, how many cast members involved, the environmental situation and the number of dangerous stunts for the day, the medic could be standing around or be very active. Set medics are the first responders when accidents happen. If someone sprains an ankle, falls or performs a stunt wrong and gets hurt, the medic has to be right on top of the problem. An EMT has an extensive amount of medical training and is prepared to care for anyone who gets hurt, until more medical help arrives. Set medics are also responsible for seeing that the whole crew maintains a healthy body with plenty of liquids for proper hydration. Staying hydrated will help the crew, actors and all the staff to fight off heat and cold exhaustion.

Stunt scenes that may involve demolitions, car accidents or jumping off high buildings all need to be planned out in perfect timing. When something goes wrong and someone gets hurt, the medic needs to have the knowledge, quick thinking and medical training to take care of any unforeseen situation. The medic needs to know when to call in transportation to a hospital and when the individual can be cared for on the set. Lives depend on the set medic and every action that he or she takes.

Emergency Services

Set medics will also coordinate emergency contacts with the local community in which the movie is being filmed. Medics will learn where the local hospitals are located, how to call for an emergency flight for air transportation for serious injuries and the estimated time it would take services to get to the production site. Medics will have all the proper phone numbers for the fire department, police and a hospital, so no time is wasted getting the proper emergency care for victims.

Supplies and Equipment used by Set Medics

Usually only one EMT is needed on a movie set. If a problem occurs, the EMT will have portable equipment to use to handle the injuries. If the movie is being filmed a long distance from a hospital or the stunts are complicated and at higher risk, there may be two EMT’s on the set. EMT’s will have resuscitation and comprehensive trauma equipment with them on every set. They will also be equipped with an automatic external defibrillator, cervical collars, backboards, and kits for both severe and simple burns. Basic first aid supplies are always available along with over the counter medications for simple ailments. Medics for movie sets work long hours and many times well into the night.

Just because the production crew has wrapped for the day or the season, the medic has to stick around until the crew taking down the sets are done. The medic will have all the same equipment on hand for five crew members as he did for a full crew working on the set. The medic never knows when accidents will happen and he or she needs to be prepared at all times.

Unusual Challenges Set Medics Might Face

Not all production sites are on nice level ground. Many adventure and thriller films are in remote areas, on top of rooftops, deep into the swamps or out on the rough seas. Set medics have to be prepared for any type of terrain where the film may be in production. Those medics who are required to cover the production crew in a water or swamp location will have various types of boats, ATV’s, and jet skis available for rescuing any victims of accidents. Other equipment and supplies that medics might need in a challenging situation might be vehicle extrication equipment, ropes or even medicines for remote areas.

Movie set medics will have all the proper training for the medical needs of victims and the equipment they might have to use in order to get to the victims. Portable air conditioned first aid station can be set up on any production site. Usually they are set up on remote sites or sites that may be miles away from any other emergency facility.

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Concert and Special Event EMS

   

Anywhere a large crowd congregates, the need for a well-prepared emergency medical team is present. To provide the best possible service to their communities, it is essential that EMS agencies covering concerts and other large gatherings take all the risk factors into consideration and make sure the proper equipment and resources are in place to address all potential scenarios.

MONOC EMS, headquartered in Wall, NJ, provides standbys as well as active MCI-style response to a wide spectrum of events. These include small gatherings like funerals, health fairs, sporting competitions and community events, which require only single BLS units, and larger crowds such as at concerts and theme parks, involving thousands of people.

In both scenarios, it is important to be prepared for the worst, because you never know what you'll get. The overcrowded heavy-metal concert may prove to be completely uneventful, while the small-town bingo game can yield more patients than ever imagined. Either way, it's imperative to have all potentially needed equipment at the ready, even if it's not directly on site. If your service takes on the responsibility of such events, you'll be squarely in the public eye--either making positive, professional impressions, or rubbing people the wrong way.

There are several important factors to keep in mind when taking on special event work:

Professional appearance: It is imperative that staff look professional. If climate and conditions permit, it's a good idea to utilize Class A dress uniforms. (Of course, if it's expected to be 90-degree weather with 95% humidity, opt for the cooler short-sleeve shirts.) Short pants, regardless of weather, are a bad idea: EMS providers will be working outdoors, kneeling on pavement, gravel, etc. Shorts can be a certain knee-scraper. Some services use alternative uniforms for special events, but this can be counterproductive--if an employee fails to show up, a supervisor will have to find a replacement with the proper uniform, which may not have been furnished to all employees. Another point to consider is that regular duty uniforms were developed to display an agency's patches and certifications, and represent the image the service wants to portray to the public. Using an inexpensive golf-type shirt defeats this purpose.

Drugs/alcohol: At events where alcohol is served, you might expect to encounter injuries from fights, falls, etc., as well as cases of acute intoxication. Plans must be in place for utilizing security staff or the local police. Often, a mere police presence can help persuade uncooperative patients to go to the hospital. Concert EMS staff should be educated on ways to assess and treat patients who have overdosed on street and designer drugs such as LSD, PCP, ecstasy, GHB or even nitrous oxide. There have also been cases where concertgoers have maliciously exposed EMS providers, police and security to drugs. Therefore, inform staff to be extremely cautious to not accept food or water from the public, allow themselves to be sprayed, etc.

Specialized equipment: Different events require different equipment. For example, to provide emergency services at an offshore powerboat race, it is necessary to provide staff with personal flotation devices and waterproof radio protectors. At the local auto track, they'll need hearing and eye protection, turnout gear and shoes with oil-resistant soles. At a nighttime event with a large crowd, it is a good idea to give providers small chemical light sticks that attach to uniforms with safety pins. These serve a couple of purposes: They help the public quickly identify EMS providers if they're needed, and they can serve as safety beacons for providers needing assistance. It can be difficult to identify exact locations in calling for help over the radio; light sticks can be easily picked out of a large crowd.

Because large crowds often come with large noise, special noise-canceling radio headsets are a wise investment for reliable communications. When selecting headsets, try them on, and consider that they'll likely be worn for extended periods in the hot sun and should be as comfortable and nonrestrictive as possible.

Patient movement devices are necessary but not always feasible, yet carrying patients for long distances can be a nightmare for your employees. Consider specialized solutions such as wheelchairs, rescue sleds, golf carts, bicycles, etc. While these can be expensive, they can prove invaluable. Modified golf carts and Gator-type all-terrain vehicles can cost up to $20,000 but are a must at places like theme parks and large concert halls, where ambulances might be unable to navigate through crowds or down small passageways.

Boston EMS has been successful using single-provider Segways to move paramedics through crowds at the annual Boston Marathon, and EMS in Chicago utilizes them during special events in their downtown and lakefront areas. They carry cardiac monitors and defibrillators, obstetrical kits, advanced airway supplies, pharmaceuticals and other lifesaving equipment in detachable packs. The Segways are not only an excellent way of getting to victims quickly, but also a good public relations tool.

Agencies in coastal areas might benefit from the use of boats or personal watercraft. These can be crucial to gain rapid access to patients. But remember, simply acquiring a specialized vehicle or piece of equipment doesn't mean just anyone can operate it. Some states require motor vehicle licensing for personal watercraft and boats, and the industry standard for police and EMS personnel using bicycles is training and certification by the International Police Mountain Bike Association.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Health and safety: When planning for any event, it is essential to provide for restroom facilities, private break areas (preferably air-conditioned or heated, as appropriate), food and, most important, water. If a safety officer is designated, their first task should be to ensure that all teams of providers have been provided clean, preferably cold water. Having this on hand will keep them hydrated and eliminate a need for unscheduled breaks.

Because outdoor concerts and special events often occur in hot weather, consider what type of food is provided for emergency personnel and how it will be stored. If refrigeration is not available, rule out foods that will easily spoil. Use sunblock to prevent burns and skin problems. In cold or rainy weather, while it may not be possible for providers to remain in shelter, they should have good-quality outerwear. Waterproof boots are essential--nothing slows an employee like cold, wet or blistery feet.

Resource planning: Someone is paying for the services provided at concerts and special events, and these people are trying to manage budgets. They become frustrated with unplanned last-minute add-ons (additional generators when they thought power would be provided, portable fencing, additional security, etc.). Of course, event promoters often think emergency medical services are provided at low cost or for free because they've dealt with volunteers or other agencies with low overhead. These volunteer services may be compensated with perks like free tickets for their families, free food, event memorabilia, etc.

Unfortunately, providing service proficiently requires a certain amount of expertise. This is not to say volunteer services don't have it, but unless they are acclimated to the challenges of mass-gathering events and the host venues and their pitfalls, someone else might better maximize chances of a safe event. Many colleges have volunteer EMS, and their crews have become very experienced in providing service at sporting events, concerts, etc. They know what to expect, are familiar with routes to hospitals and have proper communications with law enforcement. But a big event coming to a small town that has never had anything similar could present some real tribulations.

  If an agency provides regular service to the same venue, it is a good idea to set forth standards with the owner, manager or promoter. For example, MONOC routinely provides services at concerts at the local PNC Bank Arts Center. It worked with management there to develop service-level guidelines based on event attendance (See Table 1). These can change based on things like patron demographics, potential alcohol sales and weather forecasts.

Table 1

• Attendance: 0-7,000 Minimum EMTs: 4 Minimum Supervisors: 1 Minimum Paramedics: N/A
• Attendance: 7,000-12,000 Minimum EMTs: 7-12 Minimum Supervisors: 1 Minimum Paramedics: TBD
• Attendance: 12,000-17,500 Minimum EMTs: 12-22 Minimum Supervisors: 2 Minimum Paramedics: 2

It is easy to be influenced by the event promoter or venue operator when planning resources. To keep costs low and profits high, they are motivated to have minimal EMS staffing, while the EMS agency is prudent to have more than what is needed, to ensure preparedness for the unknown. At its local venue, MONOC experiences a specific annual event that taxes its resources. With proper planning, it is often necessary to demand the venue pay for adequate resources. It is the patrons at the event and the EMS agency that will suffer if proper personnel, vehicles and supplies are not immediately available.

CONCLUSION

Understand and accept that EMS cannot do everything to ensure a safe environment for event patrons. Communications with other entities are essential to ensure other vital tasks are completed. Without law enforcement, unruly patients can harm those attempting to care for them. Without traffic control, emergency vehicles may not be able to access necessary areas or egress to hospitals. Maintaining relationships with not only ranking officers and management, but line staff as well can be useful when dealing with police, fire, vendors and staff. If you're nice to the stadium beer vendors, for instance, they'll be more likely to help you if you need ice.

Working with law enforcement, fire, hazmat, venue staff and others to develop an emergency plan will be an arduous task. But if tragedy strikes, it will help you mitigate whatever the disaster is. From 1992-2002, there were 232 deaths at concerts and festivals around the world, and more than 66,000 injuries.

Planning for concerts or special events requires an EMS agency to consider many factors and utilize any resources available to ensure the event remains safe and orderly. The best scenario is for all workers, like all attendees, to leave with only good memories of the event.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. FEMA. Special Events Contingency Planning: Job Aids Manual.

2. City of New Orleans. EMS Special Event Coverage Equipment.

3. Lavelle K.  Emergency Training & Consulting.

4. www.crowdsafe.com.

5. Mariano JP. First aid for Live Aid. J Emerg Med Serv, Feb 1986.

6. Lichtenstein I. EMS at rock concerts. Fire Chief, Nov 1983.

7. Parillo S. EMS and Mass Gatherings.

Andrew T. Caruso has been involved in New Jersey EMS for over 20 years as both a volunteer and career provider. He has spent the last 10 years at MONOC EMS; first as a dispatcher and ultimately in his current position as director of operations. One of his responsibilities since starting at MONOC is overseeing the different types of special event contracts including The PNC Bank Arts Center, a 17,500-capacity amphitheater. He can be reached at andy.caruso@monoc.org.

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Lights... Camera... Action !

Key Medic Brian Lax clowns around with actor Giancarlo Esposito on the set of "Breaking Bad."

It almost seemed like something out of a dream. Somewhere in the middle of the desert, paramedic Carol Thornton found herself standing with a film crew on the set of a multi-million dollar movie, Disney’s The Lone Ranger.

And just like everyone standing with her, Carol had her eyes fixed on actors Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, who were riding in full costume toward the camera, both perched on their horses, which were running at top speed.

Portraying Tonto, the faithful sidekick to Hammer’s Lone Ranger, Depp had become accustomed to riding horses, and this was supposed to be another routine shot—something Depp had performed several times while shooting this film. However, on this occasion, something was obviously very wrong.

The saddle Depp was riding on had come loose. Carol watched with the rest of the crew as Depp found himself slipping off his horse, still going at full speed. Suddenly, the choreographed illusion of Tonto riding high on his mount had become a crushing reality of Depp falling off his horse, striking the ground hard.

In a flash the film’s director, Gore Verbinski, stunt coordinator and Depp’s security guard all raced toward the injured actor, followed closely by Carol, who, as always, was hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst.

Depp was quickly surrounded by his security and stunt team, all attention focused on him until someone in the crowd shouted, “Make room for the medic!” And then all eyes, including Johnny Depp’s, turned to focus on Carol.

“That was pressure on a whole different level,” says Thornton. “Luckily, Johnny was all right. I saw him immediately after it happened, 30 minutes later, and about 3 hours later when he was finally out of makeup and wardrobe so I could thoroughly check any trauma or bruising I may have missed earlier.”

A concern was that the horse may have accidently stepped on Depp’s chest after his fall. But according to Thornton, there were no signs or symptoms she could find to raise alarm.

A 21-year paramedic, Thornton has spent most of her career responding to 9-1-1 calls with Albuquerque Ambulance Service (AAS). In her career, Thornton has treated almost every type of trauma there is: gunshots, stabbings, burns—you name it. However, performing a full trauma assessment on someone as famous as Johnny Depp was relatively new for the veteran paramedic.

“I’m kind of getting used to it,” says Thornton. “You see them on the set almost every day and realize they’re just like any other person. But if someone as iconic as Depp goes down, the whole movie is impacted. How I perform can affect the entire schedule of this multi-million dollar movie. So yes, pressure on a whole different level.”

Two years ago Thornton decided to retire from her position as a supervisor at AAS and focus on being a set medic. Working on the numerous film projects being produced in New Mexico, Thornton has become just one of a growing number of EMS professionals in the state who are forgoing the “normal” career route of steady employment at an ambulance service or fire department. “It is definitely a feast or famine type of business,” says Thornton. “There can be weeks where you are not called and you have to take that into consideration. But after 20 years working for AAS, I felt it was time to move on. Working in the film industry seemed like a fun thing to do.”

Hollywood in the Desert

Throughout the years, New Mexico has played host to several films. With diverse, oftentimes isolated scenery and clear blue skies, filmmakers have been able to transform New Mexico into the Old West (Young Guns I & II, Wyatt Earp, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), other planets (Ghosts of Mars, The Man Who Fell To Earth) different states, (No Country for Old Men, The Longest Yard) and different countries (Traffic, Transformers I & II). However, lately New Mexico has begun to show a boom in film and television production of all types.

In the past five years alone, several summer blockbusters such as The Avengers, Fright Night, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Last Stand, Due Date, and Cowboys and Aliens, not to mention television series, Longmire, In Plain Sight and, probably most famous of all, AMC’s Breaking Bad have all been filmed in New Mexico.

Almost certainly the chief reason why New Mexico has become such a hot location to film are the numerous tax incentives and lower expenditures many film producers are offered to bring their project to “The Land of Enchantment.”

In June 2007, New Mexico began to offer a 25% tax rebate to any film production working in the state. And this is a refund—not a credit—on the full cost, not just the tax of any item used in the process of making the film. In other words, if the expense of an item, including tax, is $100, the rebate is $25. And there is no cap on this rebate—effectively cutting the cost of a production shot in New Mexico by a fourth.1

And the breaks just seem to keep on coming for the film industry. Earlier this year, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez (R) signed into law the so called “Breaking Bad” bill, which allows qualifying films an additional 5% in tax rebates.

So with these types of incentives, New Mexico continues to see an unprecedented rise in the number of productions being filmed or planning to be filmed in the state. According to an Albuquerque Journal article published on May 12, 2013, there were more than a dozen major film and television productions being filmed, or scheduled to be filmed, this year alone in New Mexico, including Johnny Depp’s new sci-fi movie, Transcendence, Mark Wahlberg’s The Lone Survivor and a western starring Seth MacFarlane.2

Union Rules

With each production shot in the state, New Mexico film union IATSE Local 480 stipulates at least someone who can administer first aid be present on the set. However, most film sets, construction sites and stunt rehearsals usually have at least one set medic, if not an entire team, available to respond should something go wrong.

IATSE Local 480 is a chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts. Medical services that work on film production fall under this umbrella of organized labor and are labeled as a craft, like carpenters or lighting technicians. And you must be a member to be allowed to work. However, the price to play is not free. In order to become a member of Local 480, you must first be nominated by someone who is a member in the union. Next, if selected for induction, you must pay an entry fee of $600. After that you must pay annual union dues of $300.

The union also retains a payroll deduction of 4% of all gross wages earned from every IATSE member. “Last year, I paid fees in excess of $4,000,” says Brian Lax, a key medic on several productions filmed in New Mexico.

These fees could make a new EMT or paramedic shy away from this line of the profession, and possibly with good reason—entry into the union is absolutely no guarantee of work. There is, however, a tremendous upside to joining the union. Higher pay and the amount of work one could potentially find working on a film production make joining very tempting.

Union pay for a medic is normally $27 an hour, usually higher than most ambulance services pay their paramedics.

Also, union rules force employers to pay overtime after 8 hours and double time after 12 hours, even if you only work one day each week. There is also about $80 worth of union-negotiated benefits, such as medical, retirement and pension plans, paid tax-free into member accounts for every day worked.

Similar rules apply extra payments for sixth and seventh days worked in a week and even a “meal penalty” of an additional $27/hour when crew are not given a break, sat down and fed a hot catered meal every six hours at work. Added up, these wages are arguably among the best pay EMTs can earn anywhere. The minimum qualifications needed to apply for a medic position with the union is an EMT-Basic certificate and a current CPR card.3

Medic on the Set

Using the term set medic on a film is often a misnomer. Actually, there are three types of medics employed for every film production: set medics, off-production medics and the key medic.

The key medic is often the first medical provider hired for a film production and works as the first aid department head. Hired by one of the film’s producers, the key medic is the person who is ultimately responsible for staffing the medical department with the right crew for the job. It’s a job with tremendous responsibility and usually reserved for people well known in the industry who have displayed on multiple films the ability to handle the job.

One person who has gained a reputation for being able to get the job done is Lax, a critical care flight paramedic.

With over 20 years in EMS, Lax understood the potential of “what could be” with being a set medic. A veteran paramedic who has been involved in EMS since 1990, Lax started working on movie sets early on. In 2007, Lax first worked as a key medic on the pilot of the Fox TV show Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles. Since then he’s gone on to be the key on several well-known films and television series.

In that time Lax has learned the skills necessary to be a successful key medic are often the same skills used working on an ambulance or flying in a helicopter as a critical care medic.

The way Lax describes the position is very similar to an incident commander at a large-scale event. The incident commander will remain above the minutiae and worry about the bigger picture.

“I can’t possibly be everywhere at once, but I have to be available to everyone,” says Lax. “We’re filming a movie right now where we have three different shooting locations, and three more construction mills building sets non-stop. All of them are spread out across miles and miles. I hire the right people and place them where I’m comfortable they are going to be able to handle what’s going on.”

In addition, scheduling the medics—and knowing where they are at all times—is also a responsibility that falls to the key medic.

“All of the medics hired work directly for the production, not the union,” says Lax. “I’ve got to be able to have the right number of medics, with the right skill sets available, when and where I need them.”

Set medics are those who are actually assigned to work on set while filming is being done. They work closely with the stunt coordinators, the on-set fire marshal and usually assistant directors. They attend meetings to see exactly how the day’s film schedule looks, whether or not there are any potentially hazardous stunts being performed and what the exact plans are should something go wrong.

Usually if filming is being performed in an urban area, like Albuquerque or Santa Fe, contact has been made with local EMS providers to ensure prompt response. If the filming is being performed in a rural area, ambulance service or air transport may have to be coordinated prior to shooting.

“Being able to look at a shooting script and recognize what kinds of potential dangers are going to be involved, then mapping out all of these preparations, is what I’m able to do very well,” says Lax.

For instance, just one stunt filmed for an episode of Breaking Bad involved two experienced stuntmen being T-boned at a high rate of speed by another car driven by a third stuntman. This potentially dangerous stunt required several meetings between the set medic and the stunt coordinators. The stunt was deemed dangerous enough that it required not only two set medics on hand, but also the series key medic, an ambulance, a fire coordinator and, should the need arise, a landing zone for a helicopter.

One shoot Lax was on set to personally supervise involved a scene filmed for the vampire film Fright Night, where stuntmen were going to be set on fire in a cramped basement.

“I had more than the normal number of medics on set that night, because the potential risk was so high,” says Lax. “I mean, we were intentionally setting people on fire!”

The off-production medic is the one responsible for watching over the various laborers, carpenters and set designers, etc.—basically, anything that goes into the building of the sets used in the filming process. There are usually no cameras or actors around the construction site, and the pace is certainly more laid back and casual. And while being a construction medic may definitely seem less glamorous, it certainly appears to be the more practical job in terms of steady work and stability.

Off-production medics usually work regularly scheduled 12-hour days—the last four paid at an overtime rate. This type of stability attracts a lot of medics who have families or use film work as a second job. “It’s certainly the job I’d have if I wasn’t doing key work,” says Lax. “Working off production you can still have a fairly normal life. Working on set, you may have a call time of 4 or 5 a.m. and not get off until late that night. You just never know.”

Also, off-production work is much easier to get. Whereas usually one medic works as set medic, eight or 10 more medics will be working that same day off production.

And, working off production also may require a lot more of the skills one is accustomed to learning throughout EMT or paramedic school.

“There’s always somebody getting their fingers caught, pinched or cut off, and it’s more than likely going to happen on construction, where they’re constantly working with those heavy saws and drills,” says Lax.

Developing Movie Set Protocols

In 2009, Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, approached Lax and asked him if there were AEDs on set as part of the medic kit. “Mr. Gilligan felt it would be important for them to be available, if needed,” recalls Lax, who could not have agreed more, but had to inform Gilligan they were not available.

New Mexico requires medical direction for the use of AEDs and set medics at the time were considered to be providing first aid skills on set without medical direction.

Not one to be happy with an unfulfilled need, Lax contacted the New Mexico EMS Bureau and wrote a one-page protocol for AED use, which got approved. He then hired a medical director and created a registered special event medical rescue service, which he named Motion Picture Set Medics (MPSM).

The next year, Lax kept writing until he had a full set of ALS protocols and expanded the capabilities of MPSM to support medics on film in working up to their levels of licensure—something that has not been done anywhere else in North America.

Lax followed that up by assembling a group of medics who purchased two ambulances that would serve their needs of providing standby service on larger stunts and remote location work. Their company now owns four vehicles, including a 4x4 go-anywhere ambulance, which was widely used on The Lone Ranger. More information about MPSM can be found at their website, www.movieambulance.com.

References

1. New Mexico Film Office. www.nmfilm.com.

2. Gomez, A. Star-studded N.M. offers TV series, movies new incentives. Albuquerque Journal, May 12, 2013.

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3. IATSE Local 480. www.iatselocal480.com.

Paul Serino, AS, CCEMT-P, is a 10-year medic currently working with Albuquerque Ambulance. He has an associate degree in EMS from Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell and a bachelor’s degree in journalism/communications from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

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KU grad goes from on-set medic to directing filmmaker

Kasi Brown was working as an EMT on a set for a commercial in Los Angeles recently when a dangerous stunt went horribly wrong.

“This guy who was doing his first ramp jump had to jump over a tractor in downtown L.A.,” she says. “He went up on the ramp 35 feet in the air, and his motorcycle chipped sideways and landed on top of him, narrowly missing the camera crew that was right below.”

Contributed Photo

Kasi Brown, a Lawrence High School and Kansas University graduate, is making her first film, “Gone Doggy Gone,” along with co-director Brandon Walter, center. Also pictured is first assistant director Charles Bennett. “Gone Doggy Gone” is a comedy about a kidnapped dog and its owners, a couple who treat it like a baby.

Contributed Photo

"Gone Doggy Gone"

Brown not only had to treat the man and prepare him for his trip to the hospital but also manage the chaos that ensued. When an on-set accident happens, everyone from the stunt coordinator to the producer to the first assistant director wants to get involved — all with their own motives.

“I had a PA once stick a fork in a paper shredder, which jumped back and went through the webbing in his hand. A set painter cut his thumb off,” Brown says. “And sometimes it’s just Band-Aids and Advil. When it’s Band-Aids and Advil, I can write my screenplay.”

Luckily for Brown, a Kansas University theater and film graduate, her on-set experience managing chaos in Los Angeles, where she’s lived since 1999, has uniquely prepared her for her biggest challenge: Making a feature film.

“Gone Doggy Gone” — which she is co-writing, co-directing and co-starring with creative partner Brandon Walter — has just completed principal photography and is now going through the lengthy process of cataloging shots and preparing them for editing.

The goal is to have the indie feature — a comedy about a kidnapped dog and its owners, a couple who treat it like a baby — ready for submission for January’s Sundance Film Festival and the rest of the 2014 festival circuit.

From EMT to filmmaker

Downtime on the set may have given Brown some extra hours to touch up her script, but it also allowed her to visit other departments during filming. By talking to different crews and seeing firsthand how everything is put together on a film set, she prepared herself for the unpredictability of shooting “Gone Doggy Gone,” which started right away during casting.

Originally, the movie was to be populated with members of their own sketch comedy troupe Mother Approved, whom Brown and Walter had in mind for certain parts while writing the film.

Things changed dramatically, however, once the fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo.com was completed and casting had begun in earnest.

“We ended up casting just us from the [IndieGoGo] video,” Walter says. “One actor didn’t know if he wanted to act anymore, another actor moved away, and another actor just didn’t see eye to eye with us anymore about the project.”

“It wasn’t us who weren’t interested anymore — it was their life circumstances that led them in all different directions,” Brown says.

Instead, the pair combed the deep pool of unknown actors in L.A. and became extremely impressed by the actors who ended up in the film. When Shaina Vorspan walked into the room, they knew right away from her “hello” they had found the right person to play Jill, despite the 200 or so others they looked at.

Brown says that Jeff Sloniker, who plays a detective named Dan, is “the next John Belushi,” and Dan’s father is played by Richard Riehle — a true “that guy” character actor perhaps best known for his role as longtime Initech employee and “people person” Tom Smykowsi in “Office Space.”

Kansas ties

There’s plenty of homegrown talent working on “Gone Doggy Gone” as well.

Actor Cameron DeVictor attended Lawrence High School with Brown, while she knows actress Jenny Nichols Kurpil from her time at KU. One of the film’s producers is Adriane Zaudke from Wichita, and Marina Proctor from Kansas City (who worked on 2011 best picture nominee “Winter’s Bone”) served as head makeup artist.

The relationships Brown has built as an actress (she’s appeared on TV’s “ER” and “Monk”) and as an EMT also helped her make connections that were imperative in making a film for less money.

She and Walter (who co-starred in Jim Carrey’s “The Yes Man”) were able to get special deals on production equipment and locations, as well as finding investors and people to donate other valuable items to the project.

But what advice do the first-time writer/director/actors have for others hoping do the same thing? Because they play the couple in the film and were often on camera together, it was a challenge trying to stay focused on the production while acting, especially when it’s 4 a.m.

“Exhaustion can make you make poor decisions,” Brown says. “Even though you’ve got your shot list and your storyboards and everything, you have to make sacrifices during the day.”

Finding a crew that was willing to go outside of their roles and take responsibility elsewhere was the key to a successful shoot.

“Looking through the footage, we’re so amazed at how great everything turned out. We were able to talk through it together and with our crew members,” Brown says. “That was the most important thing we learned: Communication. Especially when you’re in a hard place.”

“I second that,” Walter says.

See full orginal article here

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Film Medics and those that help the crews

by: Film Works Staff

The hard-working local members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) have more than a few things in common. Not only do they service the film and television industry and help ensure film works in L.A., they’re also a pretty humble bunch.

Set Medic Lance Mancuso

In fact, whenever we visit with IATSE members and shamelessly gush about how cool we think their jobs are, everyone’s quick to redirect the spotlight to someone else. Last week, we sat down withIATSE Local 767 member Lance Mancuso to learn more about his work, and the contributions he and his fellow set medics make to California’s signature industry.

IATSE Local 767 dates back over 70 years, with set medics tracing the beginning of their profession back to the swashbuckling days of Douglas Fairbanks. Fairbanks was the first to insist a nurse be employed on every one of his action-packed productions. Today, Local 767 has about 200 members, making it the third-largest provider of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in greater Los Angeles. Only the city and county fire departments represent bigger pools of labor.

So how do set medics find work in the industry? Film or television projects with crews of 200 or more are required to hire no fewer than two set medics under union rules and Cal/OSHA regulations.  For smaller productions, only one medic may be required. With the rapid loss of California-based feature film production, set medics’ job prospects have been particularly hard-hit. “On a typical television show,” Mancuso explains, “there could be 40 drivers and 50 grips, but only one set medic. The bigger-budget films employing more than 200 people — and therefore more than one set medic — almost never shoot in California anymore.”

Mancuso’s industry career started after he joined the US Air Force, in which he served until 1981. Like many who work in Hollywood, Lance always had a desire to be a part of the film business and, after serving his country, he worked for a few years as an actor. One of his acting roles on the hit daytime soap General Hospital must have given him an itch, because in 1988, Mancuso left Hollywood temporarily to become a firefighter for the Los Angeles County Fire Department and San Bernardino County Fire Department. Then, in 1992, a friend working as a background actor asked Lance if he would be interested in being a set medic. Lance took the job and, just like that, Mancuso’s second career in Hollywood began.

For the first several years, Lance worked as a set medic for non-union shows, accruing valuable experience while making connections and learning what he calls “the language of sets.”

“We aren’t just medics, we are SET medics,” Mancuso stresses, underscoring the importance of knowing the business of making films and television shows. Mancuso became a member of Local 767 in 1995 after getting his first big break on the Universal Studios feature Ed.

After 1995, Lance’s set medic career took off, taking him all over the world to follow work where he could get it.  “You never know where you are going to be tomorrow,” Mancuso explains, “One day you might find yourself on the unemployment line, or you might be on the chow line of a big picture.” The unpredictability of the work means a career as a set medic isn’t for everyone.

Film Works staffers interviewed Lance on the production stages of CSI: New York, which recently wrapped production for the season.  Even though only a small crew of five was left taking down sets,  Mancuso had enough medical equipment and supplies at his station to treat a fully-staffed crew. Lance said he’s used to sitting on the sidelines for hours on end, joking that he feels “like a school nurse with nothing to do.” But at any given moment, all hell can break loose.

“People can — and do — die working on film sets and serious injury is always possible,” Mancuso explains. When something does go wrong, like a heart attack in a distant location or a severed finger during set construction, set medics are the first responders on the scene.

An illustration of why set medics are important happened in 2010 in New York on the set of Black Swan. While filming a rigorous dance sequence, actress Natalie Portman dislocated one of her ribs.  She recounted the experience on The David Letterman Show and expressed concern that the production had failed to hire a set medic for the shoot that day.

“I don’t even think that’s legal!” Portman said. “Before you take away a medic, take away my trailer!”

The very next day, Portman’s trailer was gone, but a set medic was on hand. Representatives from Local 767 sent Portman a large bouquet of flowers and showered the actress with praise for speaking out in support of their jobs. To the set medics, Mancuso mused, Portman came out looking like a hero.

Here at Film Works, and on behalf of film crews around the world, we’d like to salute some other heroes: our set medics.

You can see the original post here http://filmworks.filmla.com/2012/03/05/film-set-medics-mind-mend-local-crews/

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