The 2011 EMS Gift Guide

Tomorrow the United States will celebrate the national day of Thanksgiving. There will be turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce followed by a health helping of pumpkin pie before heading out for the start of the holiday full contact shopping season in search of Black Friday deals.

What about for that First Responder, Emergency Medical Technician, or Paramedic in your life? Is Target going to have what they might want? Do you want to avoid that full court press at midnight and perhaps just slip into a tryptophan induced coma? Have no fear… here are another five gift ideas for that EMS provider in your life that you can readily get online:

The S3 Stat Stethotape Securing Device is a patent-pending product made right here in the U.S.A. and attaches to any sized stethoscope. It holds a roll of 1-inch medical tape in place for easy access. The roll of tape snaps onto the S3 Stat and dispenses easily and smoothly. Once the roll is done, you can unsnap the empty cardboard tube and snap on another roll. The S3 Stat is available in a bunch of different colors which is another unique way of identifying your scope from someone else’s. One of the nice things I noticed is that my scope no longer slips down from around my neck since the tape is on the other side and counters it. That alone is worth getting one of these for every scope I have. You can get one (or five) from Stat Gear Tools directly for only $5.99.

I’m a big fan of EMS literature and a big fan of blogs so it should come as no surprise that I would recommend Blood, Sweat, and Tea: Real-Life Adventures in an Inner-City Ambulance from former blogger Tom Reynolds. While Tom may have moved on his stories remain relevant to the situations we face today. Want another reason to get this book? It’s what the series Sirens is based on that (although dropped by UK Channel 4) may be coming to the US soon.

For those of you who may be nostalgic for the good old days when Trauma ruled the air, then getting Trauma: Season One on DVD is a MUST. You can relive the adventures of Captain Versed as he survives an ejection from a helicopter ride gone bad and then proceeds to snowball patients amidst exploding tankers with no airway management whatsoever. Of course, you also run the risk of seeing the last 6 or so episodes (also known as the “good” episodes) and will find yourself suddenly depressed by the fact that there will be no more of this crazy Hollywood EMS goodness… at least until they make Sirens.

Need something to read during that downtime? Try out Cowboy In The City by Lisa Carney. I was first tipped off to this book via her interview at Medical Author Chat, and found the book to be an enjoyable fictional read that showed a different take on the acquisition and conglomeration vacuum that has sucked up many EMS agencies.

So I’ve recommended books and videos, but how do you read/watch them? You can get all of that content via a Kindle Fire, Full Color 7″ Multi-touch Display! For only $199, this is an awesome deal for some serious processing power. You can stream video and read both of the books I’ve already recommended right on the device. It also has a slew of apps from the Amazon App Store available, including the apps from Informed Guides that are must haves for every provider. I absolutely love my own Kindle Fire and everything I can do with it, but more importantly I find it so much easier to take onto the ambulance with me rather than lugging my entire laptop into the cab where it becomes even more cramped than it already is.

What about you? What would you add to the list for yourself or for EMS Providers?

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