Welcome to the Fire and Emergency New Zealand partners webpage where we will be publicising upcoming webinars and uploading webinar recordings to view at your leisure.

We aim to provide a wide range of webinar topics, aligned with the feedback we receive either from you on our online survey at the end of each webinar, or back to your Senior Specialist, Medical Response for Fire and Emergency. Please keep us updated on topics of most interest to you!

 We encourage you to explore the recordings of other webinar topics available on the My Health Hub webinars page, as many may also be relevant to your practice as a First Responder with Fire and Emergency.

Accessing and watching these webinars does not constitute a replacement for any prescribed education as required by our Ambulance partners to maintain our First Response capability, but is intended to supplement that learning for those that have an interest.

MANAGING THE BREATHLESS PATIENT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS

Held on: Tuesday 26 November

NICOLA CORNA, Nurse Practitioner, Respiratory Services, Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau

This session will include:
• Respiratory anatomy and pathophysiology of common respiratory conditions
• Aetiology, assessment and measurement of breathlessness
• Management of breathlessness including both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies
• Oxygen therapy – devices, assessment and management.

DIABETES EMERGENCIES

Held on: Tuesday 1 October

Lisa Sparks, Nurse Practitioner, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora Waitematā

This presentation will include:
• Brief overview of types and pathophys and progression of diabetes
• Overview of management for T1/T2 including brief review of insulin and non-insulin agents
• Mild – severe hypoglycaemia including hypoglycaemia unawareness
• Hyperglycaemia, DKA and HHS
• “Sick day rules” people with diabetes should know.

Emergency treatment of anaphylaxis for first responders

Held on: Wednesday 21st August

KRIS GAGLIARDI, Critical Care Paramedic, Hato Hone St John

In this session, Kris will provide an overview of allergies and anaphylaxis for first responders.
The session will focus on:
• What happens in the body during anaphylaxis
• The difference between allergy and anaphylaxis
• How to recognise anaphylaxis
• Emergency treatment of anaphylaxis, including intramuscular adrenaline

ASTHMA EMERGENCIES

Held on: Wednesday 10th July

KATIE FAAIUASO
RN, Nurse Educator, Asthma New Zealand

In this presentation Katie will discuss:
• What is asthma?
• Asthma signs and symptoms
• Common reliever medications
• Managing emergencies in the community
• How to administer reliever medications via spacer
• Oxygen and nebulisers
• Worsening asthma signs

Emergency treatment for drowning 

Held on: Monday 20th May

KRIS GAGLIARDI, Critical Care Paramedic, Hato Hone St John

This presentation will include:
• Definition of drowning – what all the terms mean
• Basic pathophysiology – what happens to the body during drowning,
specifically the lungs and respiratory system
• Treatment priorities – standard resuscitation, with a focus

Haemorrhage Control: more than just stopping the bleed

Held on: Wednesday 20th March

ROB KEATING, Critical Care Flight Paramedic, Greenlea Rescue Helicopter

In this presentation Rob will explain the key principles of haemostasis – the stopping of life threatening bleeding. Further to this, the webinar will educate FENZ personnel on other aspects that are critical to saving a bleeding patient

New Zealand Ambulance Sector Clinical Procedures and Guidelines

Held on: Wednesday 7th February

Kris Gagliardi, Critical Care Paramedic, Hato Hone St John

This presentation will provide an overview of the emergency ambulance Clinical Procedures and Guidelines (CPGs), the First Responder Field Guide, and the new NZCPG app for FENZ. Information to assist FENZ personnel to quickly locate and navigate important clinical information and provide an overview of how to seek clinical advice and support in the field.

WHY AND HOW

Held on: Monday 20th November 

LARA PETERS, RN, Clinical Team Manager, South Region, Hato Hone St John

Join Lara as she leads a discussion, delving into ‘why we do what we do and how we should do it’

• Why do Hato Hone St John ask you to gather information and assess patients in the way they do?
• The patient handover process
• Expectations – how to manage these on both sides.

PREPARING PATIENTS FOR AIR RETRIEVAL

Held on: Tue 24th October

TONI JOHNSTON, NP, Southern Critical Care – Dunedin Hospital, Paramedic – Order of St John Southern Region

In this webinar Toni will discuss:

• An overview of the considerations of the physiological impacts of moving patients by air (rotary & fixed wing)
• Patient categories and some of the patient-specific interventions
• Trauma Network & destination policies, why we don’t just go to the local hospital.

MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE STROKE

Held on: Mon 18th September

DR JULIA SLARK, PhD, RN; Head of School, Nursing Faculty of Medial and Health Sciences, University of Auckland

In this webinar Julia will discuss:

• Aetiology and presentation of sudden onset stroke
• Acute care interventions & management
• Immediate Complications
• Primary and secondary prevention

SEPSIS

Held on: Tue 27th June

CAMILLA HOWARD, Clinical Nurse Specialist – Sepsis

In this webinar Camilla will discuss:

• Sepsis – what is it really?
• Impact & burden of sepsis
• Pathophysiology of sepsis
• Recognition & action
• Post sepsis syndrome

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT & EMERGENCIES FOR INFANTS

Held on: Wed 24th May

NATALIE COWLEY, Nurse Educator, Children’s Emergency Department, Starship Child Health

The webinar topic will Include:

• Initial first aid
• Basic CPR and management of an airway
• Burns
• Seizure management
• Choking
• AED for infants

NATIONAL AMBULANCE AIR DESK AND ANTS CRITERIA

Held on: Tuesday 18th April

KATHRYN STEEL, Clinical Support Manager – Air desk

The webinar topic will Include:

• What is the National Ambulance Air Desk and how did we come into being?
• What is the role of the Air Desk?
• How do we make tasking decisions?
• What is the ANTS criteria?

AFTER THE CYCLONE

Held on: Tuesday 28th March

ELLE CRADWICK, Mental Health Educator, Big Chats Ltd.

What shapes can grief & loss take? What’s ‘normal’ after an emergency? What if the wheels are falling off? And is it OK if you’re doing OK right now?Learn about grief and loss, about how the brain responds after a significant event, what resources are available to help you navigate the impact of the cyclone or other events.

EARLY TRAUMA CARE – KEEPING IT SIMPLE

Held on: Wednesday 22nd March

MIKE HUNTER, Consultant Surgeon; Trauma Medical Director – Dunedin Hospital

Webinar topic included:

• What determines clinical priorities at the crash scene?
• What can anyone usefully do at the scene that alters the outcome?
• What are the key issues in communication?
• Common dilemmas that face us all

RESUSCITATION AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE CPR

Held on: Monday 14th November

Craig Jones, Critical Care Paramedic, St John

Webinar topic Included:

• When to use High performance CPR versus a standard approach
• How does CPR make blood go round and round
• The detrimental effects of pauses in CPR
• Latest research, and what to expect in the future

HELPING PEOPLE IN HIGH-STRESS SITUATIONS

Held on: Monday 10th October

Elle Cradwick – Mental Health Educator

Learn practical tips for helping distressed people on scene by understanding how the brain responds to traumatic stress.

Topic includes:

• How the brain reacts to stress and traumatic situations
• What you can do in the moment to help distressed people on-scene
• Ideas for what to do if things are sticking with you