The Colorado Department of Health and Environment has reactivated crisis standards of care for emergency medical services (EMS) in response to high demand for services combined with many EMS staff members being out sick.
This is not the first time during the pandemic that Colorado has taken this step. The state activated crisis standards of care for EMS in April 2020 and for hospital staff in November 2021.
The state’s EMS crisis standards provide guidance for call centers, dispatch centers, and emergency medical service agencies, and responders regarding how to:
- Interact with potentially infectious patients.
- Maximize care for multiple patients with limited staff and emergency vehicles.
- Determine what kind of treatment to provide, such as whether and where a patient should be transported for further care, if deemed necessary.
