Course Syllabus

Syllabus: FES 3284

Course:                       Management of Emergency Medical Service

Course & Section:       FES 3284

Credit Hours:               3

Session:                       SUMMER 2023

Course Format:           Web-based Distance Learning

Instructor:                   Denise S. Pouget M.A., NREMT-P

Office Hours:

  • Sending an in-class email is the best way to contact the instructor.
  • Students may contact the instructor any time between 9am to 5pm by phone at 540-686-0679. if I do not answer please leave a message, I will get back to you ASAP.
  • Students may e-mail the instructor any time and get a response within 72 hours.
  • The instructor and the students may also choose to communicate in the chat room at an assigned time. This may include multiple students.

Required Text: Evans, Bruce (2009). Management of EMS. ISBN# 9780132324382

With the exception of this book, all required readings, text books and reference material are located in the Resources section of the classroom. The following is a list of additional resources that you may be interested in obtaining

Course Communications:

  • Sending an in-class email is the best way to contact the instructor.
  • Students may contact the instructor any time between 9am to 9pm by phone at 540-686-0679. if I do not answer please leave a message, I will get back to you asap.
  • Students may e-mail the instructor any time and get a response within 72 hours.
  • The instructor and the students may also choose to communicate in the chat room at an assigned time. This may include multiple students.

Additional Resources: 

American Psychological Association. Please use the most current edition. The APA website is http://www.apastyle.org/manual/index.aspx (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Here (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. are two quick links for the APA Style

www.clas.ufl.edu/jur/guidelines/documentation.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Free Management Library website

Pre-hospital Care Administration, Issues, Readings, cases by Joseph J. Fitch

Principle-Centered Leadership – by Stephen R. Covey.

EMS PIER Manual – Public Information Education and Relations in Emergency Medical Services.  FEMA - May be ordered or downloaded from the FEMA Website https://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/publications/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Recruitment and Retention Manual,   FEMA - May be ordered or downloaded from the FEMA Website https://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/publications/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Safety and Health Considerations for the Design of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Stations.   FEMA - May be ordered or downloaded from the FEMA Website https://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/publications/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

A Guide to Funding Alternatives for Fire and Emergency Medical Service Departments.  FEMA - May be ordered or downloaded from the FEMA Website https://www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/publications/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Report of the National Forum on Emergency Medical Services Management.  You may be able to find this publication through a web search.

Free Management Library Website

Fundamentals of management underlying the solutions of problems of organization and operations of Fire and Emergency Services agencies.

Course Description

This course introduces the FES professional to benefits of community information and community relations. Students explore issues in marketing, crafting the message, identifying the audience, developing programs, and creating press releases.

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills: Associates Degree

Purpose of Course: In this course the student will learn the fundamentals of management emphasizing the solution of organizational and operational problems of the Fire and Emergency Services agency.

Course Goals and/or Objectives: By the end of this course, students will:

  • Describe the duties that are generally the responsibility of a manager.
  • Explain the specific goals and objectives needed to accomplish these duties
  • Describe and analyze contemporary research and innovation idea.
  • Describe the dynamics of group and/or team process
  • Describe, analyze, and create new or changed management policy
  • Discuss the customer’s expectation for the quality and level of services
  • Present techniques for influencing the self-perspective of the public organization
  • Examine changing values and attitudes
  • Discuss ethical issues as related to management

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) As the opening course in the FES Bachelor of Science degree program, FES 3284 includes all six of the SLOs identified for the degree. These are:

  • Identify and evaluate organizational problems associated with fire and  emergency services
  •  Identify and demonstrate proper knowledge and use of comprehensive emergency management/command and control skills in major catastrophic incidents in fire and emergency services
  • Illustrate knowledge and legal application of safety, health and environmental regulations at state and federal levels Demonstrate effective leadership behavior and skills in fire and emergency services
  • Properly address issues of management, code regulations and the labor market in fire and emergency services
  • Demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills for leadership in fire and emergency services

Teaching Philosophy: 

My educational/teaching philosophy is based on my firm belief that “Lifelong learning is the key to happiness and success”. I believe it is vital for all, from birth to death, to have the opportunity to learn in an environment that not only is safe and fosters learning, but allows the student to learn in his/her own way and time. As a student centered educator and trainer, I focus on the needs and goals of the students, combined with the needs and goals of the curriculum and educational institution.

My philosophy includes the very strong belief that students need to take responsibility for their learning and for their following the rules, policies, and guidelines of the educational institution and the classroom. I am a fair grader and willing to work with students who are willing to put forward the effort to meet the requirements of the course and program.

Instructional Methods: Online (CANVAS) -  E-learning uses a combination of a texts, writings by the instructor and other experts, provided resources, the University of Florida Library, and the Internet. The student must complete the homework assignments; participate in the discussion activities and respond to at least 2 other student postings which are assigned to each lesson, and write a research paper/applied final.

Course Policies

Academic Integrity

  • Plagiarism: Presenting as one’s own the ideas, words, or products of another. Plagiarism includes use of any sources to complete academic assignments without proper acknowledgement of the source.
  • Cheating: is a broad term that includes the following:
  • Giving or receiving help from unauthorized persons or materials during examinations.
  • The unauthorized communication of examination questions prior to, during, or following administration of the examination.
  • Collaboration on examinations or assignments expected to be individual work.
  • Fraud and deceit, that include knowingly furnishing false or misleading information or failing to furnish appropriate information when requested, such as when applying for admission to the University.

  Attendance Policy:

This course is designed to be completed in one semester. There are 13 assignments in this course and 10 discussion questions. That means that you should plan to complete one assignment per week and one discussion question.

Assignment and Discussion Policy:

  • Assignments should be written in APA style unless otherwise indicated in the assignment.
  • Assignments will be graded on accuracy, appropriateness to the assignment, details presented, appropriate citations, references, and resources
  • On the date identified in the syllabus the lessons and the assignment(s) for that lesson will be opened and 30 days after the due date the assignment is due.
  • The lessons will be open until the end of the class.
  • Assignments should be written for the reader who knows nothing about the subject.
  • All written assignments should be turned in to the instructor via the assignments section of the virtual classroom in the order in which they are assigned.
  • Every attempt will be made to provide feedback every 48 hours or more often if possible.
  • Do not go to the next assignment until the previous assignment is completed and turned in.
  • Do not turn in more than 3 assignments at the same time.
  • When assignments are graded and the opportunity to make corrections is given to you the next assignment will not be graded until the corrections are made. This opportunity will ONLY be offered in MODULE 1.
  • If you choose notto make correction, and continue to submit assignment this indicates to the instructor that you are not going to make any corrections. In that event a grade will be given and you will lose the opportunity to improve your grade.
  • There will be no opportunity to improve your grade on the FINAL Assignment.
  • Assignments 48 hours late will receive a 10% deduction in their grade.
  • Assignments more than 48 hours but less than 30 days late will receive a 20% deduction in their grade.
  • Assignments more than 30 days late but submitted during the semester will receive a 50% deduction in their grade. 
  • Errors that continue to be made in multiple assignments may affect the grades of the individual assignments as well as the final grade.
  • It is highly recommended that students keep electronic copies of all materials.
  • You will have the opportunity to take some ON-LINE certification short courses offered by the the National Fire Academy or FEMA. These are useful for you to build you credibility and your professional development.
  • Please note that any student have less than 75% of their work complete for the semester cannot earn an “I” contract. If you have 75% of the work complete, you can propose an I contract to the instructor.
  • If for some reason you are not going to finish this class on time you need to let me know mid semestar. If I do not receive a request for an extension by that date you will earn a "0" for any assignments not completed.
  • If you complete the final assignment and have not completed other assignments first you will receive a "0" for those not completed assignments.
  • Please note that any student have less than 75% of their work complete for the semester cannot earn an “I” contract. If you have 75% of the work complete, you can propose an I contract to the instructor.
  • It is your responsibility to keep your instructor informed at all times. The instructor does have the right under extenuating circumstances with proper notification to assist the student by extending the above time requirements..

Discussion Rules

  • A "discussion thread" is started each time you submit an original discussion topic.
  • Responding to the Main Item - A good title tells something of the nature of your personal response. "Response to Discussion 1" is not a very useful title, particularly if everyone in your course uses it.
  • DO NOT respond to all of the Discussion Questions before you have read and done the corresponding assignment
  • Responding to Other’s Responses - Make sure that you respond on the document intended so that your contribution will line up in the threaded discussion in the right place.
  • Netiquette - because discussions are of a public nature, please observe proper "netiquette" -- courteous and appropriate forms of communication and interaction over the Internet (in online discussions). This means no personal attacks, obscene language, or intolerant expression. All viewpoints should be respected. A great primer is located at: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html
  • Quality Discussion Responses such as "I agree," "good question," or "good answer" are not acceptable.
  • Any response that is just an opinion, or is unsubstantiated; any response that is carelessly typed, poorly thought-out, grammatically incorrect or confusing; or any response that is disrespectful of another student or any other person, etc., is not acceptable.
  • A high quality response applies a concept from the text or course in a meaningful way, or facilitates understanding of the course material or topic.
  • Responses should indicate that you have critically thought about the discussion topic and demonstrate that you can apply and articulate the knowledge you are learning.
  • Your responses should be well organized and grammatically correct.
  • Substantive responses do not just deliver opinions; they offer justification for those opinions and should cite sources when appropriate.
  • Expected Quantity of Responses Full participation in each discussion requires that you respond to the initial discussion item and at least two student’s discussion items.
  • For full credit, you must have an initial discussion item, a response to at least two students at any time. Therefore, you will have at least three quality posts for each discussion. This is to help treat the discussion as a conversation. Think about how you would feel if you made an observation in a traditional classroom and no one responded.
  • Discussion 1.0 gives you, the student, the opportunity to have open forum discussions with your classmates. It is on-going throughout the class. You can come and go in this forum as you wish. It offers an opportunity for you to network and discuss FES and classroom issues. You may post articles or websites that you think may be of interest to others in the class.
  • Discussions more than 48 hours late will receive a 25% deduction in their grade.
  • Discussions more than 48 hours later will receive a 50% deduction in their grade.

UF Policies

University Policy on Accommodating Students with Disabilities: Students requesting accommodation for disabilities must first register with the Dean of Students Office (https://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/). The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation. You must submit this documentation prior to submitting assignments or taking the quizzes or exams. Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the office as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations.

University Policy on Academic Misconduct:  Academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students should be sure that they understand the UF Student Honor Code at http://www.dso.ufl.edu/students.php.

Netiquette: Communication Courtesy:  All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all email messages, threaded discussions and chats.  [Describe what is expected and what will occur as a result of improper behavior] http://teach.ufl.edu/docs/NetiquetteGuideforOnlineCourses.pdf

Getting Help

For issues with technical difficulties for E-learning in Canvas, please contact the UF Help Desk at:

Any requests for make-ups due to technical issues MUST be accompanied by the ticket number received from LSS when the problem was reported to them. The ticket number will document the time and date of the problem. You MUST e-mail your instructor within 24 hours of the technical difficulty if you wish to request a make-up.

Other resources are available at http://www.distance.ufl.edu/getting-help for:

  • Counseling and Wellness resources
  • Disability resources
  • Resources for handling student concerns and complaints
  • Library Help Desk support

Should you have any complaints with your experience in this course please visit http://www.distance.ufl.edu/student-complaints to submit a complaint.

Grading Policies

The assignments in the course and will be the basis for evaluation and according to the grading scale shown in the table below:

The final grade will be based on the following:

Discussion Participation----------------25%

Homework Assignments---------------25%

Final Exam-------------------------------50%

Total Grade-----------------------------100%

  Grading Scale:

A    =  93.0 to 100%               C   = 73.0 to 76.9

A-   =  90.0 to 92.9                 C-  = 70.0 to 72.9

B+  =  87.0 to 89.9                 D+ = 67.0 to 69.9

B    =  83.0 to 86.9                 D   = 63.0 to 66.9

B-   =  80.0 to 82.9                 D-  = 60.0 to 62.9

C+  =  77.0 to 79.9                 F    = below 60

Final Exam:

Your final exam is a practical applied exam.

This paper must be a minimum of 1000 words.

NO resubmission will be allowed.

Don't forget to use APA style.

Student Evaluations:
Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on 
the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations 
online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional 
and respectful manner is available at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. 
Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can 
complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals or in 
their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals. Summaries of course 
evaluation results are available to students at 
https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/.

Course Schedule

Module 1 Introduction and Leadership 

1.1 Concepts of Leadership

1.2 Leadership Styles
1.3 Management and Administration
1.4 Leading and Leadership
1.5 Leadership Model
1.6 Leaders versus Managers

Module 2 Planning and Time Management

2.1 Time Management for Leaders

2.2 Untitled section
2.3 Develop Project Goals and Objectives
2.4 Develop the Plan

2.5 Project Implementation

2.6 Monitor and Evaluate, Revise

2.7 Reading Assignments

Module 3 Collecting and Analyzing Data 

3.1 Collecting and Analyzing Data

3.2 National Emergency Medical Services Information System

3.3 Silver Compliance

3.4 Gold Compliance

3.5 Causes of EMS Documentation Difficulties

3.6 Comprehensive Quality Improvement Program

3.7 Information and Analysis

3.8 Data Selection

3.9 Data Management

3.10 Use of Organizational Level Data

3.11 EMS System Results

3.12 Patient Health-Care Results

3.13 Research and EMS

3.14 Bibliography and Resources

Module 4 Communications   

4.1 Communication
4.2 Nonverbal Communication
4.3 The Speaker's Responsibilities
4.4 Listener's Responsibilities
4.5 Establishing Authentic Dialogue
4.6 Conflict Resolution 

Module 5 Issues Impacting EMS Practices  

5. 1 Ethical and Legal Issues
5.2 Safeguard Against Patient-Care Lawsuits
5.3 Protect Confidentiality
5.4 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
5.5 Health and Safety Issues
5.6 Stress
5.7 Infection Control
5.8 Emergency/Nonemergency Response, Red Lights and Sirens
5.9 Violence in the Workplace
5.10 Other EMS Health and Safety Issues
5.11 Bibliography

Module 6 Management of Human Resources 
6.1Team Leadership

6.2 Leadership & Human Behavior

6.3 Orientation
6.4 Training and Education
6.5 Principles of Adult Learning
6.6 Maximizing Retention and Transfer of Training
6.7 Motivating
6.8 Counseling
6.9 Evaluating Performance
6.10 Steps of the Performance Apprisal Process
6.11 Legal Aspects of the Performance Appraisal Process
6.12  Problems Affecting the Performance Appraisal Process
6.13 Performance Review Model
6.14 Bibliography

Module 7 Management of Systems Resources 

7.1 First-Line EMS Systems Management 
7.2 First-Line Management Data Requirements 
7.3 Equipment Management 
7.4 Bibliography 
         
Module 8 External Partnerships, Interfaces and Influences 

8.1 National Incident Management System
8.2 National Response Framework
8.3 Interagency Communication and Cooperation  
8.4 External Agencies and System Influences 
8.5 Rules and Regulations 
8.6 Medical Control/Medical Director     
8.7 System Funding
8.8 Billing
8.9 Public/Community Relations
8.10 Developing Issues 
8.11 EMS Issues
8.12 Bibliography 

 

***PLEASE REMEMBER TO COMPLETE YOUR "UNGRADED" SYLLABUS QUIZ BY MAY 29th @ 11:59pm***.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due