Q&A with Klaus-Dieter Berner, a paramedic from Ludwigsburg, Germany

Cambridge, MA, July 2011 – Pro EMS Center for MEDICS periodically invites paramedics and other medical professionals to serve as visiting instructors at its education facility. It is our belief that these individuals help to enhance the education of our students by offering a diversity of views and experiences on the organization of an EMS system, the practical application of pre-hospital care, and the role of paramedics in performing emergency medical services.

This year, Pro EMS Center for MEDICS was pleased to host Klaus-Dieter Berner, a paramedic from Ludwigsburg, Germany. The following is a Q&A with Klaus, who explains his background and interest in working with Pro EMS Center for MEDICS.

How did you hear about Pro EMS Center for MEDICS (CFM), and what was your goal in reaching out to them?
In Germany there is a proverb that says, "Look over the rim of your coffee cup." Too often, people sit inside their coffee cups and don’t understand what happens outside their little world. My main point of visiting CFM was to see what's outside the cup.
I wanted to compare the EMS system in my area with another system's. It wasn't about comparing and finding who is better. The question for me was, what possible solutions exist for all the small challenges that we have in our daily work? I wanted to learn and investigate new ideas because knowledge is the supporting pillar in our work!

When I decided to look over the rim of the cup, I asked all of my EMS friends all over Germany where to go. Very quickly, they responded with three options that included systems in Lebanon, Ghana and Peru. But none of these systems were comparable with my own, either in terms of EMS services or geography. So I posted an inquiry at emtlife.com. You can see it here:
http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=20612&highlight=germany+ride

And this was the response I got:
Try Pro EMS in Cambridge (Boston), Massachusetts. Their instructor, Chris Kerley, is very, very interested in Global training and is kind of known as an EMS Wizard - he knows everything!

So I sent Chris an email, and we started a conversation... And you know the result! 

Have you ever been to the US before? Have you ever visited a US EMS institution before?
In 2005, I visited some Southern states, including Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee and Mississippi for vacation. I have not visited any other EMS institutions here.

What did you think of the CFM paramedic curriculum? How does the curriculum differ from what is taught in Germany, and how is it the same?
The curriculum is awesome! The learning content is on such a high level that I was often speechless. There are some key differences between the US and German EMS systems. For example, in Germany there is the possibility that a doctor will come to the scene. In some cases we try to do some medical protocols by ourselves, but in some of the more serious cases, the scene will be handled by a doctor. So CFM is able to teach some things that in Germany we are not allowed to do. The fact that here students not only know about these procedures but have to do it in practice! That's a big difference.

What surprised you about the CFM program?
The students! And, for sure, the instructors. It's all so professional. I like the way CFM, and especially Chris, teach. It's hard for the students, but after that it will be easier for them to do their job well.

We as paramedics are not bakers. For a baker, if the bread is too salty one day, nothing serious happens. But when a paramedic has a bad day, bad education, or bad knowledge, something serious (with human beings) will happen! So it's good to have a rigorous training program before being sent out to work! CFM delivers that education and professionalism.

What topics/classes did you teach while you were at CFM?
I was allowed to teach and provide some perspective on some Advanced Lifesaving (ALS) Training scenarios at CFM. I also had the opportunity to explain the German EMS system to the students. I was always asked my (German) opinion on things.

Also, in the US, in the most cases, firefighters were also called to the scene. That is very nice too. So you have more manpower on scene.

What do you think could be improved in the US system? How about the German system?
That's a difficult question. I think there is a discrepancy between patient safety and EMS personal safety. For example, in the US, EMS employees do'’t have to wear safety shoes. I observed that more patients go in an ambulance with sirens and lights to the hospital than in Germany, so the chance for a bad accident may be much higher in the US.

Perhaps my German system should change the paramedic system so that a doctor is an option. The German paramedic should be able to choose when they need a doctor or not. This means they have to be trained much better and they must have more competence.

What did you learn from the US system that could be applied in Germany?
I learned so much! But one of the most impressive things was the attitude of the people working in EMS – they are very professional. There is a reason that all EMS people in the US are respected in the population!

About Pro EMS Center for MEDICS

Pro EMS Center for MEDICS is the premiere paramedic education program and simulation training lab for emergency medical services in the Northeast. As the first, and only, nationally accredited paramedic program in the state of Massachusetts, the Center for MEDICS offers one of the most rigorous paramedic programs in the U.S., as well as a variety of specialty courses that are designed to allow EMS service providers to achieve the highest standards in the industry.

The Center works with all members of the EMS community - from EMTs and Paramedics to Firefighters, Police Officers, Military Personnel, Physicians, and Nurses. It is the only EMS educational facility in Massachusetts to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP). The Center is also accredited by Massachusetts Department of Public Health as a Training Institution.

More information about Pro EMS Center for MEDICS can be found at www.centerformedics.com or by calling (617) 682-1811.

Media contact:
Christine Dunn
Savoir Media
617.484.1660
cdunn@savoirmedia.com