Health Information:

Although living in the beautiful North Fork Valley has many advantages such as wonderful scenery, great people and a peaceful hometown atmosphere, the hard fact of life is that when an emergency strikes, we are often 20, 30 or 40 minutes out from the life-saving treatment provided by an emergency room. The NFAA knows that our geographical setting presents a unique challenge in accessing health care services in a timely fashion, but we are here to expedite the process and get you to the best emergency care possible, as soon as possible following your emergency situation.

The North Fork Ambulance Association would like to remind everyone to consult their family doctor regarding health decisions, and to learn more about individual risk factors for heart attacks and strokes. As the only ambulance service in the North Fork Valley, we can not stress enough the importance of calling 911 as soon as symptoms present themselves, so that we have the best chance of getting you to the emergency department and to the help of trained physicians and life-saving medications. An important reminder for patients to consider if you do have a high risk for stroke and/or heart attack, is to consult your physician and family members regarding authorization to administer Thrombolytic (clot-busting) medications at the emergency department. If you are suffering from a stroke or a heart attack and are unable to communicate with EMS and/or ER staff, and you do not have a signed authorization form, the ER cannot give you the life saving medications. The NFAA therefore recommends consulting your physician regarding this procedure and completing a signed authorization form and including it in your medical records in the Vial of Life container in your refrigerator.

• We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year - Please do not hesitate to call 911 if you think you need an ambulance!
• Regardless of your symptoms, the time of day or location, call us - we are here to help you! If you wake up at 3:00 in the morning with chest pains or another symptom that makes you believe you need to go to the hospital, call 911 at 3:00 - don't wait until the morning. They key to helping you is fast access to emergency treatment, and if you delay calling us, you delay our response and decrease your chances of receiving life-saving treatment.
• Our EMTs are ready to respond day or night so please, do not feel bad about calling for an ambulance at any hour.
• Governed by our protocols, the NFAA is authorized to transport patients to 'the nearest medical facility' which in our area is the North Fork Medical Clinic and.or Delta County Memorial Hospital (DCMH). You will be assessed by the nurses and physicians at the North Fork Medical Clinic and/or DCMH Emergency Room for appropriate treatment at that facility or for transfer to another facility. The NFAA is an EMERGENCY transport agency only, and we are unable to transport patients directly to the VA, St. Mary's or Montrose Memorial.

Heart Attack Symptoms and Warning Signs:

If you think you are having a heart attack- call 911 immediately! Do not wait!

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense such as the "movie heart attack," where no one doubts what's happening. However, most heart attacks start slowly with mild pain or no pain at all, or just a slight discomfort in your chest. Often people affected aren't sure what's wrong and wait too long before calling for help. Here are the signs and symptoms of a heart attack:

Chest Discomfort- Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

Discomfort in other Areas: Other symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Shortness of Breath: You may feel as though you are not able to catch your breath, which may occur with or without chest discomfort.

Other Signs: Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, vomiting or lightheadedness

If you or someone you know has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other symptoms- DO NOT WAIT! Call 9-1-1 immediately to get us rolling to your location fast, so we can get you to the emergency room!

Calling 9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Emergency Medical Services staff can begin treatment when they arrive - which is up to an hour sooner than if you attempt to drive to the hospital. Our staff are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped.

Stroke Warning Signs & Symptoms:

If you think that you or a loved one is having a stroke, call 911 immediately - Do not wait!

The American Stroke Association has published the following signs & symptoms which are indicative of a person having a stroke:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Not all the warning signs occur in every stroke. Don't ignore signs of stroke, even if they go away!

Check the time. When did the first warning sign or symptom start? You'll be asked this important question later.

If you have one or more stroke symptoms that last more than a few minutes, don't delay! Immediately call 911.

If you're with someone who may be having stroke symptoms, immediately call 911. Expect the person to protest — denial is common. Don't take "no" for an answer. Insist on taking prompt action.

Stroke Risk Factors:

The NFAA would like residents of the North Fork Valley to know the risks of Stroke, which is why we have provided the following Stroke Risk Factors published by the American Stroke Association. Fore more information visit the American Stroke Association's website.

Some stroke risk factors are hereditary. Others are a function of natural processes. Still others result from a person's lifestyle. You can't change factors related to heredity or natural processes, but those resulting from lifestyle or environment can be modified with the help of a healthcare professional.

What Risk Factors of Stroke CAN NOT be changed?

• Age- The chance of having a stroke approximately doubles for each decade of life after age 55. While stroke is common among the elderly, a lot of people under 65 also have strokes.
• Heredity & Race - Your stroke risk is greater if a parent, grandparent, sister or brother has had a stroke. African Americans have a much higher risk of death from a stroke than Caucasians do. This is partly because blacks have higher risks of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
• Sex (gender) — Stroke is more common in men than in women. In most age groups, more men than women will have a stroke in a given year. However, more than half of total stroke deaths occur in women. At all ages, more women than men die of stroke. Use of birth control pills and pregnancy pose special stroke risks for women.
• Prior Stroke, TIA or Heart Attack- The risk of stroke for someone who has already had one is many times that of a person who has not. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are "warning strokes" that produce stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. TIAs are strong predictors of stroke. A person who's had one or more TIAs is almost 10 times more likely to have a stroke than someone of the same age and sex who hasn't. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke. If you've had a heart attack, you're at higher risk of having a stroke, too. TIA should be considered a medical emergency and followed up immediately with a healthcare professional.

What risk factors can be changed, treated or controlled?

• High Blood Pressure- High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke and the most important controllable risk factor for stroke. Many people believe the effective treatment of high blood pressure is a key reason for the accelerated decline in the death rates for stroke.
• Cigarette smoking — In recent years, studies have shown cigarette smoking to be an important risk factor for stroke. The nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke damage the cardiovascular system in many ways. The use of oral contraceptives combined with cigarette smoking greatly increases stroke risk.
• Diabetes mellitus — Diabetes is an independent risk factor for stroke. Many people with diabetes also have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and are overweight. This increases their risk even more. While diabetes is treatable, the presence of the disease still increases your risk of stroke.
• Carotid or other artery disease — The carotid arteries in your neck supply blood to your brain. A carotid artery narrowed by fatty deposits from atherosclerosis (plaque buildups in artery walls) may become blocked by a blood clot. Carotid artery disease is also called carotid artery stenosis. Peripheral artery disease is the narrowing of blood vessels carrying blood to leg and arm muscles. It's caused by fatty buildups of plaque in artery walls. People with peripheral artery disease have a higher risk of carotid artery disease, which raises their risk of stroke.
• Atrial fibrillation — This heart rhythm disorder raises the risk for stroke. The heart's upper chambers quiver instead of beating effectively, which can let the blood pool and clot. If a clot breaks off, enters the bloodstream and lodges in an artery leading to the brain, a stroke results.
• Other heart disease — People with coronary heart disease or heart failure have a higher risk of stroke than those with hearts that work normally. Dilated cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart), heart valve disease and some types of congenital heart defects also raise the risk of stroke.
• Sickle cell disease (also called sickle cell anemia) — This is a genetic disorder that mainly affects African-American and Hispanic children. "Sickled" red blood cells are less able to carry oxygen to the body's tissues and organs. These cells also tend to stick to blood vessel walls, which can block arteries to the brain and cause a stroke.
• High blood cholesterol — People with high blood cholesterol have an increased risk for stroke. Also, it appears that low HDL (“good”) cholesterol is a risk factor for stroke in men, but more data are needed to verify its effect in women.
• Poor diet — Diets high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol levels. Diets high in sodium (salt) can contribute to increased blood pressure. Diets with excess calories can contribute to obesity. Also, a diet containing five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day may reduce the risk of stroke.
• Physical inactivity and obesity — Being inactive, obese or both can increase your risk of high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. So go on a brisk walk, take the stairs, and do whatever you can to make your life more active. Try to get a total of at least 30 minutes of activity on most or all days.

How can you help us in an emergency?

How can you assist us before an emergency?

Pick up a Vial of Life container and keep it in your refrigerator!

• The NFAA is a sponsor of the Vial of Life program. By utilizing the vial of life, you ensure that you can communicate with us, even when you can't communicate. To learn more about the Vial of Life program click here.

How can you assist us during an emergency?

Know your exact location:

• Please give the dispatcher, to the best of your abilities, your exact location when you call 911, so that our ambulance can reach you. If you are in a location where we can't drive to, we need to know that, so that we can be prepared, call for additional help from agencies such as the local fire department and sheriff's department or search and rescue.

If your house is hard to find, give us a description to look for.

• Give us information that describes your house and sets it apart from your neighbor's such as the color, which driveway is yours, etc. If it's dark outside, if possible please turn on outside lights and/or flash the lights when we get close so that we know where you are. If necessary, you may request to speak with our EMTs once they are en route, to give them additional information.

Know what medications you are taking, and if possible have them out and available for the EMTs to inspect.

• We also need to know such information as: allergies, current doctor's name, past medical history, current symptoms and conditions, a history of the present illness/injury etc.