Key Takeaways

  • Among people aged 65 years and older, falls are the leading cause of emergency department visits and account for 17% of all 911 calls.

  • As a trusted source of information, local emergency medical services (EMS) and fire departments can have a key role in falls prevention efforts.

  • Learn new skills and gain innovative ideas around falls prevention from EMS and fire departments.

When an older adult falls and needs help getting up, emergency medical services (EMS) and fire departments are often the first to arrive at the scene. Among people aged 65 years and older, falls are the leading cause of emergency department visits and account for 17% of all 911 calls. Up to 56% of 911 calls for falls do not result in transport to a medical facility. The use of EMS for falls-related calls has heavy financial consequences to communities and decreases the availability of EMS to respond to more urgent needs. As a trusted source of information, firefighters and EMS can have a key role in falls prevention efforts, including addressing home hazards to referring older adults to falls prevention programs and services.  

Fire and Falls Webinar Series addresses falls prevention with the help of local EMS and fire departments

Hosted by the National Council on Aging and the Administration for Community Living, this webinar series will feature organizations who have successfully partnered with their local EMS and fire department to address falls prevention.

Our guest speakers will share best practices and lessons learned based on their experience partnering with EMS and fire departments around falls prevention. Learn new skills and gain innovative ideas around falls prevention efforts that can be adapted and applied in your own community to bridge the fire and falls prevention network.

Dates for webinar series: 

  • September 1 at 1:00 pm EST
  • September 8 at 1:00 pm EST
  • September 15 at 1:00 pm EST
  • September 22 at 1:00 pm EST

Registration link includes all four events.