When did your crew last practice finding the pediatric supplies on the reserve unit? That question can reveal something an inventory sheet misses. An agency can own the right equipment and still discover that two vehicles are stocked differently, a training aid is out of date, or nobody knows which officer handles replacements.
The Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Checklist is a national resource for EMS and fire-rescue agencies. It covers training, equipment, patient and medication safety, coordination, quality improvement, and care that includes children and families. Use the full checklist for a program review. The short station meeting below helps a crew pick one local improvement to pursue with agency leadership.
Bring the people who can act on what you find
Invite a field provider, the person responsible for training, and whoever manages vehicle inventory. Identify the agency’s pediatric emergency care coordinator or the person assigned to follow up on pediatric readiness. Bring the agency-approved equipment list and the current version of the local policies you are reviewing. Use training supplies and fictional examples; there is no need to bring identifiable patient information to the meeting.
Run the review in three short rounds
| Time | Review question | Record |
|---|---|---|
| First 10 minutes | Can both shifts find the same approved pediatric supplies on the primary and reserve units? | One stock, labeling or layout difference to check. |
| Next 10 minutes | Where does the crew find current agency guidance, approved safety aids and pediatric transport policy? | Any version or access gap; name the person who owns it. |
| Last 10 minutes | How does the team practice explaining next steps to a child and caregiver, including when language assistance is needed? | One training scenario to add to the calendar. |
Make the follow-up observable
“Improve pediatric readiness” is too broad to close out. A stronger action might read: “Supply lead will reconcile the two vehicles’ pediatric compartment labels against the approved inventory by the next drill. A provider from each shift will repeat the equipment-location walkthrough.” That makes the owner, due date and verification step clear. Flag policy questions for agency leadership or medical direction rather than changing a clinical process in a station meeting.
What to review next
Use the national checklist to identify other areas your quick review did not cover. The Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Toolkit provides resources to work through those gaps. In a small department, start with one issue a named person can resolve, then bring the result back to the next crew meeting. This article is for agency planning and training; care and transport decisions follow local protocols and medical direction.
Browse the HUB911 interview with Perry Churchill for another perspective from the EMS field.