Public Safety Support

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Public Safety Support Division

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Mississippi has high mortality statistics among public safety professionals. As a rural state with limited medical resources, planning, partnership and innovation are needed to provide the medical support that will improve these statistics.

The Public Safety Support Division (PSSD) supports the medical care of the thousands of public safety professionals who provide services across Mississippi. The PSSD was formed in 2014 in response to increasing demand and complex operational challenges presented to UMMC by public safety agencies in Mississippi.

The Mississippi Center for Emergency Services (MCES) is the umbrella organization within UMMC that oversees the emergency and disaster response functions of UMMC. MCES divisions include internal and external disaster support divisions, critical care transport teams, communication center (Mississippi MED-COM) and the PSSD. UMMC is the state's only academic medical center, only Level I Trauma Center, only Level IV NICU, and only dedicated children's hospital.

What does PSSD offer?

  • Operational medicine
    • Contingency planning services for large special events, mass gatherings or rural events
    • Specialized vehicles and critical care personnel at high-risk law enforcement events
    • Online medical control or on-site critical care personnel to augment embedded fire and police departments
  • Preventive medical care
    • Annual fit-for-duty physicals for public safety officials. Exams may be performed on site or on the campus of UMMC, depending on medical and regulatory requirements related to the physical.
    • Wellness, pre-enrollment and pre-employment physicals for public safety agencies.
    • A planned public safety clinic for primary care and preventative medicine dedicated to public safety professionals will open in 2017.
  • Urgent/emergent care
    • Urgent and emergency care through UMMC. Agencies can streamline emergency response, care and coordination at UMMC by establishing a policy and protocol to keep on file at UMMC before an emergent situation arises.
    • Support for agencies and personnel during their hospitalization by acting as liaison for patients, families, medical providers and agency command staff.
  • Educational support
    • PSSD offers educational opportunities to public safety providers. These varied and extensive educational support programs include courses for police, fire, emergency management and emergency medical services audiences. PSSD has secured federal grants to increase training, medical care, and services for public safety professionals.
  • Research support
    • PSSD's research will improve medical care and services provided to public safety professionals in Mississippi, reducing the high mortality statistics among public safety professionals.