First Responder & EMT VEDS Overview

Service Description

Your crew is trained to respond to almost everything. Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is probably not one of them, and that's not on you. VEDS is rare, widely underdiagnosed, and almost never covered in standard EMS or fire training curricula. Most departments have never heard of it. That's exactly the problem. VEDS is a genetic connective tissue disorder that weakens arterial walls, making spontaneous vascular rupture a real and life-threatening risk. When a VEDS patient presents in crisis, the situation can look like a dozen other emergencies — abdominal distress, cardiac event, internal bleeding of unknown origin. Standard protocols that would be appropriate for most patients can be actively harmful for someone with VEDS. Your crew won't know the difference unless someone tells them. That's what this overview is for. The First Responder & EMT VEDS Overview is a free, in-person session brought directly to your station by Dan Sperry — founder of Chalkbird Inc. and a VEDS patient himself. Dan survived an aortic emergency related to VEDS. He's here because he knows firsthand what a difference awareness makes, and because your crew deserves to have this information before they need it. What the session covers: What VEDS is, how it presents, and why it's so frequently missed The physical signs and family history questions that can flag a VEDS patient in the field What to do, and critically, what not to do when VEDS is suspected VEDS Emergency Reference Cards your crew can keep on the truck Logistics: We come to you. Your station, your schedule, your crew. Any size from a single shift to a full department. Sessions run approximately 30 to 60 minutes with time for questions. There is no certification component and no paperwork. Just information your crew can use. Cost: This session is offered for free through Chalkbird Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. No department is too small and no budget is required to participate.