Captain Robert Thayer, Firefighter/EMT Sam Collins and Firefighter/EMT David Wernet learning and practicing cricothyrotomy procedures. Cricothyrotomy is a required skill for Paramedic’s to learn and to become very proficient in. Cricothyrotomy is not a skill that is routinely performed in the field like IV’s and endotracheal intubations are and is actually performed when all other airway procedures have failed.
A Paramedic could go through their whole career and never have an opportunity to perform one, but there could be that one time that this skill would need to be performed in order to save a life. Since this skill is rarely performed it is considered as a high risk – low frequency skill as it relates to quality assurance and means we constantly provide hands on training over this skill to our personnel.