Ambulance Driver Files A Day in the Life | Kelly Grayson
Now that I’ve had a few moments to catch my breath, I’d like to give a shout out to the two EMS conferences that hosted me this past weekend. Both were well-run affairs, and EMTs in those areas should really try to attend them next year.
The Metro Atlanta EMS Conference had their show at the Riverside EpiCenter in Austell, GA, which is right outside Atlanta. The venue is excellent, although if this conference keeps growing like it has, they’ll soon outgrow it.
They doubled their attendance from last year, and it’s not hard to see why. They managed to put on over 50 educational sessions from people like Dr. Ray Fowler, Neil Holtz, and some paramedic guy from Louisiana, to name but a few. They even had 100 hours of cadaver labs. Lunch and snacks were provided both days, with live entertainment at night, for only $25.
That’s right, they put on a fair-sized EMS conference and only charged twenty five bucks each.
If you wonder how that’s possible, you need to attend next year to find out, and show some love to each and every vendor, because they’re what makes such crazy low prices possible.
I spent two days in Birmingham at the Alabama EMS Conference. This is the first time they’ve put on a conference in fifteen years, and they did a good job. Attendees got meals, two full days of continuing education, and a slew of door prizes for less than $100 each. Close to 150 people attended, and the Alabama EMS Association looks to build upon that success next year.
If you’re an EMT or nurse, I think it’s important to get outside your own agency’s bubble for continuing education. Even if your employer provides your education at no charge, there is no substitute for seeing how other people do things. The day your organization starts to believe it has nothing to learn from others, is the day that marks the beginning of the end.
If you’re an EMT in Georgia or Alabama, I’d strongly urge you to attend these conferences next year. The more people attend, the better a conference they can make it, and both are already off to a good start.
