EMS On the Rise: EMS Cycling Reaches
New Heights
by Ed Brown, PCI #178T/EMSCI #002T
Orange County Fire/Rescue (FL)
IPMBA EMS Coordinator
The 12th Annual IPMBA Conference, hosted by the Ogden Police Department,
went off without a flaw. Perhaps all the pre-events to IPMBA gave them plenty
of practice - after all, they hosted events for the Winter Olympics as well
as the Paralympics. We congratulate them on a job well-done. Several of our
host officers stated they were going on vacation after IPMBA left town -
we hope they enjoyed their well-deserved break.
EMS was well-represented at the 12th Annual Conference, a sure sign that
EMS cycling is continuing to grow as a profession and as part of the IPMBA
membership. We welcomed EMS cyclists from 16 different states, including
several from the Navajo Nation, and one Canadian province. Thanks to EMSCI's
Neil Blackington, Pat Donovan, and Jim Bowell, who coordinated the EMS
certification course, we certified nine EMS cyclists. From the Instructor
Course, we have two new EMSCI's --our "firsts" from California. Congratulations
to Darrell Lorenzi and Jeffrey Youngsma of the Fremont Fire Department.
Congratulations, too, to the eleven PCI's who successfully completed the
PCI to EMSCI transition course. Last but not least, I am pleased to report
that EMS cycling has reached new heights within IPMBA, as not only was EMSCI
Jim Bowell of the Troy Fire Department (OH) elected to the Board of Directors,
he was elected to the position of Education Director.
Many thanks to the crew from the Williamson Medical Center in Franklin,
Tennessee, for contributing two new EMS/PC workshops to the conference. Nick
Gatlin designed and offered Advanced Skill Development, while Mike Fletcher
offered Use of Bikes in Ground Search Situations. Nothing but positive comments
came out of both of these courses and they will certainly be seen again at
future conferences. One participant even remarked that Advanced Skill Development
is "a must class for every cyclist!"
Thanks again to all the EMSCI's who shared their knowledge in the pre-conference
courses and conference workshops - Neil Blackington (Boston EMS), Jim Bowell
(Troy Fire Dept.), Pat Donovan (Puyallup Fire Dept.), and Mike Fletcher,
Steve Denny, Greg Johnson, and Nick Gatlin (Williamson Medical Center).
Hope to see all of you at next year's conference, May 22-24, in Charleston,
W.V.
Take Care and Be Safe.
More Stories from the 2002 IPMBA
Conference...
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