Putting the "I" in IPMBA
Every year, the "I" in "IPMBA Conference" continues to grow. Word travels
quickly around the globe these days, and the word of IPMBA is reaching into
departments in all corners of the world.
The 15th Annual IPMBA Conference attracted participants from 34 states and
seven countries, not counting the United States. Attendees came from as far
away as Ketchikan, Alaska; Miami, Florida; and Boston, Massachusetts. The
distance award goes to the Aussies, however, who traveled most of the way
around the world - losing a day in the process - to participate in the event.
IPMBA was proud to welcome Darren Conradi from Queensland and his colleagues
from New South Wales - Adam Bernhardt, Brett Barnes, Matthew Bransdon, James
Tennent, Ian Dodds, and Peter Wood. Europe was well-represented by long-time
attendee Roger Pfister of the Switzerland Police, accompanied by fellow officer
Mark Strahl. From the Netherlands, we welcomed Tommy Hamelink, Turhan Toksal,
and Jaap van der Krol. Not to be outdone, the UK was well-represented by
London Ambulance Service cyclists Paul Davies, Pat Andrews, Sean Clarke,
and their trusty ringleader, Tom Lynch.
Our neighbors to the north were basking in the warm Arizona sunshine, having
flown south from three provinces. Chris Whaley, Rob Mellon, and Rick Tonial
of the Ontario Provincial Police took a "detour" through Moab before joining
colleague Troy Carlson in Scottsdale. Simon Yum came in from Alberta, and
George Martin hailed from the province of Quebec.
Mike Satlow came all the way from Israel and served as an instructor. Last
but not least, Samuel Quamina endured the "chilly" weather in Scottsdale
as a break from the heat in Tobago.
At press time, IPMBA representatives were busily preparing to attend the
third annual 999 Emergency Services Cycling seminar, to be held in conjunction
with the CTC's York Rally, the largest gathering of cyclists in the UK, in
York, England. Attendees from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland were
expected to attend.
Through its increasing presence around the globe, IPMBA continues to strive
to meet its goals of promoting the use of bikes for public safety, providing
resources and networking opportunities, and offering the best, most complete
training for public safety cyclists.
More Stories from the 2005 IPMBA
Conference...
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