News: Kentucky EMS Conference a hit!

A 9-11 Remembrance Service was held at the Owensboro Christian Church Wednesday evening for both the Owensboro area and the Kentucky EMS Conference and Expo, coinciding with Kentucky's first Firefighters and Emergency Medical Personnel Day.

OWENSBORO — "All speakers were excellent in their field" read one comment on the conference evaluation form, and that comment was pretty indicative of all the comments received following the 2002 Kentucky EMS Conference and Expo that ended yesterday in Owensboro.

Estimated attendance at this year's main conference and awards banquet was 479 people, an 11% reduction from last year's estimated attendance of 536. Still, many people commented that this was the best conference they had been to.

A student tries to intubate a pediatric manikin in a smoke filled room at the Intubation Obstacle Course.

Fifty-three classes were offered during the conference in general sessions, basic and advanced clinical tracks, a management track, and a methodology of instruction course for EMT instructors. Of the 24 instructors, nine were national speakers, including Douglas Wolfberg from the EMS legal firm of Page, Wolfberg, and Wirth, and Dr. Bryan Bledsoe, author of many EMS textbooks published by Brady Publishing.

Thirty-four exhibitors set up for three days in the Expo Center and brought eight emergency vehicles.

Julie DeJarnette from Hancock County EMS wins a door prize in the Expo Center from Expo Coordinator Mark Harrison.

By comparison, Indiana's state EMS conference, held a week earlier, had 650 registrants, 40 vendors, and 12 ambulances on display. Indiana had six general sessions, 48 breakout sessions, and six national speakers.

The conference is sponsored by the Kentucky Ambulance Providers Association in association with the Kentucky Board of EMS, State Fire Rescue Training (KCTCS), the Kentucky EMT Instructors Association, the Kentucky EMS Academy, Louisville Medical Center STATCARE, the Green Rivers Firefighters Association, the Western Kentucky EMS Association, and Anderson Fiscal Court.

This year marked their 12th annual conference. Conference Chair Jim Butler from Florence Fire and EMS has retired from the conference and has been replaced by Joe Bradshaw from Knox County EMS.

Students representing 72 of Kentucky's counties and five states attended this year's conference.