EMS EXPO Hits a Home Run

     If you build it, they will come, and come they did to EMS EXPO 2006, held late September in Las Vegas, NV.

     More than 6,000 EMS providers attended the largest EMS show in the world to participate in classes led by the most renowned educators in the industry and visit 450 vendors in 100,000+ net square feet of exhibit hall space.

     FEMA Director R. David Paulison opened the event with a dynamic keynote address in which he made it clear that he is intent on raising the profile of EMS on the public safety radar.

     "Seldom do you see EMS represented as an entity. We are going to change that," he told the audience.

     In his address, Paulison noted that FEMA's biggest failure during the response to Hurricane Katrina was in the breakdown of communications between all levels of responding agencies. Putting a unified command in place is one way he is attempting to solve these problems. Future responses to disasters will see the predeployment of recon teams with voice and video communication capabilities, and upgraded radio systems and increased use of satellite technology will assist in improving communications.

     "There is a new FEMA in place, folks, and it is going to be responsive," Paulison promised.

     With the agency continuing to generate negative press-the latest of which concerns allegations that monies awarded to Florida for counseling victims of hurricanes Wilma and Katrina were spent on puppet shows and games involving toilet paper-Paulison would appear to have his work cut out for him. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until a major disaster hits to see if his reforms make the grade.

     Another notable event at the show was a panel discussion on the findings of the Institute of Medicine's recent reports on the state of emergency care, during which participants noted that there are "islands of excellence surrounded by seas of mediocrity" in U.S. emergency care, and stressed the need for care that's more "coordinated, regionalized and accountable."

     For those of you who couldn't make it to the show, don't miss EMS Magazine editorial advisory board member Mike Smith's roundup of the hottest products found on the exhibit hall floor, beginning on page 68 in this issue.

     EMS EXPO 2007 lands in Orlando, FL, October 9-13.