A New Beginning

I am writing to introduce myself as Group Vice President/Publisher for Cygnus Publishing. Recently, Cygnus Business Media, the parent company of Cygnus Publishing, acquired Emergency Medical Services Magazine, as well as its sister publications, Advanced Rescue Technology Magazine and Frontline First Responder Magazine, their accompanying websites, and the premier EMS conference and tradeshow—EMS EXPO—from Summer Communications, Inc.

This acquisition is an important one within our company because we have a high regard for the public safety industry and plan to grow and enhance the magazines and conference.

We are committed to remaining true to Summer Communications’ mission, which centers on providing the most up-to-date information and training to professionals in the emergency medical services and fire-rescue fields. With this acquisition, Cygnus Business Media will reach over 200,000 subscribers who are emergency service professionals, firefighters, independent EMS/rescue response departments, private EMS/rescue response units and disaster preparedness agencies.

We are proud of our commitment to public safety professionals and believe this acquisition will help us further reach people like you—dedicated professionals who risk their lives daily—with important information that will bring them home safely. For example, this issue’s cover report (which starts on page 161) focuses on a topic that is currently being debated throughout the industry—the issue of which federal agency should be charged with overseeing the EMS profession. Following the release of a report titled Back to the Future: An Agenda for Federal Leadership of Emergency Medical Services from the Homeland Security Policy Institute, part of The George Washington University, agencies across the country have engaged in a heated debate as to who is best suited to represent the multi-faceted needs of EMS in today’s brave new world. HSPI representatives, as well as those who oppose the report’s recommendations, will gather this month at EMS EXPO 2005 in New Orleans, LA, for an open forum that will address the complex components of this issue. This session will be free to all attendees. To register for EMS EXPO, which is scheduled for August 23–27, visit www.emsmagazine.com, or call toll-free 877/EMS-EXPO for more information.

We welcome your comments on Emergency Medical Services, as well as the other products and services we offer. Please e-mail Managing Editor Nancy Perry at Nancy.Perry@cygnusb2b.com.