2018: And That’s a Wrap

And that’s a wrap: This year’s EMS World Expo at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tenn., was a success from all angles. More than 6,000 people attended the conference, from more than 50 different countries. We had several preconferences, including launching the first-of-its-kind Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack (CCTA) preconference with Michael Wright of Southeast Tactical at the helm. This event confronted more than 100 responders with the simultaneous challenges of an active shooter, chemical exposure, and truck ramming at the Bridgestone Arena (home to the NHL’s Nashville Predators). 

Other preconferences covered provider wellness, educational skills, moulage techniques, and many other areas. We colocated again with our NAEMT partners, and more than 500 people attended the instructor update for its PHTLS version 9 (the Spanish version will be launched at EMS World Americas in Quito, Ecuador next March). The World Trauma Symposium was a great success as it has been in the past. 

And that was all before the main conference even started. The opening ceremonies brought us tears and cheers as we learned from nurse Anne Montera and her paramedic husband, Chris, about their journey through the healthcare system and experiences with its shortcomings. We were then treated to a real-time talk show hosted by AMR medical director Ed Racht, MD, with guests who discussed the latest in the treatment of opioid patients, EMS’ “hero syndrome” and what we should expect of ourselves, and finally what the future of prehospital documentation may look like using high-tech sensor interpretations of our body’s movements and activities. 

And then there were the sessions, up to 14 of them simultaneously at times, each room a learning lab more vibrant than the previous. The sessions were filled each day with eager, engaged learners. There were sessions on every topic that affects prehospital care and for every level of experience and certification. 

All that happened in just 4½ days. Meanwhile, our print edition continues to thrive despite interesting times in our community. EMS World Magazine covers important clinical topics like airway management and pediatric care, cardiac and stroke care, while also examining major controversies like sexual harassment and the struggles between operations and medical direction. We launched the largest EMS salary survey to date to help you better understand various compensation models around the country as we continue to pursue higher wages for EMS professionals. 

EMS World maintains an active, up-to-date digital presence through our newly redesigned website, which attracts hundreds of thousands of unique page views each month. We have received tremendous positive feedback as well as double-digit increases in traffic since this upgrade, and we are proud of its frequent and newsworthy original content. We also remain active on social media through Facebook (/emsworldfans), with nearly 300,000 followers, and Twitter (@emsworldnews), with over 20,000. 

The vibrant EMS community we aim to foster is alive and well, whether reading our magazine, visiting our website, liking us on social media, or attending EMS World Expo. Through all of these channels, our goal remains clear: to provide you, our colleagues in EMS, with a year-round resource to learn from, experience, and share your EMS story and world. We hope you will continue to trust us with that lofty task. 

We know that, unlike many who will enjoy the holiday season at home with friends and families, many of you will be spending at least some of this time with a partner on an ambulance or at another public safety job. EMS World will be there right alongside you. 

Happy holidays and best wishes for 2019.