Attendee Information

In the good old days, Emergency Care Providers were like superheroes, using nothing more than a bedsheet cape and their cleverness to lift, carry, transfer, and restrain patients. While it may have done the trick, it unfortunately resulted in patient handling being the most common cause of injury according to the CDC and NIOSH. With the nationwide EMS labor shortage and 48% of providers suffering from chronic back pain, preventing the leading causes of injury and retaining valuable personnel is more crucial than ever. This class will identify three systemic mistakes that are the underlying causes of patient handling related pain and injury suffered by too many providers. Participants of the course will learn three scientifically proven techniques that will keep personnel injury-free and support long, thriving careers as superheroes. Are you ready to elevate your department’s patient handling game?

We believe the American Fire, EMS, and ambulance services are multicultural and multi-racial. Reality demonstrates these services consist of mainly white men, some women, and people of color. Some lawsuits are related to operational issues, but most of the litigation in fire, EMS, and Ambulance services focuses primarily on discrimination, harassment, and retaliation against people of color and women. People issues are the main focus of litigation. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Training, love it or not, is an essential factor in leveling the respect and knowledge playing field for all employees of your organization. These programs and similar programs teach us how to respect our employees’ differences, create an improved and safe working space, and hopefully reduce personnel conflict. These programs are invaluable to organizations seeking to recruit and retain providers and may improve your chances of successfully competing for grants and other funding sources, including levies and bonds. This presentation is designed to inform audience members about the benefits of DEI or other similar training involving your employees and discuss how these programs improve employee and organizational relationships.

Join Cole Arreola-Karr, NAEFO Executive Director, for a deeper dive into the current environment around federal funding for the upcoming federal fiscal year, how the debate impacts emergency services districts, pending federal legislation and what’s on the horizon for new laws and significant regulations. This presentation highlights how you can put your advocacy tools to work, and how select federally-sourced programs can be leveraged in your communities.

Our nation’s fire service is represented in Washington, DC by multiple organizations representing the interest of career and volunteer personnel, fire chiefs, fire marshals, arson investigators, instructors, the fire service industry, codes and standards organizations and the fire service industry.  But what about a voice in Washington, DC speaking on behalf of the leaders of fire districts?  A voice that can contribute to discussions on issues facing the entire spectrum of fire and emergency response AND a voice that can speak on distinct concerns of fire district leaders.  The same can be said at the state level and the need to have a voice advocating on behalf of fire districts. Together, Bill Webb, Executive Director of the Congressional Fire Services Institute, and Garry Briese, Executive Director of the Colorado Fire Chiefs Association, have over 65 years of experience advocating for the fire service at the state and federal levels.  Their presentation will focus on what fire district leaders can achieve by working together to transform NAEFO into a truly national organization.