Georgia Institute of EMS Students Recall Experience at 2014 EMS World Expo
Ed's Note: The 2015 EMS World Expo is scheduled for September 15-19 in Las Vegas, NV. Register at EMSWorldExpo.com.
At last year’s 2014 EMS World Expo in Nashville, TN., students from the Dual Enrollment EMT Basic Class at the Georgia Institute of EMS were invited and were able to catch a glimpse of North America’s largest EMS conference. As the next generation of EMS providers, they were able to learn from the 328 exhibitors in attendance, and they were able to participate in different simlabs and demonstrations. Below are stories from their experience:
A Great Learning Experience
By Wesley Hawkins
When I heard that our class might have the opportunity to attend the 2014 EMS World Expo, I was thrilled! I knew that the chance to be around so many experienced personnel who work in the field was going to be wonderful.
I loved the diversity of the educational classes offered at the expo. I think that the new technology that has been developed for the medical profession is just incredible! One thing I really took pleasure in were the hands on activities such as the simlab. The new simulators are really phenomenal. The fact that they can bleed, talk and even seize was beyond belief! Another excellent activity was the booths where they tested the quality of your CPR. Overall, I would say that all the activities offered were very helpful and instructional.
I thought two really interesting things that the expo offered were the conference-by-track sessions and specialized-education sessions. Those were really great options for people of all different skill levels.
The one thing that really made the trip was the number and variety of the companies that had booths at the expo. The people manning the booths were extremely kind and informative about the products they had brought with them and I learned a lot of helpful information from them.
The presentation by Alexander Eastman, MD, MPH, FACS on Improving Victim Survivability During Mass Shootings was well thought out and well presented, and I learned a great deal of information relating to that topic. I really enjoyed learning about all of the different types of ambulances and helicopters that the different companies were displaying.
I am definitely looking forward to being able to attend many more conferences in future years. A very big thank you to all of the people who planned and coordinated this massive conference. They truly did a great job and I am indebted to them!
‘When You Take That First Step Through the Door, You Have Entered the World of EMS’
By Chayce P. Burton
The expo was an exciting and educational experience. It was interesting to see all the new advancements in medical technology. I had not seen or heard of a machine that could give consistent and efficient CPR.
Another thing I saw was a bulletproof ambulance. It allows medical response teams to enter an active shooting without risking harm.
Another thing I found interesting was the life flight helicopters. Seeing one that close was very eye-opening. I never knew just how small the patient transport area was. All I could think of was how crowded it must be when they load the patient into it. It is my dream to be a life flight paramedic in Atlanta.
It was amazing to me how far this medical branch has come in such little time. EMS has come from putting a patient in to the back of the nearest car to flying them in a helicopter to a hospital miles away. Standing in the same room with hundreds of people that share the same passion as I do, to help those in need, was a very powerful feeling. I hope one day I can help others as they do today.
I know now why it’s called the “world” expo: When you take that first step through the front door, you have entered the world of EMS. There was paramedics in attendance from countries from Mexico to France. You could see all of the new simulation dummies and how lifelike they seemed. The expo was like seeing my future and the future of medical response, and how much more we can do for all people.
‘One of the Greatest Experiences of my Life’
By Chloe Hull
When I first heard we were going to Tennessee for the 2014 EMS World Expo, all I felt was excitement. The medical field is something that has always interested me, and an EMS expo sounded like a lot of fun.
On Tuesday morning, we went to the opening ceremony and then listened to an amazing lecture about active shootings. The speaker talked about the dangers medics face when entering an active shooting scene and the kind of treatment they administer on scene. After the lecture, we headed to the exhibit hall for the rest of the day, and that’s when the fun really started.
When we got the exhibit hall, I was surprised at how many booths were there. Some of the most memorable booths were the CPR station, the booth with all the CPR and airway dummies and the IV table. Some of the booths just had equipment to look at; the best of these were the booth with a hazardous materials suit and a booth with differently sized backboards. My favorites, however, were the booths at which you could try out the equipment and practice your skills. There was an American Heart Association CPR station set up where they judged your CPR skills, an IV booth were we were allowed to give the dummy an IV and my favorite, the Simulaid booth, where we got to intubate the dummies, something we won't be taught in our class for years.
I remember before the trip thinking, "Who would want to go the anything like this for more than a day? You would run out of things to see," and then I got there and saw everything there was, and I understood why someone would go for multiple days.
One thing that shocked me about the expo was the people there. In my mind, I expected that only people from the United States would be there, but I was corrected quickly. Over the course of the day, I saw people from Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, England and Mexico. I never dreamed that so many people from so many different places would have come to the expo.
It surprised me how much I enjoyed the expo. I expected to have a little fun, but I thought it would mainly be a learning experience and not really made for fun. Overall, the expo was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I hope it comes back to a state near me soon.
‘A Fascinating Experience’
By Bethany Garner
The EMS World Expo is a fascinating experience for someone interested in the field of EMS. Getting the opportunity to participate in the activities was a great chance to learn more about the field. The staff were very helpful, kind and welcoming and they made sure we had what we needed.
All of the booths were organized, very informative and willing to let us test out what they had on display. The hands-on part was very much appreciated, along with all the free samples we were allowed access to. The variety of different tools and supplies helped us to gain knowledge of some of the equipment we will be using in the near future. The simulation labs were good demonstrations and very realistic. The realism of the dummies is helpful to students in training. The CPR simulators were an amazing tool to learn accurate and lifesaving skills.
The airway lab was incredible! I spent about an hour in the lab being instructed on how to intubate adult and infants. The staff in the lab was exceedingly helpful. The IV lab was very interesting, and along with airway, was one of my favorite stations. They instructed me in how to properly insert an IV needle, secure it and start an IV line. A lot of these skills we will not be able to use until further into our EMT training. Having the opportunity to develop some of them was a great experience.
Being able to visit the life flight station and the ER/ED at Vanderbilt was incredible! Having the chance to walk out on the flight deck and hang out in the sky port made my day. The tour guides were helpful in explaining the systems and protocol. They opened their doors to us so we could learn even though they had matters of their own to attend to.
Knowing your purpose in life is an amazing thing. Being able to go to a place where everything is centered on what you are truly passionate about is an incredible experience.
Thank you so much for allowing us to come and be a part of EMS World.
Interested by New Technology
By Ian Hull
Going to the 2014 EMSWorld Expo was an interesting experience. I expected to learn and see very interesting things, and I was very much looking forward to the expo. It ended up being much more interesting than I expected it to be.
The expo was very interesting and enjoyable. I found out the most common thing seen at an EMS expo is ambulances. There were several ambulances, some of which were quite interesting. One of them, which was smaller than most, was a sort of “off road” ambulance. There was another that could be controlled with a smartphone and there was an armored ambulance, which I learned later was used to take paramedics to the scene of an active shooting.
There were also stretchers of various designs, as well as a variant on the stair-chair designed to move a patient up and down stairs without anyone having to lift them. There were many simulated patients (dummies used to practice or test skills) as well. Many of them had simulated pulses, breathing and some even had reactive eyes. Other booths had thing such as automated CPR machines, rescue tools, level A HazMat suits and knives.
During the opening ceremonies active shootings were discussed, and I learned how EMS responds to them. I learned that, generally, two police officers and two paramedics are sent in, and the paramedics tend to the victims while the officers protect them. I also learned that automated CPR machines are less likely to injure a patient while administering CPR than a person performing it.
I enjoyed the expo as a whole, but there were several things that stood out as being particularly interesting. I found the knife displays interesting. 5.11 Tactical had a trailer in which they were selling various specialty knives for rescue and law enforcement. The Raven Crest Tactical booth had a selection of their “out the front” knives (knives that extend from the front of the handle). I also found many of the simulation dummies interesting. I had not realized before that dummies with such realistic vital signs existed. The pulse rate, respiration rate, and eye reactivity could be changed to fit in with different scenarios.
The EMS World Expo was very enjoyable. The expo had several interesting things ranging from vehicles to tools. Many of the companies there presented the cutting edge of EMS technologies, such as realistic simulation dummies as well as new designs for stretchers and other patient moving devices. Altogether it was very interesting. Given the chance, I would go again and would advise others interested in EMS to go as well.
An Experience I Would Recommend
By Jessica Clark
I am very grateful that I was given this opportunity to attend this expo. It means a lot to be given opportunities such as this at such a young age. The expo was amazing! There were so many different booths and venders. I learned so much about so many things, such as the different CPR dummies, vein finders, trauma moulage and all the new ambulance models. I really enjoyed the simlab and the American Heart Association CPR booths. I was amazed at how many venders were there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people in one building! It was a great experience for me personally. It was very organized and very well put together, and I would definitely recommend for any EMS students to go. I’m so grateful for this experience. It’s one I’ll never forget!
Impactful and Eye-Opening
By Sarah Burnette
I found the expo to be very hands-on. I was able to use a lot of new medical equipment that I would not have had the opportunity to use otherwise. I was able to give a realistic intubation on a manikin. I was also given the opportunity to give an IV catheter into a manikin as well.
I found the people who were demonstrating the equipment to be very helpful and involved. They demonstrated how to give proper CPR on a manikin by using their personal equipment. They demonstrated scenarios and possible injuries that we could come in contact with in the future.
I also found EMS World Expo to be educational. By the use of the equipment and the help of the people demonstrating we were informed on the medical techniques that we have not been taught yet. By being given instruction on how to use the equipment we were also given systematic information. This really helped improve our education on how to become a better EMT. We were able to know how deep CPR should be and how fast the compressions should be as well. We were given a very informative tour of the life flight center. I was able to learn how a life flight center was operated.
Overall, the EMS World Expo was impactful. This was a very eye-opening experience. Through the experience I was able to grasp what the medical field will require me to learn. It’s certainly an experience I will never forget. The Ems World Expo is definitely a place I would recommend all medical students attend. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity, and I hope other students will have the opportunity in the future.
