Fire-Rescue Med (FRM) is morphing into a new educational format. Over the life of the conference, it has conformed to the typical conference format we are all too familiar – or should I say comfortable – with. We tend to be creatures of comfort and are scared to break out of tradition. We all know this is a fire department motto. Why are we fearful of change? After all, there may be something better out there, so why not try it?
Over the years, I have attended many conferences that offer a variety of breakout sessions, and I was often hard-pressed to decide which session to attend, knowing I could attend only one full session or session-jump and miss parts of each.
FRM has implemented a new format – one that is not new to the rest of the world. Actually, some of you may have used portions of it in other venues. It is the World Café model, otherwise known as speed dating. This model allows attendees to get more information in a short period, which they can use back at their departments.
Here is how it works. We offer four two-hour roundtable sessions across Wednesday and Thursday, each with a different focus:
- Regulation and Finance
- Research, Operations, Clinical
- Leadership
- Health and Safety
Each round-table session is broken into four 25-minute periods, presenting different topics within that session’s focus area. The topics are repeated every 30 minutes, so attendees can attend four topics in each focus area.
At the end of each roundtable session, attendees will walk away with information on four topics instead of only one. This process was tested at our 2018 conference and it worked very well.
In addition to the roundtable sessions, we will have our general sessions. John O’Leary is our keynote speaker. He is a unique individual in that he suffered 100% burns over his body. There is absolutely no reason he should have survived. Come listen to one of the most inspiring messages I have ever heard.
Tom Jenkins is presenting our general session on leadership on day two. Day three will conclude with a thought-provoking session on the fire-based EMS presented by Mike McEvoy and closing the conference is Tina Cassola. Tina has worked with many firefighters and fire departments in the area of PTSD.
You don’t want to miss any of these sessions.
Our conference begins with two days of preconference sessions and will conclude with a half-day post-conference session. This year, we will offer a value package that will include all pre- and post-cons along with the conference.
A whole conference that has the industry talking. This is not a conference you want to miss: The conference built for visionary EMS leaders!