To make communication more timely and frequent as well as to ensure everyone remains engaged, I’m asking everyone to please join the EMSEPA Google group. To join you must have a Google account, it’s free and easy to set up at http://www.google.com. Click on “Sign in” in the upper right hand corner of the Google search page. Then click on “Create an account now” on the lower right of the sign in page.

Once you have your account, request an invitation to join the group. I had to change the membership settings from “anyone can join” to “invite only” after the group got hit with some spam.

The Google group is an easy way to send a message that we can all read and, if you want, reply to. We need input from more of the 150+ folks that are subscribed to the EMSEPA.org site.

I got home from Beijing last Sunday night. I have caught up with work, more or less, and now it’s time to pick up where we left off. Lets pin down a meeting place and date. I suggest we meet on a Saturday, late afternoon or Sunday morning so no one has to take a vacation day to attend. Does Saturday October 31st work?

One important order of business will be reviewing, revising, and adopting bylaws. Another will be electing the initial officers of the board. Finally, we should think about what exactly we want to accomplish with some specific goals and objectives as part of an initial strategic plan. We should set some short term goals that we can accomplish relatively easily and work towards a formal strategic plan as a short or mid-term goal.

We need to come up with an agenda. I’ll work on a draft for folks to look at and post it here.

We may be able to get the PA DOH to send out another blast email announcing the meeting. I will look into it tomorrow and as soon as we set time and place, have it sent.

Is it time to have a meeting? If so, where and when? The next EMS Conference is the Eastern EMS Council Conference in the Poconos October 23-25. That may be too far for some folks but its a nice place to go. Thoughts? If not there, maybe somewhere mid state, in late October or early Nov.?

I do think we need to have a meeting to discuss the bylaws, make any revisions, and vote to adopt the final draft. We then need to nominate folks for the BOD. Perhaps we can hold the election  on-line using some free software app.

I will be leaving for China next Tuesday, returning Sept. 20. I will work on nonprofit status, and getting a post office box and get details on forming the 501 (c) 3 after I return from China. I think we need to be a “real” organization before we can set up the 501 (c) 3.

I’m going to pursue two lines of thinking in this post. First I will lay out some of the things I feel are important for us to achieve. Second I will articulate what I believe is the purpose of the EMSEPA.

Looking forward, what are our goal and objectives? Short term, six month goals include completing bylaws, establishing non-profit and tax exempt status, and preparing to set up a 501(c)3.

We all need to read the new act. Then we need to think about how it will impact EMS education. The goal is to be an active participant in the Rules and Regulations (R&R) development process. The process will likely last 18-24 months. We need to be at the table.

There are several aspects of the Act that the R&R must address such as continuing education requirements, bridge programs, and curricula. I also believe the DOH must improve the process for certifying EMS Educators, create a credential or certification for preceptors at both the BLS and ALS levels, and create a practical skills evaluator credential or certification.  Who better than the EMSEPA to drive towards these goals? The R&R process provides the opportunity to influence such improvements.

Even if the DOH does not accept the idea of new certifications (the act specifically leaves room for new certifications by-the-way), the value of creating a resource and a process to certify someone has met a set of competencies remains and such a goal is still valid.

The purpose of the EMSEPA is twofold. On the one hand, we will provide a venue for communication and sharing so together we can improve the quality of instruction we provide.  WE can push the bar up, working together to make us all better.

On the other hand, the EMSEPA will take a lead role politically to ensure the laws and R&R support the education and training of competent EMS practitioners.

Ultimately, our purpose is to ensure that what we do as educators leads to EMS practitioners with the skills, knowledge, and attitude to provide high quality service and who strive to continue to grow and learn.

This purpose leads us back to goals. The EMSEPA will create and deliver professional development programs for the EMS educators in our commonwealth.

What do we do now?

1. We complete the process of becoming a real organization by completing the bylaws, holding a meeting, approving the bylaws and electing a board.

2. We draft a “white paper” that describes the our position relative to the Act and the Rules and Regulations and then participate in writing process to ensure our position is heard and acted upon.

3. We design professional development programs starting with a Preceptor Program, and following on with others as we identify educators’ needs.

There are 124 users on this site plus one admin (who is a good friend of mine who, although he is not in EMS,  is very tech savvy). As of right now, there are only 28 members in the Google group.

There is a link to the EMSEPA Google group on the lower left side of the page. We may be able to have some more active dialog there as we will get each message posted. So please join the Google group. You have to have a Google account, but its free and easy to do. Then you have to join the group which is also free and easy.

Please take a look at the draft of the EMSEPA bylaws by clicking on the tab above. Comments?

Please read the draft of our Mission Statement by clicking on the tab at the top of the page. Comments?

Take a look at the Vision statment by clicking on the tab at the top of the page. Comments?

I got back from the NAEMSE symposium Monday afternoon. While I was there I had the opportunity to talk with the President of the Florida Association of EMS Educators, Danny Griffin. Long story short, he said that we could use their bylaws and structure as a template or model for the EMSEPA. You can read their bylaws here:

http://www.faemse.org/organization.html (click on the “Association Bylaws” tab at the top)

Any thoughts about bylaws?

I also had conversations with some folks at the symposium from PA and all said they are interested and willing to participate in the formation of the EMSEPA.

Someone asked about “next steps” in the comments. Along with developing bylaws, we need to articulate a clear purpose for our organization. We need a clear vision and mission. Please check the posted drafts and comment. We need to determine our broad goals and our specific objectives. Then we need to plan how to achieve them.

Much of this can be done on-line using the Google group (EMS Educators of Pennsylvania). Danny said the best tool they have and use regularly is their Google group.

Eventually, we will have to have a face-to-face meeting to adopt bylaws and such. One of the things we can do is begin planning for such a meeting. Again, the initial planning can occur via the Google group. We might be able to meet at one of the EMS conferences in the commonwealth such as the Eastern EMS Council conference in the Poconos in October, the EMSI conference at Seven Springs Resort in March 2010 (close to EMS Today), or at the PA State conference next August.

I just got home from the PA State EMS Conference. Last night six folks, John Goodale,  Donna Snyder, Robert Horton, John Campos, Catherine Parvensky Barwell and I met to discuss the formation of an association of Pennsylvania EMS educators. We came to a few conclusions:

1) We need to prepare for the transition from the National Standard Curricula to the National Education Standards.

2) We have a lot of skilled experienced instructors in the Commonwealth who have lots to offer.

3) We need a place to discuss problems and solutions, to share resources, to help each other be better at what we do.

4) We can create and offer programs that EMS instructors can use to improve their knowledge and skills, be more comfortable and confident when teaching, and to help insure instructors achieve and maintain competence.

5) The EMS educators in PA need to participate in the process of developing the Rules and Regulations that will follow the new EMS Act.

The ultimate goal is to help EMS educators to provide improved education to our students to ensure we graduate competent EMS practitioners that are closer to “work ready” than to being simply “entry level competent” upon graduation.

After the meeting, John Campos and I sat with Bureau of EMS Director Joseph Schmider and Dr. Douglas Kupas, Commonwealth EMS Medical Director and had an informal discussion about some of the ideas we had discussed at the meeting.

Director Schmider said that he was willing to send out a message to all certified instructors in the Commonwealth with an overview of the concepts behind the EMS Educators of Pennsylvania and an invitation for instructors to participate in the formation of the group.

Next week I will be meeting with the Executive Director of the Florida Association of EMS Educators Louis Mallory, and the President Dan Griffin, to enlist their assistance in starting our organization. Take a look at the Florida Association of EMS Educators at  http://www.faemse.org/index.html.

As many have said before, there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. I have no compunction against stealing, I mean utilizing, the successful methods, strategies and tactics others have used to get an EMS educators organization up and running, and continuing to run.

Now is the time for us to take action. If not now, when?  If not us, who? The iron is getting hot.