This has been a big week, and I thought I would share some of it with you.
First of all, if you have not seen the movie Firestorm yet, what are you waiting for? A little over a year ago, I wrote an article reviewing the movie after I attended its premiere in Philadelphia. It is a terrific no-punches-pulled look at the struggles of urban healthcare systems and the effects of ER overcrowding set on the backdrop of Los Angeles, California. Most of the documentary is centered around the day to day struggles of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
This Saturday, Firestorm is premiering nationwide on The Documentary Channel. If you have Dish Network, you can find it on channel 197, and on DirectTV, it is channel 267. You will have to check your local cable provider otherwise to see if they carry it.
I got some good news the other day in the mail. I have officially been selected as the National Association of EMT’s State Advocacy Coordinator for the State of Massachusetts. I heard about the position when I was in Washington, DC at EMS on the Hill back in May. The position is one that is expected to know the legislature and be a representative for their state’s EMTs when important EMS issues arise.
It is going to be a big, exciting undertaking, and thankfully, I will not be going at it alone. Some other members of the EMS Social Media community will be joining me. Late yesterday afternoon I found out that Natalie Quebodeux, better known as Ms. Paramedic, Jon, known on Twitter as @JonEMTP, and Random Ward a fellow FRN Blog Network contributor will be representing Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Maryland respectively. It is a great chance to share our thoughts with the world, and leave our marks on this brand new position that has been created.
Tonight marks my premiere as the guest host of EMS Garage. I am nervous, but I’m sure it will go well. My original topic has been postponed to a later date, so we are going to tackle some current events that have come up in the last week or two. I’ll be sure to share the link once the show has aired.
Finally, things are starting to fall into place for this November’s Massachusetts EMS Conference to be held out here in the western part of the state. Again, Social Media will have a presence. Kyle David Bates my colleague from First Few Moments and sparring partner from EMS Garage will be presenting on three topics, and Carissa O’Brien will be sharing her thoughts on Social Media.
It is going to be a great event, and if you are in the state, or even in the area, I urge you to come by and check it out. The venue is bigger, we have upgraded to the Mass Mutual Center in Downtown Springfield, and I am really excited about the speakers that are lined up, and the extracurricular activities that are being planned.
This week has been a great way to finish up the month of July. Its hard to think that we are more than half way through 2011, and EMS Expo is right around the corner. It is hard to believe that is was a year ago that we were counting down to Dallas, isn’t it? Las Vegas most certainly will not disappoint either! Stay tuned for details on that in the coming weeks. . .