Dwayne Aalseth

Happy New Year! Hope your Holiday was bright, and Santa brought you what you wanted. The AEMTA will be hitting the ground running for you, our members. We have a few legislative issues we are working on, Spring Fling in March, new memberships, and bylaw proposal changes among other things.

Spring Fling is headed our way quickly. It will be held at Arkansas State University in Monticello. Penny Russell is working on some great speakers and entertainment. The full agenda with speakers, vendors, and sponsors is available on the Spring Fling website. Our contract hotel will be the Holiday Inn Express, fully remodeled and a hot breakfast should make a great stay. They will be providing a room for a meet and greet social Friday night. This will be a BYOB event with no open marked containers allowed by law. Cups will be provided by EASI ambulance and you may store your drinks in a cooler. So make your plans now, and come join the fun.

You may have heard that the AEMTA voted to give a one year membership to all Licensed EMS Providers (EMSP) in the state. And some may have some questions as to why we did this? This was an idea that Keith came up with, and when we talked about it in early March of last year I thought it was a great idea. As I travel the state I run into EMSP’s that have never heard of the AEMTA. Others think the AEMTA is just a great big party place. This is a great chance to reach every provider in the state and let them know what the AEMTA is doing for them. Now the hard work begins for the board and my self, retaining our new members and getting them involved. Communication is going to be the key to success! I have challenged each board member to submit an article to the Lifeline quarterly. Coupled with a board meeting every odd numbered month, this will give you, our membership, access to your board. I will also be giving you monthly updates to keep you informed, so check your Lifeline regularly.

The board will be looking at updating the current bylaws, so if you see something that you think needs to be changed, contact a regional representative or society president and give them your ideas. Any proposed changes will be published in the Lifeline for your review prior to going before the membership for vote. This will be your voice into how your association works and operates for the next several years, so please watch this closely.

With that being said I hope old man winter has not played havoc in your area. Be careful and slow down on the ice and snow. Our next board meeting will be at Spring Fling, and I hope to see you there.

Dwayne Aalseth
AEMTA President

Dwayne Aalseth

As this year ends, so does our current administration. Come January 1, your newly elected officers will take over. As President of the new administration I would like to thank Keith Edmonds and his past board for their two years of hard work and dedication. We face many new challenges in the next two years, but cannot forget the current ones we face. We as an association will continue to support Keith in the feats that he was unable to accomplish during his term.

We have several new and exciting things planned this year, and as members I hope you take advantage of them and get more involved. I encourage you to attend the board meetings to give us your feedback and ideas. The bi-monthly Board meetings will be held the 2nd Tuesday of each odd month (January 10th, May 8th, July 10th, September 11th and November 13th) at the Freeway Medical Building Section of EMS in Little Rock Arkansas at 9 am. Our two annual meetings will be at Spring Fling, March 10, and Conference, August 3, with times to be announced.

We will be bringing Spring Fling to Southeast Arkansas for the first time ever. It will be held at The University of Arkansas Monticello on March 9 and 10. We will have a host of excellent in and out of State speakers. The Holiday Inn Express has blocked off the whole hotel for the AEMTA, with free hot breakfast for guests of the hotel. There will also be a meet and greet social room and vendor area. So book your rooms now, at 870-460-0100.

With the economy affecting everyone, we are looking at ways to cut cost to our members, vendors, and sponsors. If any vendor or sponsor pays for conference by March 1, they will be complemented a booth at Spring Fling. The conference planning committee is working hard on getting conference registration below $100, and cheaper room rates for attendees.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season and a great New Year. Look for more surprises throughout the year as your AEMTA works for you. Until next month, be safe and don’t eat too much.

President-Elect
Dwayne Aalseth

Keith Edmonds, AEMTA President

As I enter into the final few days of my term as your President of this great Association of professionals, I have taken the time to reflect on some changes that have occurred over the past 2 years as well as some of the directions in which we are heading.

I have never been so proud of our profession as I am today. We have come along way since I entered this business in 1980 and it is because of you, the Arkansas EMS Professional, that these changes have happened. We as a profession, have stood strong over the years asking for changes that we encounter daily that affects the patients we care for. We have drastically improved the profession in the eyes of others across the state and are now recognized as the licensed professional we have all wanted.

It is because of the membership of this Association that has dreamed of seeing changes and speaking up to the Board of Directors that these changes have occurred and will continue to occur for years to come. We have gone from the complacent and compliant professional to a voice that has been heard and recognized and is ready to respond at a moments notice with very little questions asked. We are a strong family that is bound together with one common goal: Patient Care!! For this, I applaud each of you!

Other changes that have occurred, and yes I am dating myself, are the tools of our trade that we use in our modern day EMS. No more Thomas Half Ring, Short Board and many other little things that some of the older Professionals might remember and to those that have never heard of these, I challenge you to learn about them and try to implement their usage at some point while sitting around the base. Find some “old school” partner to assist you in the application. I am sure you will both enjoy.

New changes that we have seen in the past couple of years include the introduction of money to our Profession. Never before in the history of Arkansas EMS have we been given money to assist us with our education, equipment and personnel as we currently have coming in from the newly formed Trauma System. It has been a dream come true for many of our older professionals that have fought many battles asking for assistance for our injured patients. We have accomplished this goal and are making vast improvements throughout our state in delivering higher quality of care to our trauma patients than ever before. This will continue because we all still have the passion to assure that EMS moves forward in paving the way for our Trauma System and the needs of our patients in the field.

Another change that we have been able to see through is some of the changes that directly affect patient care. If you had told me back in 1985 that one day we would be paralyzing a patient so we could control their airway and better care for them, I would have laughed in your face. From the days of intracardiac sticks to the thrombolitics we are now using, major changes have affected the lives of so many patients that we have transported. The move from the EOA/EGTA to the modern day multi-lumen airways that we use is remarkable. We also have the ability to drill into a patient to deliver the needed fluids and medications in order to ensure that they are receiving what is needed to sustain their life!! Many people have worked on these advances and so many more and I thank them, especially Dr. Timothy Calicott for his vision of patient care in Arkansas and his ability to research our objectives and make it happen. We, as a profession, are very fortunate to have him working with us and for us and advancing Arkansas EMS. His dedication affects our patients on every call we make. Bless your heart Dr. Calicott and I thank you!!

Another change to look forward to in the upcoming years is a new certification of our Emergency Medical Responders; those who assist EMS professionals on a daily basis, usually of their own free will, time and money to ensure that their neighbors are well taken care of prior to the arrival of EMS transport. Our committee, along with the Arkansas Department of Health, Section of EMS, has worked diligently over the past 2 years in making these important changes and adapting to the needs of the communities throughout Arkansas.
One other change that is currently being worked on as we speak is a quality retirement system for our profession. This system that will be solid throughout the entirety of our careers and based through a state program that will allow the opportunity for our professionals to look forward to an end of their career and still have the opportunity to support their families.

There are many people that I would like to thank for being a part of my family and assisting me in many ways over the past 2 years. There is no way I could ever thank the AEMTA Board of Directors for all of their work and challenges that I have placed on them. They have stepped up to the plate and delivered everything that has been asked of them and more. Each one of these Board members are dedicated to the success of our profession and have supported each member as we have grown and moved forward. They have set the bar high and will always be there to assist anyone in this Association when the need arises. The outgoing Board of Directors members are: Rod Barrett, Penney Russell, Meghen McMahen, Dwayne Aalseth, Donald Reed and Brenda Stewart. I thank you and respect each of these people from the bottom of my heart.

There are several others who have helped me in more ways than I can ever remember. Laura Guthrie has been a great help to me in doing whatever I have asked her to do to help our Association. She delivered 4 great conferences and I applaud her dedication to ensure that our educational needs have been met with the conferences and also with the Trauma education that she has worked so hard on. Sedley Tomlinson has been there at a moments notice to assist the Board and myself with anything that we have asked of him. Brenda Stewart has been a solid rock for me as well working so hard to improve the website for the AEMTA and to ensure that the LifeLine online has had interesting articles for everyone to read. Greg Brown has been a blessing in disguise for our Association as he has shown nothing more than respect and guidance for our movements that we have made in order to improve our profession to what the membership has asked for. The entire Section of EMS staff has been great to work with and drop everything they may have had going on in order to ensure that the AEMTA could have a Board meeting and interrupt their busy days while we wonder the hallways of their offices. Denise Carson, Immediate Past President of the Arkansas Ambulance Association for her ability to stand in there and fight for what is right and to ensure that the EMS Professional is not forgotten in many ways and for her patience with me as I question so many things. She has worked so hard with our Board of Directors to ensure that EMS is not forgotten and that we make the strides to bring the owners/operators together with the EMS field providers.

Others that have helped me in becoming who I am today that I wish I could thank personally are Earl Triplett, Jon McMahan, David Taylor and Janie Kennedy. Each of these has had a special place in my heart for the things they have done for me and our profession. I miss each of them dearly and thank their families for sharing them with me. I appreciate what they have shown me in the years that I knew them and what they taught me about patient care and the ability to smile as I have worked in some of the worse situations an EMS professional could ever imagine. There are very few days that pass that I don’t encounter a situation and wonder what Earl would have done and if he would have said, “Good job, Junior.” If I see an ambulance or fire truck broke down, I wonder if Jon would be able to auction it off. I see the changes that we are going through in EMS and wonder how proud David would be of our profession and say “Great job, Buddy”. Each time I see the compassion of one of my partners as we work so diligently to improve the situation of our patient, I wonder if Janie is smiling on us and wanting to say, “Try doing it like this.” Rest in peace my friends, rest in peace.

I hope that I have provided the leadership that you, the membership, have desired. I am sure that I have fallen short on some of our dreams but also excelled above and beyond on some of our other wishes. I am humbled to have had the opportunity to serve as your President and have been blessed beyond belief at the opportunity to work with so many great Professionals in our state. I have tried to ensure that everyone in the Profession understands how important it is to maintain our family of EMS. EMS has been my passion for many years now and I hope that I have been able to instill some of my passion for our Profession in each of you and that you can walk into the scenes that we respond to with your head held high and your pride stronger because you are part of a respected Profession across Arkansas. It is respected because you are not afraid to make a difference in what you do and improve in your patient care. There is not one member of this Association that should ever be afraid to ask for change when it comes to taking care of our patients. We should never have to sit back and want to be able to do more. We have the ability to pick up the phone or walk into our Medical Director’s office, our Manager’s office or the Section of EMS and ask for help. These people are there for us and our patients and we need to ensure that we use them for the support they offer us. You should never be able to not speak your mind when it comes to the best there is to offer for your patient, your partner and yourself in the profession that we all love so dearly.

Even though I am leaving the position of President, I am not going anywhere. I will offer all the support possible to the incoming Board of Directors and will also have the ability to sit on the Board as the Immediate Past President and have the opportunity to become a voting member once again. I will continue working for the members of this Association and pursue the dreams and goals that I set out to begin with that are still incomplete with the approval of the new President, Mr. Dwayne Aalseth. However, I intend to find more time for Lesley and enjoy watching Evyn and Allie as they enjoy their childhood. I might even find more time to locate some turkeys across Arkansas and spend a little more time with my other passion away from the cot along with my cattle and the farm.

Until we meet again, be safe and keep the passion of EMS excelling!! Thank you all for what you have done for me and for allowing me the opportunity to come into your extended family.

God Bless each of you in what you do daily and keep up the good work!!

The EMT course is being instructed by Brian Coffman, Paramedic/Supervisor with NARMC EMS, Brian Unruh, Paramedic/EMS Director with NARMC EMS and Telicia Wade-Perry, Paramedic with Flippin Fire Department. These instructors have many years of classroom training and have an almost perfect pass ratio of the students they have trained over the past years.

The important feature to this class is that there are no costs to the students in order to receive this training. North Ark EMS has agreed to provide the EMT training to the Marion County First Responders at no cost in order to ensure that they can assist their neighbors in need; which is a savings to the students of over $1000. The students are providing the educational materials for the class. The students also provide their own uniforms required to do the clinical portions of the class involving working and delivering patient care in an emergency room for 24 hours and on a paramedic level ambulance for 24 hours.

Keith Katcher, Chief of the Flippin Fire Department, has agreed to provide the location for the course at the Flippin Fire Department. The students are meeting every Monday and Wednesday night for 4 hours each night in order to receive the classroom education needed.

“This is a great service to the residents of Marion County.” stated Keith Edmonds, President of the Arkansas EMT Association. “We are grateful to North Ark EMS and Flippin Fire Department for assisting the fire departments and the students that are attending this course. I look forward to working side by side with each student and assisting them in any way that I can while they grow and learn the importance of their decision. It is with efforts like this that show the concern for the communities in Marion County and the ability to assist the neighbors in need.”
NARMC EMS received the recognition of the Arkansas Advanced Service of the Year presented at the annual EMS Conference this year for their dedication in serving the communities they provide ambulance response for, as well as educating those providing care to their neighbors prior to the arrival of an ambulance.

Upon passing the written and practical skills examination in April, the students will become Arkansas Licensed and National Registered Emergency Medical Technicians.

Emergency Medical Service Providers (EMSP) throughout the state will convene in Hot Springs the first week of August to learn, educate, meet old friends, and to just relax.  Instructors from all over Arkansas will be among those attending.  Being in the elder group of instructors, I was thinking about my first Arkansas EMS Conferences.  I was amazed at the knowledge, passion, and caring attitude our past instructors possessed.  They were amazingly confident in their passion to give each student knowledge to make that person the best EMT they could be.  Reminiscing about seemingly “time gone by” brought me to some questions.  Do Arkansas Instructors realize the importance of the job they chose to undertake?  Do they understand moving EMS into the future, in a huge part, is their responsibility?  Do they understand their involvement in all societies is an important step in maintaining quality education for all EMSP in the future?  I am certain that some of my questions are understood.  It is important that every instructor translate their knowledge and understanding of EMS to each student.  For Arkansas to move forward maintaining quality, educated, and dedicated EMSP is every Arkansas Instructor’s responsibility, young and old, to be the best they can be. Students and quality instructors are the future of EMS.  The Arkansas Instructor’s Society has provided instructors quality education at each retreat.  Each retreat was attended by many instructors, with most being instructors for a number of years.  The point is, if the younger generation does not get involved the Instructor’s Retreat could end.  If each of this year’s participants look around and search for the “Young Guns,” the future of EMS, you can’t find many participants.  Do your part and get your “Young Gun” involved.

Each year all societies have educational conferences.  All of these conferences make each of us a better person, better EMSP, and a better instructor.  The knowledge passed along by instructors provide the basis for new skills, new licensure/certifications levels, and generally improves the skills for every participant, thus improving the patient’s outcome.  It has been a long time since my original EMT course, but if I remember correctly I got into EMS to help people. Improving instructors will improve students and that improves patient outcomes.

Again, thanks to everyone, especially the officers of the Instructor’s Society for all of your kindness and assistance.

Keith Edmonds, AEMTA President

Summer has arrived!!  It seems that Arkansas now only faces two seasons, winter and summer and nowhere can we locate spring and fall.  With the beginning of our summer months comes that time that we all are anxiously awaiting, CONFERENCE 2011!!

I am excited about the offerings that will be available this year at our annual South Central Regional EMS Conference held at the Hot Springs Convention Center on August 3 thru 7.  Many new lectures and lecturers will be waiting your arrival this year in order to better achieve the goals of the AEMTA, which is to provide you, the member with the educational opportunities that you have asked for in previous years.  I understand that there will actually be a leadership tract this year at conference to assist and provide information to the leaders of Arkansas EMS while building strength in those we look to for guidance.

I certainly hope to see you there and shake your hand or hug your neck.  I honestly appreciate each and every member for your support over the past year and a half while I have enjoyed seeing and meeting new faces along the way.

We, the members of the AEMTA, will be tasked in the next month to elect our new Board of Directors for the years of 2012 and 2013.  I personally know each and every person running for office this year and can assure everyone that regardless of the outcome of the elections, we will remain a strong Association and we will continue the move forward in EMS across Arkansas.

This is an important decision that you as a member will be involved in.  It is so important that you fill out the election ballot when you receive it and mail it back to the designated address on the envelope.  These candidates on the ballots will be representing you as a member of the Association and your voice is why these people are running for their positions.  They want to be there for all the members and desire to do the right thing for the membership in general.  So, take a few minutes of time when the ballot arrives from the AEMTA and select the appropriate candidate that will best provide you with the direction you want your Association to go.

Speaking from experience, these candidates are nervously waiting on the final outcome of the election to see what lies ahead for them for the next two years in EMS.  They want to meet and greet as many faces as possible to let you know what they can do for you, the membership of the Association and give you some ideas about the direction they want to go with our membership.

There are several things that will be approaching our newly elected Board of Directors over the next two years such as: new certifications, trauma education, retirement and health insurance, plus the changes that we are seeing with the newly formed Arkansas Trauma System.  Not only the things I have mentioned, they will also have their own agenda on items that need to be moved forward with in order to build a strong EMS system that our patients so deserve and that we strive to improve on daily.

In closing, I know that you work side by side with a partner, whether they be an EMT, Advanced EMT or a Paramedic that has made a difference in some one’s life or maybe a difference in your life.  It is a great honor to nominate some one for one of our awards as well as a humbling experience to receive one.  Not only the above mentioned positions but we also award the Instructor of the Year, First Responder of the Year, First Responder Service of the Year, Fire/EMS Service of the Year, Industrial EMT of the Year, Dr. Judy Abbott Medical Director of the Year and the Arkansas Ambulance Association awards the BLS, ALS and Volunteer Services of the Year at the annual banquet at conference each year.  We have also had an addition to the awards beginning last year in remembrance of one of our icons in EMS, David A. Taylor, Sr. with the Excellence in EMS award chosen by the Taylor family in conjunction with the President of the AEMTA.  Please, nominate some one that you work with daily and assist in bringing the recognition to those who deserve it by making a difference in EMS.

As always, I respect and appreciate the hard work and dedication that each of you show on a daily basis in making a difference in those we care for.  Whether you are new to our Profession or one of those that have been around the block a time or two, I thank you for all that you have done.  Be safe in your travels, endeavors and calls and I look forward to seeing you at the 2011 South Central Regional EMS Conference in August!

In 2009, Dwayne Aalseth was elected as a state officer and had to resign as the Medical Responder (First Responder) president, and I was given the chance to finish out his year as president. I enjoyed it and learned alot that our Society does that people are not even aware of. At the Society meeting at conference I was elected to served as the new president for the next 2 year term, and I want to say a special thanks to all in that meeting that elected me to this position. Thanks for having the faith in me to do this society a good job, and I will put my all into my position.

For those of you that are not aware of the medical responder certification, a group of members is working on with the state legislature to try and get medical responders certified. It is going to be a tough battle, but we are willing to stand up and fight for our responders. Medical responders are very much appreciated but not always given the credit they should be given, and we are hoping to get that changed soon. If you have any questions about this certification or just want to give me your input on the issue, feel free to contact me by phone at 870-759-2647 or e-mail at lady_ems_22379@yahoo.com. I am sure that Dwayne Aalseth or Keith Edmonds would also be willing to listen to your input and answer any questions you may have.

I am looking forward to working with the Society and the newly elected officers.

2011-2012 Officers:
President: Delinda Duckworth
Vice-President: Dwayne Aalseth
Secretary/Treasure: Melanie Davis
Pariamentarian: John Millwood
Member At Large: Debora Jenkins

Regions:
1. Suellyn Fry
2. Gene Ponder
3.Ruth Goodin-Shimp
4. Not filled
5. Penny Russell

Lets make 2011 conference and Medical Responder Society shine.

Delinda Duckworth

Shift Captain Rob Douthit shows Madison County EMS’ two new notebook computers.

A recent grant has given Madison County EMS an opportunity to upgrade its technology. The service recently received a regional trauma grant from the Arkansas Department of Health. Part of the grant money was used to purchase two refurbished Panasonic Toughbook notebook computers. The notebooks are used in the field to gather patient information and to create patient reports for the hospitals and for the state. The Toughbooks also have a unique feature which allows signatures to be written on the screen and captured in memory for reports.

In addition to reports, Madison County EMS plans to use the notebooks as a reference library. Programs for emergency procedures, medication information, medical protocols, and hazardous materials will soon be added.

The same grant is also benefiting Madion County’s EMS responders. Emergency Medical Responders, or EMRs for short, respond to emergencies in their community and provide basic emergency medical care until the ambulance arrives. Through the grant MCEMS has purchased immobilization equipment for use by the responders. The equipment is used by the EMRs to treat car wreck patients and trauma victims. The used equipment is swapped for a new set by the responding ambulance. MCEMS is hosting a training class on the new immobilization equipment in February.