News and Opportunities

This is an update to where we are to date with all of the bills that we are currently tracking. Remember we are in the last three weeks of session, so things will begin to move faster now. Hang on. Mac Kemp Bill Number Bill Title SB 184 Ocean Lifeguards Last Event: 1/10/2012 8:28:09 AM - 01/10/12 S Introduced -SJ 22 This bill is not moving. CS/HB 241

FAREMS is dedicated to supporting rural Florida EMS agencies in their efforts to improve pre-hospital emergency care in their communities. In order to improve the level of emergency medical care provided to rural Florida citizens, in May 2012, FAREMS will award paramedic scholarships up to $2,500 and EMT scholarships up to $1,000 to citizens currently working in one of Florida's 33 rural counties. These scholarships must be used to pay tuition and books for the candidate to attend a Florida ...

From Mac Kemp: Happy New Year! Hope you are all doing well. Session begins next week and it promises to be a very busy and controversial one. There are a few new bills and I am sure that some of the more divisive issues will wait until session has begun. I will introduce one new bill first then at the end of this email is a recap of where each bill is currently at in the process. I have been told that the Governor's Office is focusing on redistricting and the budget this year, but that next ...

Beginning January 9, 2012, Florida EMS organizations may submit matching grant applications to request grant funds. The Florida Bureau of EMS must have your application in hand by the deadline, April 20, 2012, 4:00 p. m. Eastern Standard Time. You may also nominate a reviewer to evaluate requests for grant funds. The Florida Bureau of EMS must receive your nomination no later than March 16, 2012. Include an outline of the nominee's experience and contact information. If we need additional ...

Please respond to the following question posed by Mike Patterson, Chief, Putnam County Fire & EMS: It’s unfortunate and shameful that Putnam County is #1 in incidence of domestic violence per capita in the State of Florida. As a result we respond to many assault calls that are related to domestic violence. That being said ,I have a question: What (in your professional opinion) action(s) can be legally taken on behalf of the victim by Fire & EMS if at a scene of an incident with ...

Below are meeting materials for our 9 am General Meeting, Thursday, January 19, 2012, at Ocean Walk Village Convention Center in Daytona Beach. Conference call-in number is: 888-772-8174; Conference Code is: 352-339-2807.

FAREMS is partnering with Shands Jacksonville Medical Center to provide the American Heart Association's 12-Lead and Pharmacology/STEMI Provider Course to agency members. This six-hour course is designed to enable healthcare providers the ability to assess, diagnose and treat acute coronoary syndrome (ACS) patients and improve quality care and outcomes in heart attack patients by improving healthcare system's readiness and response to ACS patients. The course is only open to staff of FAREMS ...

Bills have been filed and committees are meeting here in Tallahassee. The Legislative season has begun. So far for EMS there seems to be a slow start (thank God), but we will be watching as we get to the start of the session. Session begins this year on January 12th. Here is a listing of bills that we are currently tracking: HB 385 Sovereign Immunity - This bill seeks to expand the protection of Sovereign Immunity for all emergency medical services providers, particularly in disaster ...

In their 2011 Learning Session in Denver, CO this summer, the Joint Committee on Rural Emergency Care (JCREC) recognized FAREMS for its collaborative leadership to improve rural emergency care. This Committee was created by the National Association of State EMS Officials and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health and is dedicated to advancing policy and practice to ensure access to timely, affordable, and high quality emergency care services in rural America.

Below are meeting materials for our 9 am General Meeting, Wednesday, September 28th at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Airport. Conference call-in number is: 1-888-772-8174; conference code is: 339-2807.

The Florida EMSC Program and the Florida Neonatal and Pediatric Transport Network Association have partnered together to conduct FREE pediatric/neonatal training for prehospital and hospital professionals. The Florida EMSC education programs are designed to enhance pediatric/neonatal skill sets in the EMS community. If you are interested in hosting a FREE pediatric/neonatal educaitgon program at your agency/organization, please contact Melissa Keahey, EMSC Program Manager, at 850-245-4440 ...

The FAREMS-produced manual R&R: Recruitment and Retention of EMS Professionals in Rural Florida is now available. This 29-page manual is a compendium of research and best practices directly from Florida's rural agencies as well as organizations around the country. Get tips on how to recruit and retain quality EMS professionals for your agency. Become an agency member and get your manual free, or purchase a copy for $25. Click the link below to read the President's Message.