MY Top 10 of ‘11

1. The people I have met in 2011 This should go without saying. I finally got the privilege to meet the folks behind the keyboards and @ signs that I have spoken to in 140 character blocks. It was worth being called an “ass” when I met Ted Setla, as much as it was worth watching @THEGrinderMedic order someone a drink called “uh…” in Vegas. Hope to meet more next year.

2. EMS Today 2011 Well, yeah, the first real conference I went to would make the #2 spot. It had its own set of adventures (to include a missed flight). When is the pre-party for next year’s at Pratt St.?

3. EMSWorld Expo 2011  Wow…the one thing I bitched the loudest about getting my travel approved for only made #3. The strip and the Las Vegas Convention Center will never be the same after the #CoEMS crew was done with it. Will NOLA be the same?

4. FDIC 2011 The biggest Fire Department conference of the year made the Number 4 spot on this year’s top 10. Finally meeting The Fire Critic, Capt. Willie Wines, and a few others.  Same place in 2012—the week before my 41st celebration of being alive.

5. My unit returning home from Iraq The 801st Combat Support Hospital (Detachment 10) was in Iraq for 10 months providing Detainee Health Care. All but two of my Soldiers are now home.

6. 21 seconds at FDIC The Globe Firefighter Challenge only took me 21 seconds to complete at FDIC in Indianapolis.  It would have been faster if I had known that the “rescue dummy” weighed about three pounds (I was expecting much heavier).

just crawl between the cones to take less time

7. Participating in #KiltedtoKickCancer The idea of a couple of friends not only increased awareness for the male specific cancers, but also ended up with a pretty penny being donated to LiveStrong and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. It also got the biggest reading from this headquarters while trying to make my kilt (which is now hanging in the closet and a 3rd one is being planned on for purchase eventually). I will say, though, that they’re nice in the summer…but one wintertime word:  SHRINKAGE. (Though they make life easier with the TSA)
 

8. Making the “Medic’s Mecca” The only reason this is not higher in the countdown is because 1) the LACoFD Museum was closed and 2) the crew from LACoFD Station 127 were out on a run when I arrived. It was still a nice retirement present from my unit given to me the day before Thanksgiving.
 

9. Attending the 9th Annual US Army EMS Conference I wasn’t expecting to go, but I got my first glimpse of the Alamo and Durty Nelly’s in San Antonio. This trip was much better than phase 2 of my BNCOC.
 

10. My Retirement Orders It took over a year to get them, and that included re-submitting the packet exactly one year after I first put it in. But getting them puts a chapter to a close that I am very thankful to have written in history. It had its high points and low points, and I actually got to see some beautiful parts of the country while I was in the Army Reserve, but now I get to watch the younger Soldiers fill in my place as I sit and watch from my rocking chair.

EMSWorld Expo Day 2 wrap up

And now, the story continues…

Morning started with a class on Unraveling Tachycardia by Kelly Grayson which turned out to be very informative and humorous.

Then the day in the exhibit hall (why do I even bother scheduling myself for classes?).

Started off getting caught by one of the ladies from the Zoll booth who spotted me in my kilt. Picture was taken and tweeted really quick (wow).

Once I got inside, I remembered a shortage of gloves in my Blackhawk bag, so I hit the first glove distributor I found and got myself about six or seven sample packs with various sizes in them.

The Laderal Sim Lab was my next destination. I looked at various items, and met up with some folks that I talked to in San Antonio back in May…visited 4 stations and got a t-shirt.

The fine folks at Rural/Metro Ambulance had a VERY stunning T-shirt on display at their booth. They asked me if I wanted one. Who am I to decline a freebie?

(Score for the week:  5 T-shirts)

I was looking for the National EMS Academy’s booth when one of the folks from VeinLite caught up with me. Evidentally, while they were at the EMS Conference in San Antonio, I referred enough Soldiers to them that they actually GAVE me one of these SWEET lights.

What the VeinLite does is illuminates the area that an IV is going to be stuck so the medic can actually SEE THEIR TARGET. No more poke and hope, as long as the AA batteries don’t go dead during the shift.

After a nice, long recharge in the Physio Control/ProMed Social Media Lounge, the big event of the evening (other than another kilted group picture in front of the Hilton’s Elvis statue)…Hollywood Nights.

The event was at the Planet Hollywood Restaurant on the strip. This party included a LIVE TWITTER FEED the entire time, and yes, I had my share of tweets on there.

Myself, Justin Schorr,and Kelly Grayson. Ain’t we just a PRODIGIOUS group?

The wrap up of the wrap up tomorrow

Take care, Stay Safe.