One-day free state EMS conference will be held in Bowling Green on Oct. 16

By JOHN HULTGREN
Kentucky EMS Connection

BOWLING GREEN — The Kentucky Ambulance Providers Association intends to sign a contract next week for a one-day free state EMS conference in Bowling Green.

The conference will focus on EMS earthquake preparedness and will be held at The Sloan Convention Center. The conference will be primarily funded by a grant from the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) and will include continuing education credits, lunch and dinner. KAPA will sponsor a reception after the conference. KAPA will also hold their annual general membership meeting on Oct. 15 at the conference site.

The Holiday Inn University Plaza connects to the conference center.

The Kentucky EMS Conference and Expo, now in it's 18th year, was originally scheduled to be a three-day conference in Owensboro next month. That conference had to be cancelled after the Owensboro Executive Inn closed in June without warning. Conference presenters were scheduled, but because no suitable location was available for the same dates, the majority of the speakers were lost.

Pre-registration for the free conference will be required. Topics for the conference have been selected and the conference committee is in the process of finding instructors. It is anticipated that a class schedule will be completed by Aug. 22. The program will be announced, and electronic registrations will be accepted, through the conference's Internet site at www.hultgren.org/conference after the program is finalized.

Although KAPA had hoped to reschedule a full conference for this year, they were unable to find a location with available dates that met the needs of the conference. KAPA was also concerned that the quality of the conference may suffer if planning was rushed. KAPA is negotiating with the Lexington Convention Center for a full conference next September.

The Kentucky EMS Conference and Expo was started by KAPA in 1990 and last year attracted 700 attendees and over 70 exhibitors.

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