12 September 2018
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
The event brings together emergency service workers from around the world
The annual Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Gathering 2018 is taking place in Cork City from 11th to 13th of September. Over 400 emergency medical professionals are expected to descend on Cork City for three days for this unique event where they will practice lifesaving skills and rehearse dealing with challenging scenarios. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is the umbrella term used internationally for those involved in responding to medical emergencies in our communities.
The EMS Gathering brings together practitioners from different parts of the globe who share their experiences; it is a unique multi-agency networking event allowing Ambulance, Hospital, Defence, Policing services train together so when real disaster strikes everyone can work optimally together.
The Gathering will see colleagues who have emigrated from Ireland who have made their mark on other Emergency Services around the world return to share their knowledge, while also welcoming new colleagues from North America, Canada, Australia and Europe.
Speaking ahead of the event, Adjunct Professor Conor Deasy Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Cork University Hospital and Deputy Medical Director of the National Ambulance Service said: “The EMS Gathering is the most successful EMS conference in Europe; this year’s event is bigger and more diverse than ever before with workshops in compassionate communication, trauma, sepsis, addiction, wellness at work; it is great to get an opportunity to rehearse scenarios with colleagues from other agencies and hear how similar challenges are dealt with around the world.”
A wide range of talks, seminars and events will take place over the course of three days, including ‘Emergency Care on the Streets’, ‘Trauma through the Ages’ and ‘Tactical Emergency Care’. Attendees comprise paramedics, aeromedical services, doctors, nurses and responders from statutory, voluntary, defence, ambulance, police and private services with multiple levels of qualification who join together to learn from each other and share knowledge from lifetimes of experience. Over 400 delegates will attend the event over the course of three days, with 56 traveling from United Kingdom, 25 from Canada, 12 from the US, 6 from Germany, 3 from Australia, and one delegate travelling from New Zealand, Turkey and Iceland to join their overseas colleagues.
Kieran Henry, Operations Manager at the National Ambulance Service and EMS Gathering Organiser said: “We are very excited to showcase Cork city and it’s surrounds to colleagues from all over the world; we have walking tours of the city where we provide education on urban problems like addiction and homelessness; we have a bus tour where in addition to seeing our tourist attractions delegates will be taking part in a workshop on sepsis. A highlight this year will be our ‘Trauma through the Ages’ workshops and displays taking place at the historic Fort Camden Meagher, overlooking Cork Harbour in Crosshaven.”
A diverse range of training events will take place over the course of the EMS Gathering including simulations of many extreme emergency scenarios including water rescue, nightclub medicine, aircraft disasters and traumatic entrapment.
The Metropole Hotel and the Everyman Theatre in the centre of Corks historic Victorian Quarter will be the venue and hub for this year’s EMS Gathering.