Skip to main content

Humbling Weekend creates great joy!!!


The #COMBOMEDIC is back after a short hiatus...sorry about the delay, but I took a couple days off to recoup.  And yet, I remain tired...still!  I guess that is a sign, I just don't know of what yet.  There are times in which the significance of the events are overwhelming in and of themselves and yet when you combine them with something else it is even better.  For me this past weekend was just that...a weekend of such significance that it was overwhelming. 

Mountain Man Memorial March

On Saturday the 20th of April I has the privilege of walking for soldiers that have given their lives in the defense of a grateful nation.  I was asked to participate in the Mountain Man Memorial March and was part of a team that comprised military members, family members, and high school guys and girls.  On this day we took part in a 13.1 mile march around a terrain composed of flat areas and a large amount of mountainous hills.  This isn't supposed to be an easy march nor was it, but in the end we accomplished something as a team and it was a personal accomplishment that I can be proud of for years to come.  I have several great friends associated with this march, but those that I am most humbled to meet were the families who had lost loved ones to wars this country has been part of.

These gold star families have given their all stateside as their loved ones gave their lives on foreign soil so that others may have the same freedoms we do, or to help protect ourselves and others from terrorist activities. 

The beginning of the walk was tremendous seeing the local fire department with their tower out over the main parkway hanging a large United States Flag while a retired member of the USMC wore his dress blues saluting each marcher  as they walked by.  Then as we continued on we were faced with the beautiful mountains (we weren't thinking they were so beautiful at the time) that we were surrounded by, then came the camaraderie of people as they doubled back after they reached their rally point and kept urging those behind to keep up the good work.  The 13.1 miles was hard (especially when you don't really train for it) but when it was over I was truly blessed by the meaning behind the event. 

One Great Day of CPR

Several months ago, a close friend and I met with the Mayor of our town to discuss the upcoming conference that her and I were planning.  This conference is for the Tennessee EMS Education Association which will bring a large number of EMS educators to our East Tennessee town.  During our conversation, we began speaking about the benefits of community based CPR programs and it turned into the One Great Day of CPR being held in the heart of downtown.  For five hours we worked to teach the techniques of CPR to any that wanted to come.  We taught adult, child, infant CPR with AED use and the techniques of choking relief.  You look at the towns that have active community based CPR programs and their community members have a greater chance of survival.  We brought together several institutions and agencies to put on this training and bring another 100+ people into the know with CPR...

The great nature of this weekend is overwhelming...now I must go and prepared for this evenings episode of the EMS Educast. 

Take Care and Stay Safe!
The Combomedic

twitter.com/dsblev 

Comments

  1. Greg Friese, MS, NRPApril 24, 2013 at 6:35 PM

    Congratulations!

    I sense a marathon in your future.

    PS. I would recommend training :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ELPA 6872 -Educational Technology

Good Morning Everybody. It has been a long time since I have posted on this blog.  The reason I am is a great reason for my Fire and EMS Audience, as well as my academic colleagues. After a very eventful beginning of 2018, my application was selected to join the latest cohort of students obtaining their Doctor of Education.  As part of this program, we are completing a course that is dedicated to technology and implementation into the classroom.  The delivery of this program is through technology based platforms, in that it is an online program. Here are some questions that I have about technology, and online learning. 1)  To mimic some of the classroom interaction and discussion, online educators use the discussion board with each module to foster communication.  For those of you having completed online educational programs, what made the discussion board useful? 2)  Does the set-up of the online course material make a difference in the success o...
8 comments
Read more

Presidential Budget cuts 2.5M from vital grants!

I know that many of you are tired of hearing about the budget and the sequestration, fiscal cliffs and many many other things that are occurring in the federal budget.  Some of you don't care because it isn't currently affecting your department.  This is one budget update that you may want to pay attention to.  In the President's 2013 budget, the SAFER and Assistance to Firefighter grant programs are not being funded to previous years levels.  Now that cut currently sits at 2.5 million out of a total of 335m per program.  However, and this is where I caution you any cuts can be a dangerous sign to the future of this program.   As you know, emergency services (police, fire and ems) serves of America's first line of defense when it comes to dangerous situations.  These are the groups that are running towards the danger while others run out...i've always hated that quote, but it works.  Videos from the tragic events at the World Trade Ce...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Kid President - Going Beyond to Achieve Amazing

"THE KID PRESIDENT" Going Beyond to Achieve Amazing!!! Sometimes inspiration comes from some strange places...really I'm taking advice from "The Kid President." But I must say, we all should. Watch the clip above. I have watched and discussed this clip many times since I watched on my TED app. The story of this young individual is truly amazing. This video is even more amazing. If you watch the clip and take it at face value it is already something that we should be doing. The Kid President makes a great point. Aren't we all on the same team. The story of today, the story of Easter shows just how much we are on the same team. The captain that led the team has sacrificed more than any of use, but we commonly think that just because we wear a different uniform, or a different title we are truly competitors. If you are a career firefighter you better than those that aren't, when really we take the same classes, we respond to the same type ca...
Post a Comment
Read more