Combo Medic

When I first thought about this topic I was kind of skeptical about posting it, but then I remembered part of this blog was fun.  I have had several serious topics, but at some point we have to bring together something's that really soundly be brought together.  Kinda like chocolate and grasshoppers...really whoever though that was a good idea!  No my idea goes together like more like A&W Root Beer and Vanilla Ice Cream. Like that of a rabid wildfire, the news of a open executive level position has made its way through the news agency since being uncovered early this Sunday morning.  Even with my prior posts on professional develop might not help you prepare for this position, but like the tasty A&W Root Beer Float, this is a combination that I think would be excellent together.  It was reported that the head coach from the University of Southern California (USC) was informed that his leadership was not longer necessary on campus.  In fact, ...

Are you interested in taking on new opportunities in a department that covers an area of 119 square miles and runs 30000 calls per year.  Then Newport News Virginia is your area.  The International Association of Fire Chiefs is hosting a job posting for Fire Chief of Newport News Virginia Fire Department.  To find more information about this post you can find it here - IAFC posting To apply for the position you can go here - Application   Preferred Qualifications Requires any combination of education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire, Public, or Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field; Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience to include 5 years supervisory and management experience as a Chief Officer; Chief Fire Officer (CFO) or Executive Fire Officer (EFO) certification preferred. Requires a comprehensive background investigation to include a local, state and federal criminal history check and ...

( www.amazon.com ) Tonight I began reading the Tony Dungy book "The Mentor Leader".  Everybody that has small knowledge of the NFL knows about Tony Dungy and his reputation and I can only wish that I was part of the Colts organization to be a fly on the wall to hear just a few words of his leadership style.  While I am still just in the beginning of this book I have already started to look at things slightly different than I did before.  So I started to look in my history and see who my mentors have been, or who they might currently be.  I looked at why I chose them, or why I considered them my mentors and I can really see that I jumped right into those because of their ability to get me where I want to be.  In the beginning of the book Coach Dungy states that most people look to get their leadership skills from those that have awesome bank accounts or tremendous winning percentages, but never for the way a leader is viewed, for what they really do....

This past week Apple released its latest version of the iPhone.  Pictures of Apples tires across the world bowed the Apple trend continues as people vie for the front spot and will wait in lines that wrap around city blocks just to update to the latest and greatest Apple device.  With the shear numbers in those lines I can safely say that there was at least one first responder (EMT, Paramedic, Firefighter, Police Officer) in those crowds, and I would venture to guess that there was an average of 1 in every line across the world. In addition to the release of the iPhone 5s and the newest iPhone 5c, Apple released the latest iOS known as iOS 7.  I will admit, I was quick to pull the trigger and updated both my iPhone and iPad to this iOS.  Really, who wouldn't want the newest if they weren't in the position to purchase a new device.  But are we as quick to upgrade our career field education as we are with updating the technology we use to keep in touch with...

If you didn't know, I have been working on a project with Greg Friese, Rob Theriault, and Bill Toon who are the co-hosts of the EMS Educast (www.emseducast.com).  This project is known as the EMS Educast Mini Edition.  We have put together 4 episodes so far to go along with their regular EMS Educast, and we find topics of interest that will help the EMS Education community.  As these episodes  continue to post, I am going to put a little more information here about how the topic was developed. In the latest edition that posted this morning (15 Mar 2013), I discuss relate sports with EMS education. Now, I was once a professional basketball fan and loved to watch Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bull as they went for the 6 National Championships.  It was a sight to see, a cohesive team operation that while it focused on a superstar, each member would step up and show what needed to be done in those last clutch minutes.  BJ Armstrong, a young talented athlete ...

EMS Today 2013 is has ended and everybody is returning back to their homes in spite of mother natures attempt to infiltrate Washington DC with #snowquester2013.  Don't you just love how so many take a name and quickly rebrand it into another name.  Now I must say, EMS Today 2013 was a massive success...and I wasn't even there.  The 2013 JEMS Conference and Exposition was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in the center of the Nation's Capital, Washington DC.  Kicking off the conference with the National Association of EMS Educators Instructor I course, the main conference was held from 5-9 March 2013. AJ Heightman, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (www.jems.com) providing the momentous kick-off necessary for a conference of this size.  Coming forward in a three piece suit, Mr. Heightman spoke to the "Changing History, Unchangeable Dedication" and brought the attendees through the years and provided awards to thos...

Being in the younger generation, I have taken to Social Media and I utilize it on a daily basis.  It is interesting, because when I first got into Social Media I was very apprehensive about joining the "fad". Well, many years have past since I first joined the world of myspace and Facebook.  Since then I have long lost the myspace account and traded it in for a Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, and 2 Facebook pages, 3 organizational twitter feeds, and...really I am not sure I am tracking it all right now.  In addition, I write this blog and sit in on podcasts with the EMS Educast and Educast MINI, and the EMS Office Hours.  To manage all of this I use an application that is designed to help an individual efficiently utilize each of these resources, but I have come to find out something today. Now, with everything that I have going on with my life I want to make sure that I adequately manage my time to ensure that I spent every quality minute with my wife and children a...