The Emergency Services Conference will be taking place at the Keystone Centre in Brandon the first week of September, providing fire chiefs, firefighters, paramedics, first responders and EMS managers from across the province specialized training, speaker presentations and the time and space to connect with their fellow EMS members.
Chief of Emergency Services for the City of Brandon, Terry Parlow, says the conference will be addressing several aspects of their role as emergency care providers through their presentations and training; from physical health to mental and emotional health, to skills and strategies in battling fires.
Hands-on training, including Fire Ground Survival
"Some of the things that we're extremely excited to offer is a lot of hands-on training, a lot of training like the fire ground survival," shares Chief Parlow. "So that's a hands-on approach where people learn about how to save themselves in the event that they're in a incident or a situation in which they have to actually get themselves out of a serious situation while they're conducting the fire operations."
"Then we also have a lot of the mental health peer support groups," he adds. "Peer support training is a very important part. Wild land firefighting for structural firefighters is another course. So we have a whole gamut of things that are taking place on the 3rd and 4th of September at the conference."
Hands-on training to train our firefighters across the province in how to respond to emergencies will also be part of the conference training session, as well as how to take care of themselves after the emergency with peer support training. "That's where we're looking out for one another and teaching how to form these teams within our departments and take care of another."
On Friday and Saturday, September 5-6, they'll have close to15 to 20 speakers at the conference at the Keystone Centre.
Breakout session will be talking about the impacts of what people have identified in the workplace, says Parlow. "Also in the fire ground struggles and challenges that they have faced mentally and physically. So they'll be touching on a lot of different aspects. We also have some communication staff talking about what it looks like in a day of the communications officer, a dispatcher in our communication center."
Mental health and wellness is crucial in front-line trauma workers
Parlow adds they have more training with regards to mental health, "and have more resiliency as in order to prepare and to be better suited to try and basically survive and thrive in this, in this line of work, in this profession."
As a front line Emergency Services member, these men and women not only see trauma in its rawest form, but they are in the very midst of it. Self-care when it comes to mental health is extremely important for these EMS members.
"These are some of the things that we'll be talking about at the conference, is having the tools necessary to recognize for themselves - and also have others recognize that when they see a co-worker or someone that they work with on the department, recognizing those times when you need to ask 'Do you need help?'"
"We're trying to get rid of the stigma and make sure that everybody knows it's okay to ask for help," continues Chief Parlow. "And it's also not a show of weakness. It's actually just a show of strength to actually reach out and get help. And it's just recognizing that we're human and we're doing the best we can and that we're all affected differently. But we're just giving them the tools necessary to recognize when they do need that help."
Tradeshow features the latest and greatest in EMS response equipment
With high quality instructors, hands on training in all aspects of emergency response, and showcasing over 50,000 sq feet of exhibitor space for a firsthand look at the innovative products and services available to the industry, Chief Parlow is hoping many of their Manitoba members can join them September 3-6.
"We are hoping to have as many emergency responders, first responders coming out to the conference and experience first hand this conference. We have an amazing trade show as well with a lot of suppliers from across emergency services providing of information with regards to different pieces of equipment. So we'll have that right on the grounds of the Keystone Centre as well. So I hope that all emergency services personnel can take part in this ... and as many as many as want, we'll take them all!"
The Manitoba Association of Fire Chiefs represent over 170 Fire Departments across Manitoba
In conjunction with the Emergency Services Conference, the Manitoba Association of Fire Chiefs is celebrating its 75th Anniversary!
Related story: Celebrating 75 Years: Fire Chiefs unite at Brandon Emergency Services Conference
Today is the last day to register for the Emergency Services Conference. Go to their website HERE to register today.