Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a Registered Advanced Paramedic plus Tutor with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) — the regulator for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Ireland. With 20 years of experience in front-line emergency care as a practitioner, instructor and researcher I also have an MSc in EMS with special interest in resuscitation. I’m actively involved in teaching neonatal and paediatric resuscitation, and a key player in the Irish-Sudan maternity hospital partnership project.

What was the conference about?         
The EMS Gathering 2016 catered for the broad pre-hospital family: First Responders, EMTs, Paramedics, Advanced Paramedics, Nurses and Doctors, all sharing a common passion — to strive for the best possible patient care delivered pre-hospital. The conference gave us an opportunity to bring together those involved in EMS both nationally and internationally from an educational and social perspective.

What motivated you to bid for an international conference?
Having completed two previous successful events, we wanted to create an even bigger and better event for 2016. Ireland has a lot to offer from many perspectives, not least of all a friendly ‘welcome home’ to the many members of the diaspora working in overseas EMS.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of hosting an international conference?
Have a good team supporting you and don’t be afraid to push out the boat on ideas you may have. Think outside the box and try and make it a little different from the norm — we created a unique environment with comfy sofas, interludes of live music and other quirks which set our conference apart from the rest. Finally, be sure to take advantage of the assistance available; we received practical and financial supports from the Meet In Ireland team.

What is Ireland’s legacy from hosting this international conference?
Conference attendees could not help but be educated, inspired, have great fun and make new friends with beautiful Kerry as a backdrop. Having had such success here in the past, the EMS Gathering 2017 will once again take place in Ireland.

To find out how you can be a Conference Ambassador, contact our Association Team.