Firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMS personnel, public health providers, nurses and Homeland Security officials recently attended the 4th Annual CFEDWest Conference and Expo in Palm Springs, California.


The gathering, which is the first of its kind, brings members of all branches of emergency services together to network and train with one another so that they can respond more effectively to emergencies.




Purpose of CFEDWest
Battalion Chief Scott MacDonald, who works for the City of Redlands Fire Department and is the Operations Director for CFEDWest, says, "It used to be that when we would run a paramedic call, we'd go to the emergency room and we would get to know the personnel in there. We would know the doctors and the nurses. Staff has become so busy in the field that they don't have that time to do that one-on-one exchange."

CFEDWest was founded to give first responders the chance to get to know one another and to understand each others' jobs better and how they can work most effectively together during emergency responses.

Mentoring is another function of the CFEDWest Conference and Expo. Many first responders are at the point of retirement and CFEDWest provides them with an opportunity to connect with and educate the new generation of emergency personnel.

Captain Art Andres of the Ontario Fire Department explains, "There is a bit of a generational gap. There are a lot of people that don't know where to go and what to do - the young, energetic, enthusiastic people that are coming out of nursing school and fire academies and police departments. It's easy to get busy and do what you know to do, which is come and do a great job and then go home, but really we want to be able to say we left it better than we found it."

CFEDWest is primarily run by volunteers that help with all aspects of the convention, and through their volunteerism, they are able to learn from veterans in their fields.

Classes Offered at CFEDWest
Throughout the conference, attendees are able to attend classes from five different tracks including Fire, EMS, Nursing, Disasters, and Law. Speakers came from across the United States to impart their knowledge about the fields in which they work. One highly regarded fire service leader who participated was FDNY Battalion Chief John Salka, whose class was entitled, "First In, Last Out: Leadership Lessons". Most of the classes offered came with continuing education credits for Paramedics, Police Officers (POST) and Nurses (BRN).

Product and Technology Demonstrations
Between the classes, an exposition hall was open so that first responders could learn more about the latest technology, products and services offered by vendors in their respective fields.

CFEDWest Social Events and Entertainment
After the classes, there were evening social events, including a Paramedic Competition, a poolside barbeque, and live entertainment. The Paramedic Competition pitted first responders again each other in a realistic emergency situation, with a Grand Prize of a cruise for two. The poolside barbeque was hosted by Fire Trucks Plus and Progressive Medical International, and included dinner and refreshments, a hula hoop competition, a limbo contest, and live music provided by Upland Fire Chief Mike Antonucci, and his band, Flashover. First responders were also invited to an 80's-Themed Costume Party and a Karaoke Night.

CFEDWest 2012
CFEDWest has made a commitment to hold CFEDWest 2012 in Palm Springs, California.