Las Vegas High School Students Experience EMS World Expo 2015

Students from the Veterans Tribute Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas, NV, were invited to attend this year’s EMS World Expo. At the Expo, the students were able to explore the more than 350 exhibitors that attended the event, and interact with the nearly 5,000 attendees from 38 different countries. They were also able to participate in some of the simulations offered in the exhibit hall. Below are stories from their experience. Be sure to mark your calendar for the 2016 EMS World Expo, scheduled for October 3–7 in New Orleans, LA. Visit EMSWorldExpo.com.

Interesting Products and Inspiring People

By Brooklyn Artiaga

EMS was a field I was sure I never wanted to be in until I came to Veterans Tribute. Veterans Tribute has taught me many skills that can help me save someone’s life one day. Ms.Yegge, my instructor, gives us chances to better ourselves and learn more for the welfare of others. One of these opportunities was the chance to go to EMS World Expo 2015 in Las Vegas.

As a student in the EMS field there’s always something new to learn. When I got to go to EMS World Expo I wasn’t sure what to expect. I thought it would be full of people trying to influence my decision on what career field I should pursue. Instead, it was full of wonderful people with amazing products that better the EMS field.

One thing that caught my eye the most was the automated CPR device. It gives chest compressions all on its own. This amazed me because it could save more lives than the traditional CPR method. The machine would not get tired as a person does after continuous chest compressions.

Another impressive invention was the Ferno iN/X. It was amazing to see that no one had to lift anymore. This will help prevent many back injuries and won’t delay calls. It is easily manipulated with one button and the battery life is exceptionally long. The stair chair that Ferno showed was a back-saver as well.

My experience at the Expo was eye-opening. I talked to a lot of new people and got many free things, which was a bonus to my time there. I learned about new products that continue to improve the EMS field and help patients and EMS personnel as well. I also learned there are many good people in the world who are very selfless. They wake up each morning to save others who they may or may not know, and that takes a lot of strength. I truly admire them for putting people they don’t know first and wanting to help them. They are people who I strive to be like as I continue searching for the best career path to take in my journey to become a responsible adult.

‘One of the Greatest Experiences I Will Ever Have’

By Miguel Angel Barahona

One of the best things I have ever experienced was attending EMS World Expo 2015 because it displayed many new innovations to the future employees in the healthcare field.

While I was at the Expo I enjoyed walking around a seeing the different ambulances from around the nation and the world. One of the ambulances that stuck out from the expo was the ambulance from Trinidad.

I went to the Expo for two days, and each day I experienced something new. For example, on the first day I was able to walk around and see new devices that help in the field. This included new stretchers and automatic compression devices. I was also selected, along with five other people, to participate in a scenario.

Another perk of the Expo was being able to see different healthcare workers from around the world.

The Expo also had a CPR competition that the American Heart Association put on, and five of my classmates and I participated in it.

On the second day, a friend and I were able to walk around and see new devices that weren't present the first day. We were able to use a new electronic stretcher that had features to help reduce the amount of lower back injuries.

We were also able to see how the stair chairs with treads work. The highlight of our second day at the expo was being approached by a man at the ZOLL booth after we had finished participating in one of their activities. He asked us if we would like do CPR on a cadaver using one of their new devices. The device they were promoting was similar to a plunger, and they were using a cadaver to show the difference between doing CPR manually and using the device. It was a great opportunity.

Overall EMS World Expo was one of the greatest experiences I will ever have.

Preparation Through Simulation

By Nikole Silva Barnbeck

As an EMT student at Veterans Tribute, we are provided incredible opportunities that no other high school can offer their students. We attend one the best career and technical academies in the United States, something we say with pride. Our advisor ensures that we are given the best education possible. The dedication to our program showed at EMS World Expo 2015.

Being the only set of high school students at this event, we represented well. VTCTA EMS students showed up in an ironed uniform and shined boots, clean and professional. Standing side-by-side, we made it clear that we were serious about this profession. The opening session was very humbling. We witnessed numerous individuals and companies being recognized for their selfless acts that helped those in need. It was humbling seeing so many individuals in the room that have served the community for years and have assisted hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals in their time of need.

At the conclusion of opening session, my partner and I headed to the exhibit hall to participate in a paramedic-level patient assessment challenge thanks to a joint effort between Jones & Bartlett Publishing, NAEMT and the American Academy of Pediatrics.  With Miranda Terrell, a paramedic at MedicWest Ambulance, ready to help, we began our challenge.

The “dispatch” came in that a young child around the age of six may have ingested unknown medication. We approached the scene immediately, ensuring BSI and scene safety. We got a general impression of the patient who was lying on the floor groaning. The father rushed at our team and was in a panic. He repeatedly yelled and pleaded for us to help his son, Johnny.

My first action was to check the child’s airway and ensure it was patent and supported. The child’s breathing was my next concern, and I noted no bleeding. That is when it got really stressful. The father yelled out a medication name and described it as something his father takes for his diabetes. I was attempting to figure out what the signs were possibly indicating and what to do next to help him.

Then, Johnny began seizing. Miranda stepped in to administer medication to help stop the seizure, and we all concluded that he needed glucose. After the two were administered, my partner collected vitals. Shortly after, Johnny became alert. As I started to take an assessment of his mental status, the scenario was concluded.

Immediately after, I felt like I had handled the scenario horribly. Once I thought about it and walked through the steps with my partner, we realized we did much better than we had initially thought. Miranda also commented on how well we did, considering it was designed for a skill level much higher than ours, and that our formal training for EMT-B hasn’t officially began.

My partner and I worked extremely well as a team, even while stressed out, and walked away from this experience knowing what we did well and what we should improve.

The experience I received from participating in this scenario is irreplaceable.  Thank you Pediatric Education for Prehospital Professionals.

Participating in this allowed us to get a preview of what kind of stress and work environment we may encounter. It also allowed us to have an experience that felt real with the ability to make mistakes and learn from them on a fake patient.

As an EMT intern, we received an opportunity that almost no other intern may have. It will definitely benefit us throughout the year as we continue preparing for our NREMT exam and getting ready to enter the workforce.

An Experience I Would Recommend

By Leandra Beers

I’m in the EMS program at Veterans Tribute, and I want to be a paramedic/firefighter. I eventually want to become an ER nurse.

I’ve been interested in the medical field for most of life. When I was younger I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I saw my dog give birth to her puppies and quickly changed my mind. After my veterinarian stage, around the time my grandpa died from kidney failure, I decided that I wanted to be a doctor. I was pretty adamant about becoming a trauma surgeon until I started attending Veterans Tribute, and I quickly realized I wanted to become a paramedic/firefighter. But now that I’m thinking more about my future, I also like the idea of becoming an ER nurse.

I attended the EMS World Expo in Las Vegas for a field trip. Overall, I was very pleased with the convention itself. At first, I didn’t really know what to expect, because I had never gone to EMS World Expo before. Once I got there and experienced it, I can definitely say that I’d recommend it to a friend and go next year.

At first, I thought the Expo was going to be lame or boring because we were going for school as a field trip and we would be supervised. I didn’t think we would be able to do or see anything fun or exciting. My teacher had been hyping up this field trip for a while and telling the class it would awesome and we would learn a lot of things as well. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think I would be let down. Once I got there and experienced it, I can tell you I was very wrong.

When the class first got there we went straight to registration to pick up our badges, and after that we went to the main hall to see the beginning symposium for the expo. The symposium was very educational, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

After the symposium was over, we were able to go into the exhibit hall to look around at all the booths available. My friends and I were awestruck at all the booths and people that showed up. It was very surreal.

One thing I enjoyed was the people that were there. They were so nice, and when my friends and I went to the different booths they were happy to answer questions and teach us about their booth.

I felt the Code Green Campaign booth was particularly helpful. They are an organization dedicated to helping different EMS personnel with PTSD and educate the public about EMS suicides.

The second thing I enjoyed was the actual amount of information there. Each booth had their own thing that made it special, whether it was simulations or models to practice on. Each booth had an abundant amount of information on their product that they were more than willing to teach or tell us about.

The last thing I really enjoyed was the swag that the booths were handing out. I attended the expo again on Saturday and many of the booths were handing extra things out that they didn’t need or want. I got a lot of pens and I was also lucky enough to get SAM Splint.

The EMS World Expo was a huge success in my book. I would be more than willing to attend the expo again and invite and recommend all my friends attend.

A Motivating Experience

By Wyatt Grenstiner

I am very new to the EMS world scene. I am still a high school student, and I haven’t been to many events focused on EMS. All that being said, my experience at EMS World Expo 2015 was amazing.

I went to the opening ceremony, and I really enjoyed it. Hearing from different speakers about advances in medical technology was nice.

I was able to participate in several simulations and saw quite a few amazing pieces of equipment. I was impressed that there is a piece of equipment the can do compressions for you. There were other amazing pieces of equipment there that I would never get to experience in my studies.

While I was there I was able to make several connections with people from out of the country. I was able to hear their stories, and they were sobering. As much as they scared me, they also drove me to do more. The horrid account of gang violence and their inability to be effective due to their old and outdated equipment drove me to try and help people more.

I really enjoyed my time at the expo. I can’t wait for it to come back to Las Vegas and I fully intent to come again.

Getting My Hands Dirty

By El Dorshae Hendrix

The 2015 EMS World Expo was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had as a student. It intrigued my young mind and gave me different perspectives of the EMS community. This opportunity was by far one of the most exciting things that I have ever done.

Throughout the day, I found and participated in a few really interesting things, including a scenario on pediatric emergencies, packing a bleeding wound and competing in a high quality CPR competition with The American Heart Association.

The first scenario I went through gave my heart a little jump,and I have to admit I was freaking out about it the entire time. I learned a whole bunch in just those few short moments.

The scenario featured a pediatric dummy that was pretty much a real person in all aspects. This dummy had a respiration rate, a blood pressure, a pulse, a voice and an IV. This completely blew my mind.

The patient was a younger child who had ingested some of his father’s diabetic medication. My partner and I had to figure out what was wrong and fix it. Although I looked puzzled and confused the entire time and did only a couple of things, I learned many skills after it was over.

The second thing I got to participate in at the expo was packing a wound with some cool packing materials. The material was designed to speed up the body’s natural clotting process.

I was able to practice by using the material on a scenario-based dummy with an arterial bleed. The scenario was like a real life-situation. The blood was pumping out like it would in real life, and it was my job to stop the bleeding. This was another amazing experience at the expo because it gave me the chance to experience something I love doing—getting my hands dirty.

The last thing I did before leaving the expo was compete in an AHA high-quality CPR competition with three of my closest friends. In this scenario a young woman at a racetrack is unresponsive because of cardiac arrest. We were dispatched and began to deliver CPR in a team of four.

The dummy we performed on gave us an exact number on how effectively we were delivering every part of CPR. It was really cool to see the actual percentages of what goes in the body.

I learned so many things just in one day of attending EMS World Expo. It was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. It would be a pleasure to repeat it, and if I had the opportunity, I wouldn't bat an eye at taking it. Thank you so much for your time and efforts in constructing such an amazing event, can't wait until next year.

Learning as a Way to Give Back

By Tiffany Robledo

I was among the 12 students from Veterans Tribute able to attend EMS World Expo 2015. The EMS World Expo held a lot of exhibitors marketing their products including: gloves for first responders, training simulators for educational setting and ambulance equipment. People came from around the world for this expo and its many products for three days, and going to one of them was a great experience for my classmates and me.

The first responder field has interested me since I found out my younger sister had special needs. At that time, I never knew what a seizure was, and obviously my family and I didn’t know what it was like having a kid with disabilities in our household.

When my sister seized, my mom would call 911, and at that time my dad wasn’t in the picture. Firefighters or paramedics would stay there till my godmother picked us up. I felt safe knowing they had my sister, and I knew she was in good hands.

Ever since then, I realized I would love to give back and do what they do best. To me, the best way to thank them is to put myself in their position.

Being accepted into the EMT program at Veterans Tribute CTA has been a great opportunity and a blessing. I have learned so much these past 4 years, and I plan to continue my education in this field. Going to EMS World Expo made me think about how lucky I am to be at this school and get hands-on training that some schools don’t offer.

Expo was a benefit to my education. It allowed me to see some products I would like to buy once I become an EMT and other products I think would be a great addition to some of our ambulances here in Vegas.

At the Expo, my friends and I received a lot of information and free stuff. One of my favorite products was at the Ferno booth. They had a gurney with lights on the side to help guide the paramedics, and it as automatic and lifted the patient automatically.

My group and I also had the opportunity to compete in a CPR competition hosted by the Red Cross.

Another one of my favorite experience at the expo is seeing a MILO simulator, which helps people train with real life situations and calls. I was amused to see an EMT MILO because I thought there was only one for law enforcement, which my school has, and I think it will be a great investment if our school got one for our EMT program to better help and train us for our national registry exam at the end of the school year.

I hope I can go to EMS World Expo again the next time it comes. I got to see amazing products, some of which aren’t even on the market or on ambulances yet, and it gives people a perspective on what first responders and their equipment will be like in the future. It also gives the exhibitors a chance to show off their inventions and products to future buyers. This is a great learning experience, and I would recommend this expo to anyone.

‘A Great Time’

By Sarai Toledo

Attending the EMS World Expo was very exciting. Honestly it was not what I expected. Seeing all the new equipment and EMS technologies was such a great experience. The EMS World Expo was very exciting, and my group and I got the opportunity to enter the CPR competition. We also got the opportunity to meet people that traveled far away.

One product was saw was an ambulance that can detect if a patient is having a stroke. The wheeled stretcher and stair chair can now do all the lifting for an EMT.

Shortly afterwards, I got to practice how to stop bleeding with this new equipment. Artificial blood used by the simulators can be warmed up and clots like actually blood.

While walking around the exhibit hall, one of the stations had a CPR competition, which grabbed our full attention. Sadly, we didn’t win but a few other groups had the chance to compete as well.

Lastly, we had the opportunity to meet EMS personnel that traveled from Ohio, Oregon, Mexico and Amsterdam. We took a picture with one of the healthcare providers that came all the way from Amsterdam. These were some of the best memories I made at the EMS World Expo, even though my time there went fast, I had a great time. If I had the opportunity to attend another exhibition, I would gladly attend.

Stimulating Simulations

By Ariana Valdez

Attending EMS World Expo 2015 was one of the most unforgettable experiences, and produced many everlasting memories. From walking into the opening session and hearing various professionals in the EMS field to being able to see the latest technologies, I gained an immense amount of knowledge and an even better understanding of how important EMS is to our community and communities everywhere.

Exposure to the latest technology really opened my eyes into the realities of EMS and all of the risks that men and women take every day. In the general classroom setting, you are not exposed to blood, fractured bones, gunshot wounds, etc. However, new technologies allow students and professionals alike to experience situations that are as close to real life as it gets.

I was able to participate in the EMS World Expo Continuing Education Skills Challenge. In this, my partner and I were given an altered mental status patient scenario. This scenario truly opened my eyes to the amount of stress that EMS personnel can undergo in just a matter of minutes. Having to figure out what happened and what to do is a stress you cannot express to anybody in words. The lives of patients are in your hands, and your choices and decisions can change their lives forever.

This scenario was one of the most worrying and overwhelming things I have ever had to deal with. Having a patient that was coughing and not responding to our questions was hard enough to deal with. Also having the patient's father on scene asking if his son would be okay was another type of stress.

We have scenarios in class, but actually having a scenario as active as this one allowed me as a student to see how much I know, and if I can apply my knowledge in real life scenarios. In this scenario, our patient was a healthy 8-year-old boy who had taken some of his grandfather's pills. He was not responsive to verbal stimuli, and we were unsure of what medications had been taken and in what amount.

The patient's father was on-scene and was livid. Concerned with his son's condition, he interfered with our ability to provide care to his son. I took the father aside and began gathering a SAMPLE history for his son, who had been healthy up until this point. While gathering the history, I found out the son had taken some of his grandfather's "sugar medicine" which he had thought was candy.

The amount taken and name of the medication was unknown. Eventually, my partner and I got through the scenario, although we were both disappointed. Given the scenario was paramedic-level, we would not know how to do everything. Even so, we were able to work together and see what an actual call is like.

Aside from being able to participate in the skills challenge, all of the attendees were able to walk around the expo and talk to numerous professionals about the latest technologies in patient care. One of the things I thought was amazing was the pieces of equipment that bleed out as if they are actual living human beings. They talk and respond to your statements or questions, state their pain and what happened and can do so in multiple languages. Being able to see this and use this technology in a scenario was life-changing.

Obviously, what we read in textbooks is only half of the reality. Words in a book cannot express what happens in real life when you have a patient. Being able to work on "patients" that bleed, express their pain, cough and perform all these other functions allowed me to get a peek into the career I am pursuing. I believe this experience cemented the fact that I do what to pursue a career in medicine and more specifically in the field of EMS.

Being able to attend the EMS World Expo gave me the honor of meeting professionals and being able to learn from them. This experience was unforgettable, and everything I saw and learned will play a role into my career and growth as an individual. I am very thankful to have been able to attend EMS World Expo, and I hope that I can attend it in the future to be blown away again by the field of EMS.

‘A New Perspective’

By Sharon Zapien

EMS is a world filled with opportunities that can be very intriguing and intense. Not everyone is cut out to go into this field. At EMS World Expo 2015 we were given the opportunity to meet people in the field from all around the world. I was given the opportunity to meet them and learn from them about how they perform out in the field. 

I was able to visit the Expo twice. Once with my senior EMT class, and the other time with my explorer post from AMR. I got see and experience hands-on practice at different stations. One in particular was the intubation station, where they were demonstrating their intubation product. This particular intubation tube allows the person to see the tube going down the patient’s mouth through a little camera and light at the end. The camera at the end is connected to either a computer or a tablet, and the person can view the images on the screen. This way it is easier to tell if the balloon is in too far or is properly positioned.

There were several different tools and gadgets on display at the expo. I saw car kits that can be used in case of an emergency, various types of gauges and gloves and personal safety equipment like goggles and survival kits.

Another display I enjoyed was the emergency vehicles that were shown. One in particular I remember is the bus that we had a chance to look inside. We saw how it was set up and how so many people can be transported on it. Another one I enjoyed was the S.W.A.T vehicle.

I had the opportunity to talk to and meet a lot of interesting people and organizations. One was a nonprofit organization that rides bikes all around the country to honor those who have fallen in the public safety industry. This includes firefighters, police officers and dispatchers. I spoke to one of the founders and he was explained his experiences and what they plan on doing to further expand their foundation. 

EMS World Expo was an amazing experience for me because it gave me a more in-depth look at EMS and the people who work in the community. It also allowed me to see what opportunities are out there for me, not just as a paramedic but in the medical field in general. I met a lot of interesting people, and I now have a new perspective of the EMS community.