Northwest EMS Conference - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Northwest EMS Conference

The Northwest Regional Emergency Medical Service Conference got underway this weekend in Minot.
Over a hundred of volunteer EMT's and First Responders gathered this weekend for the annual conference to continue their education in the field.
The North Dakota EMS Association is sponsoring legislation to increase the funding for the rural volunteer squads from the current 4 million dollars to 6 million dollars.
These dollars help fund coverage during the weekdays or weekends when volunteers are not available.
Perhaps the most relevant topic to the northwest region volunteers is the number of oil related calls--- which has resulted in forming a new association in the northwest part of the state known as OIMS or Oil Impacted EMS Association.

(Art Haskins, Board Member, Northwest Region North Dakota EMS Association) "The number of calls has increased and when they are volunteer EMS to start with and they are volunteering their time to take care of these patients those extra calls have been very much impacted."

North Dakota requires EMT's to receive 48 hours of continuing education each year to remain certified.