By: Robert Avsec, Executive Fire Officer
I’m humbled and honored to be a contributor to the Spring 2016 digital edition of Paramedic Chief: Best Practices for the Progressive EMS Leader. My article, Stay Up-to-Date with On-Line EMS Training and Education, is just one of six outstanding pieces that focus on Trends in Training: Social Tools and Digital Techniques for EMS Provider Education.
The “explosion” of accessible and affordable on-line training and education is a topic that is “near and dear” to my heart. First of all, I’ve always been a “training guy”: I loved training to become a better firefighter and EMS provider and I loved being an instructor who helped “kindle” the same passion in others.
Secondly, I earned both my B.S. degree from the University of Cincinnati and my M.S. degree from Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, AZ) while working full-time on the job with the Chesterfield County (Va.) Fire and EMS Department, located outside of Richmond, Virginia.
That B.S. degree was particularly challenging because I earned it via distance learning in the “pre-Internet” days. I personally kept the U.S. Postal Service solvent during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s mailing course work back and forth between Virginia and Ohio
The M.S. degree was a bit easier as the Internet was coming alive and GCU made us of the on-line learning platform, Blackboard. At least me and my instructors did not have to use the “snail mail” any longer because of Blackboard’s “drop box” and discussion boards, and e-mail (Yes, ancient history for the digital world!).
So check out my article and those of my colleagues, Rommy Duckworth, Bob Sullivan, Dan Limmer, Bruce Chew, and Kelly Greyson at Paramedic Chief.