The 70th Annual International Rescue & Emergency Care Association Conference and Challenges was held this past June in Boise, ID in conjunction with the Amalgamated Sugar.

Educational seminars and the Basic Life Support challenge was held at The Riverside Hotel, while the First Response Rescue & Technical Rescue challenge was held at Amalgamated Sugar Factory. Teams from Valero Benicia (Benicia, California), ExxonMobil Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge, Louisiana), Phillips66 Bayway (Linden, New Jersey), Sweeny Complex (Sweeny, Texas), Valero Meraux (Meraux, Lousiana), and high school students from Osseo (MN) Senior High’s Opportunities in Emergency Care (OEC) program competed for awards in this years’ challenge events.

Also, a team of high school students competed in the First Response Rescue - a fusion of Basic Life Support & Technical Rescue concepts - the third year in which the high school program has furnished a team.

This year’s Technical Rescue challenge event spanned two days and featured excellent competition between 7-person teams.  Taking the first place trophy this year was Valero Benicia, followed by Sweeny Complex and ExxonMobil Baton Rouge taking second & third place, respectively. Dusty Barron of ExxonMobil Baton Rouge took home the “Best Medic” award and Rhett Lormand, also of ExxonMobil Baton Rouge, took home the “Best Captain” award.

The First Response Rescue Challenge featured a number of smaller, 4-person, rescue teams and showcased a great deal of rescue and BLS talent.  Taking the first place trophy was ExxonMobil Baton Rouge’s “Louisiana Rescue #2,” followed closely by Valero Meraux and Valero Benicia in second & third place, respectively.

The Basic Life Support challenge featured 6 adult teams and 4 youth teams. In the adult division, ExxonMobil Baton Rouge’s “LA EMED” took first place while ExxonMobil Baton Rouge’s “Louisiana Rescue” BLS team took second place, and Valero Benicia Blue earning the third place award.  Earning the high test score among the adult teams was Stephanie Funk of Sweeny Complex. In the youth division, Osseo OEC’s “Unqualified Opinions” team took first place, while Osseo OEC’s “Hope on a Rope” team and “Bob Ross” team took second and third place, respectively.  The high test score among the youth competitors went to Marie Schultz and Amber Gaudette of Osseo OEC, while the Spirit of Competition award went to the Louisiana EMED team, who assisted when a simulated victim experienced an actual injury in the course of a scenario.

Finally, the Association’s “Max Spray Award” was awarded to John Winkelman from Osseo OEC, in part for his contributions to furthering the association’s international reach, as well as his work with conference planning. 

The International Rescue & Emergency Care Association teaming with Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service intend to hold the 71st Annual Conference & Challenges the week of June 17, 2019 in College Station, Texas.  All are welcome to attend as we look forward to again having record numbers of teams & participants!                                                                                                                                                              

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