Annual General Meeting Highlights

The 2007 Annual General Meeting of the Paramedic Association of Manitoba was held at the Fairmont Winnipeg this past weekend, and I'll be so bold as to suggest it may well be the most "successful" AGM in our Association's short history.

Typically the AGM is considered by many to be little more than a formality driven only by a Bylaw requirement to hold the meeting on an annual basis. To date our inaugural General Meeting held in Brandon (2001) was still the best attended. But this year the membership took full advantage of their ability to provide guidance and direction to the Executive on a number of issues.

The Board of Directors provided thorough updates on the various activities undertaken by PAM over the course of the past year. Membership numbers are up from 2006. PAM's Con-ed packages and On-line testing program are being used by paramedics in almost all regions for ARML purposes (with the exception of ARHA, Brandon and the Interlake), including Winnipeg dispatch and MTCC staff. The Manitoba Paramedic Honour Guard is in the final stages of preparation and is expected to be operational by early Spring. PAM has been an active participant in the development of the PCP Education Program requirements as recommended by the Program Advisory Committee. Members were updated on a number of local political and legislative initiatives, reviewed the status of issues which had been considered a priority going into 2007, were presented with an update of the latest Paramedic Association of Canada news and heard the Board's views on important matters heading into 2008.

Elections were held to fill three outgoing Executive positions, including two Directors and the Chair. I'm honored to have been re-elected to another three year term as Chairman of PAM, and also returning as Board members are Diane Findlay (IRHA) and Michelle Bessas (WEMS).

Members were asked to consider two Bylaw amendments at this year's AGM and approved both. The first change eliminates the requirement to elect two Board members from the EMR (Tech) member category and two from the Paramedic level category. Board members are now elected by majority vote from any of the current provincial EMS license categories. The second Bylaw change was only editorial in nature.

The Executive had notified the membership of a proposal to change the Full/Active registration fee from the existing $60.00 per year to $72.00 per year effective July 1st, 2008. When the motion was debated at the AGM, members decided that it should actually be raised too $80.00 annually to ensure the Association is able to grow and meet anticipated needs as we prepare to apply for self-regulation.

In addition to business set out by the Board for consideration, a number of resolutions were introduced by members at the AGM. The Association membership has provided the following direction to the Executive:

• Effective September 1, 2008, Con-Ed packages and On-Line testing should be available only to Paramedic Association of Manitoba registrants;
• Registration categories should be reviewed and amended as possible to allow "retired" EMS license holders full membership privileges and to develop a "student" category;
• Investigate a means to electronically telecast the AGM throughout the province in an effort to allow members to participate from sites outside of the host location.

It was exciting to see those who attended the AGM express not only an interest in Association activities but also recognize and act on their responsibility to be active in the profession. I think it bodes well for a very successful year in 2008.

One More Term?

The Annual General Meeting of the Paramedic Association of Manitoba is just days away, and among the items of business to be conducted at the January 12th meeting is the election of two Directors and the Chair. As my current term concludes, it marks the end of my seventh year as Chairman of the Association...and what many, including myself (and certainly my wife), expected would be my last.

In January 2001, a group of eight paramedics gathered in a meeting room at the Hotel Fort Garry, and with the help of the Paramedic Association of Canada formulated a plan to resurrect a pre-hospital professional association in Manitoba. Since that time, the face of emergency medical services in our province has undergone significant change, and PAM has been front and centre through much of that evolution. An increase in career opportunities, higher educational requirements for paramedics, improvements in continuing education, revised legislation, alignment with the National Occupational Competency Profiles, improved communication and dispatch systems, discussions around the concept of self-regulation...PAM has played a very important role in the betterment of emergency health care available to Manitobans today.

The establishment of a professional association for paramedics in Manitoba has served both our patients and our profession well. No doubt there have been frustrations along the way, and there is still much more to accomplish than what we've managed to achieve to date. But I think there is a greater willingness today than ever before, both politically and within the profession, to continue to strive for improvement, and that's exciting! As a result of that excitement I have decided to seek re-election as the Chairman of the Paramedic Association of Manitoba for one final term.

Now I need to go explain this decision to my wife :)