MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Hundreds of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) staff will take up NMU’s Northern Center this weekend for the 2025 U.P. EMS Conference, hosted by Platinum Educational Group.
Compared to the rest of the state, working in this profession is much different up north. The annual conference allows for downstate providers to give local staff the opportunity to refresh on situations that may be more uncommon in the Upper Peninsula.
“It’s important to be able to have these types of educational opportunities to come together, not just to practice things that we already know, but to hear from providers from other areas,” said John Spencer, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Platinum Educational Group.
Thursday’s introduction saw courses in high-impact learning, such as responding to a mass injury event, training in proper airways and ventilation, new technology advancements, and even yoga sessions to destress.
Courses throughout Friday and Saturday will focus on other resources and skill building, such as self defense, work-life resiliency, and many more.
First-responders experience an unthinkable amount of difficulty on any given day. On the account of burnout, a national shortage has been an issue for years, making an event like this so much more important.
“That’s magnified when you’re up in a rural area like the Upper Peninsula, where you don’t have the same volume of people to run through a program to become providers,” explained Spencer. “It’s incredibly important that we continue to have conferences like this, not only to keep everyone’s education up, but also to be able to inspire others and potentially recruit.”
For more information and to register, visit eventleaf.com.
