Whitesboro Fire Department (WFD) EMS Division Chief Stephen Wilcox has been selected to speak at the Fire Department Instructor’s Conference (FDIC) in Indiana this April. The conference has international attendance and is held annually over several days. FDIC is attended by thousands of fire professionals each year and is the premier education and trade show for the fire service in the United States.
Chief Wilcox will be presenting a session on Aggressive EMS Treatment for the Fire Victim. The session will focus on sharing the knowledge and tools necessary to be prepared to treat and resuscitate victims pulled from fire and smoke environments.
Wilcox has been instrumental in bringing those same protocols and tools to WFD EMS. He has worked to equip the ambulances with the necessary tools and equipment to treat fire victims and followed up with medical protocols that will enable WFD EMS providers to monitor and treat patients rescued from burning environments aggressively and successfully.
When asked about his feelings on the opportunity to present at the conference, Wilcox said, “I’m blessed and honored for the opportunity to present at this year’s FDIC in Indianapolis. This presentation is something that I’ve been passionate about for several years. We commonly hear about fire departments having an aggressive fire search culture, but it typically stops there. My goal with this presentation is to demonstrate how fire and EMS departments should be continuing that same level of aggressiveness in treating victims that are removed from structure fires to ultimately improve the survivability of this patient population.”
His passion for education and sharing knowledge is evident. Wilcox has taught numerous courses for WFD and the surrounding area, and for several years has led sessions for CareFlite during its annual training conference, as well as presenting at the Texas EMS Conference in Austin last year.
“I enjoy sharing education and knowledge with other fire, EMS and healthcare workers across the nation, and I’m excited for another opportunity to share what I’ve learned through my experiences while working at Whitesboro Fire/EMS, The Colony Fire and CareFlite.” Wilcox said.
