Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Holds 10th Annual EMS and Tactical Medicine EXPO

COLTON, CA (AMTV),May 27 – On May 18, 2022, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) held its 10th Annual EMS and Tactical Medicine Expo at the hospital in Colton, Calif. In honor of National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week, which began in 1974, the event celebrated emergency medicine practitioners and provided valuable training and demonstrations for medical field students and the public.

The event served more than 450 members of the public from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. Visitors were able to view demonstrations that included a K-9 demonstration, a Jaws of Life demonstration, and a Stop the Bleed demonstration. Numerous emergency and tactical vehicles were on-site for up-close viewing and tours, including helicopters, ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks. Visitors could speak with EMS professionals from a variety of fields, including police and fire departments, SWAT units, and more.

“We are here for the betterment of health and safety in our community,” said William Gilbert, Hospital Director. “Providing education about all of these resources, and skilled individuals that you have in different agencies, means we can say to the community, ‘We are here for you.’”

Over a decade ago, ARMC’s Troy Pennington, D.O., and Michael Neeki, D.O., worked to expand the hospital’s emergency medical training by bringing together law enforcement, military agencies, and fire departments at the hospital as the center of care. They sought to break down the barriers between fields of emergency responders to provide better, more comprehensive emergency medical care.

Dr. Pennington, who oversaw the event’s Stop the Bleed demonstration, is ARMC’s Emergency Medical Services Fellowship Director. Dr. Pennington stated, “I really wanted to start a strong training and education program to bring everyone together for EMS Week.”

“The pre-hospital and community care is changing, and Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is an important part of that change, said Dr. Neeki. “We can’t just be in the hospital. Our team is trained for pre-hospital and community service.”

About Arrowhead Regional Medical Center

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is a 456-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital licensed by the State of California Department of Public Health, operated by the County of San Bernardino, and governed by the Board of Supervisors. It is ARMC’s mission, in an environment of learning and innovation, to serve our diverse community with high-quality, compassionate care. The hospital, located on a 70-acre campus in Colton, California, operates the Edward G. Hirschman Burn Center, a level II trauma center, a primary stroke center, a behavioral health center, and five primary care centers. ARMC also provides more than 40 outpatient specialty care services. ARMC is helping to achieve the countywide vision by addressing the community’s wellness and educational needs. ARMC is the primary teaching hospital for the California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM). The University welcomed its first class of students in 2018. The School of Medicine is an allopathic (M.D.) school and is the first new, privately funded, not-for-profit medical school to earn accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) since 1949. For more information on CUSM, visit https://www.calmedu.org. For more information about ARMC, visit https://www.arrowheadregional.org.