Bill Humes, paramedic and training officer with Cranberry Township EMS, talks to residents in May about emergency services. This year's EMS Training Blitz, which Humes founded, is scheduled for Aug. 18 and 19 at the Pittsburgh Marriott North hotel in Cranberry.

CRANBERRY TWP — When Bill Humes dreamed up the Cranberry Township Emergency Medical Service Training Blitz in 2014, he wasn't sure what to expect.

Humes, a paramedic and training officer with Cranberry Township EMS, just wanted to give fellow EMS workers an easy way to get a bunch of high-quality continuing education credits in one weekend.

“It worked,” he said.

Four years later, it has outgrown its original location and expanded to offer 34 classes. The 2018 Training Blitz is scheduled for Aug. 18 and 19 at the Pittsburgh Marriott North hotel in Cranberry.

It draws attendees from around the region and across the state, Humes said. Last year's Blitz had 26 classes with 130 people attending.

Jeff Kelly, Cranberry Township EMS chief, said it's one of the largest EMS training conferences in the state and likely the largest hosted by a single EMS agency.

The inspiration for the Blitz came after Humes was promoted to crew chief and took on the responsibility of training at Cranberry Township EMS. He tried hosting weekly classes but attendance was low.

“Most EMS workers have one or two jobs. Our schedules are hectic,” Humes said. “It's not easy or convenient to get away for a couple hours for a class.”

The burden is on the EMTs and paramedics to find continuing education classes being hosted by other EMS providers or take online classes to meet recertification requirements, Humes said.

EMTs must get 24 continuing education credits every three years to get recertified. Paramedics, prehospital registered nurses and advanced EMTs must get 36 continuing education credits.

So Humes came up with a plan to make it easy for EMS personnel to get as many classes as they could in one weekend.

The Training Blitz started small in 2014 with 14 classes. Some of them were taught by Cranberry EMS personnel, Humes said. They had no idea what to expect, but they had 80 people that first year.

It has grown each year since, necessitating a move from Cranberry Township's Public Safety Training Facility to the Pittsburgh Marriot North hotel. The cost is $50 for the entire weekend and $30 for one day, and includes food and refreshments for the weekend.

At this year's Blitz, there will be four classes running simultaneously at time slots throughout the day Saturday and Sunday. Attendees can get at least a dozen continuing education credits from the event, Humes said.

“We will have some of the best physicians from the Pittsburgh region coming to this to teach,” Kelly said.

People are welcome to sit in on whichever class interests them; there are a lot of options to choose from.

Topics include: advances in stroke care, explosion and blast injuries, intro to hyperbarics, organ donation in trauma, burn management, behavioral health for first responders, EMS support of law enforcement operations, abdominal pain, nonorthopedic sports injuries and more.

Saturday morning's keynote speaker, Dr. Dan Swayze of the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western PA, will speak about changing EMS's response to the opioid crisis. Sunday's lunchtime keynote speakers Robert McCaughan, vice president of prehospital care services for Allegheny Health Network, and Doug Garretson, president of STAT MedEvac, will discuss hot topics in EMS.

There will also be a meet-and-greet Saturday evening.

“We're just trying to give a very well-rounded weekend,” Kelly said. “We're giving folks great con-ed, great education and a great opportunity to be together.”

For more information on classes or to register for the event, visit ctems51.org.