6 May 2009
The Emergency Service Show is back for the fourth year running
ESS 2009 will take place on November 24th - 25th in Stoneleigh Park, Coventry
 
The Emergency Services Show is back for the fourth year running. Bucking the trend of other events, it is set to be bigger and better than ever.
 
Day by day, world events are bringing home the complex nature of today's emergencies. Most recent is a potential swine flu pandemic, which has promptly activated civil contingency plans. This follows in the wake of natural disasters such as the devastating Italian earthquake; ongoing worldwide terrorist attacks and resulting anti-terror operations; unforeseen emergencies and rescue operations such as the North Sea helicopter crashes - all highlighting the overwhelming need for emergency service organisations and agencies to work closely together to ensure a co-ordinated and more effective response.
 
The Emergency Services Show is the one UK event which can help facilitate this, providing all organisations involved in emergencies with access to the latest cutting edge technology, a unique opportunity to network with likeminded professionals and the chance to share industry information.

There are three distinct parts of the show:

  • The Exhibition - (free to attend) - over 300 specialist equipment suppliers and service providers.
  • The Networking Zone - (free to attend) - made up of the Emergency Response Zone and the Blue Light Zone. This focal point of the Exhibition provides individuals with the opportunity to find out about specific Category 1 and 2 responders, professional, government and voluntary organisations, as well as police, ambulance and fire & rescue services
  • The Conference - "Planning, Response, Recovery"

Patrick Cunningham, MD of Civil Protection, who acted as Chair for the 2008 Conference, described it as "an excellent conference which covered all of things that matter in civil contingencies today. It featured the best set of speakers at one conference in the last five years."

2009 looks set to build further on this successful format. It will provide an insight into current strategic thinking and the practical methods of improving co-responding, including presentations on past, present and future challenges faced by the emergency services and their partners.

As Ambex is not taking place this year, the Emergency Services Show will be more important than ever for the ambulance sector. A jointly organised medical conference has just been confirmed to complement the main event. The programme for the Integrated Pre-hospital Emergency Care (IPEC) Conference is being finalised. It will provide an opportunity for paramedics, doctors, nurses, ambulance technicians, emergency care assistants, co-responders, community first responders and voluntary aid society members to discuss and debate how to work together more effectively to provide high standards of pre-hospital patient care.

As further evidence of the increasing importance of the Emergency Services Show within the industry, the Highways Agency is supporting the Exhibition for 2009, whilst the British Red Cross is supporting the Conference for the second year running.

Visit the event website for further information, to register and to keep updated with the conference programme.