Tennessee Ambulance Service Association
Minutes for November 11, 2010
Lebanon, TN
Those attending: Mike Shankle, Dennis Rowe, Brandon Ward, Doug McQuary, John Combes, John Fitzsimmons, Chad Graham, Larry Billingsley ,Will Angel and Robert Byrd.
President Rowe called the meeting to order at 1105 hours.
After reviewing last months minutes a motion was made by Brandon Ward and second by John Fitzsimmons to accept as presented. Motion passed.
Financial statement showed a balance of $ 62,137.98 with a motion made by John Fitzsimmons to approve as presented seconded by Doug McQuary. Motion passed.
Mike Shankle reviewed the 2010 Reimbursement conference numbers with approximately 150 attendees. The final hotel bill that Doug McQuary is working on should total a final amount for TASA to pay of approximately $12, 295.72. The Reimbursement conference for 2011 will be held October 5 and 6, 2011 with the Medical Director’s conference being held on the 4th, 2011. All of these will be at the Opryland Radisson in Nashville.
Legislative discussion was held on the need to keep the employment of a lobbyist versus uniting the EMS profession across the state to work the legislative issues. After much productive and educational discussion it was decided to keep the idea at hand to rely on both parties to assure legislative goals are obtained.
The Mid-Winter conference discussion uncovered a great deal of appreciation for the outstanding job that Chad Graham has done putting the conference together along with Fitch and Associates.  Many ideas were discussed on the agenda of different ways to have a smooth running conference. President Rowe requested that the conference committee make those decisions and assign work areas to board members. He requested that a list be compiled ahead of time for the workers to receive.  Larry Billingsley made a motion that a certificate be designed with Fitch and Associates emblems to be awarded to those attending. The motion was seconded by Brandon Ward, motion passed.
Awards committee chairman John Fitzsimmons discussed the way the website can be used for Award applications and requested that each region remind the services to submit to the program.  He was pleased that a couple of nominations had already been received.
John Fitzsimmons gave an update on NAEMT work and announced that TASA President Dennis Rowe had been re-elected to Region II Director on the NAEMT Board.  He ask that all EMS person to review the Proposed Draft of the NFPA 1917, Standard for Automotive Ambulances 2013. Comment period for the law change has to be submitted by December 15, 2010. NAEMT is working on a rebuttal on the changes.
NAEMT Day on the Hill will be May 3 and 4, 2011 in Washington DC. Brandon Ward made a motion to send a TASA delegation of 10 again this year with a second from Mike Shankle. Motion passed. Secretary Shankle will be working on the itinerary for the trip.
Mike Shankle asked that regional representatives send him a number of counties in each region that have franchises or resolutions to specific ambulance services.
Meeting was adjourned with a motion by John Combes and second by Larry Billingsley. Motion carried.
Mike Shankle
Secretary