All Those in Favor - Winning the vote, saving the day

Description: You can have an organization that’s on top of its game, clinically excellent, accredited and financially solvent, but all progress and momentum can be halted or changed beyond recognition as a result of four simple words: all those in favor. Politics and politicking is pervasive and exists at every level of the EMS world.
Politics is not just a four-year event. It is ever-present in the real world, surrounding every element of every type of public safety organization. Police and fire chiefs are generally political appointees; sheriffs are publicly elected in a political process; and even EMS organizations have owners, boards and shareholders.
Politics with a large and small P abound! Because of this, a modicum of knowledge and understanding of federal and, more important, local politics is a key to success for EMS agencies. The master principle is that the majority will always rule, so your mission must be to ensure you have more votes or influence than the other guy/party. If you have the votes, politics will flow your way, and you won’t get voted off the island! Rob Lawrence has navigated politics at local, state, and federal levels and will discuss the traps, pitfalls, and opportunities.