Miami, June 3, 2016 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Medical Campus will host the 16th Annual Randy Boaz Memorial ALS (Advanced Life Support) Competition where dozens of emergency medical teams (EMTs) from across the State of Florida and beyond battle it out during an intense, educational and action-packed day for the “Best of the Best” title. MDC Emergency Medical Services students will participate in the competition, which will take place Friday, June 24, at the Medical Campus.
The Randy Boaz Memorial ALS Competition was established to honor the life and career of the late City of Miami Paramedic and MDC instructor Randy Boaz. The competition brings together some of the best licensed paramedics and student teams from across Florida. This year’s participants and guests will include professionals from Central and South America.
Boaz was chosen to participate in the nation’s first paramedic class. This class of paramedics was trained by two pioneering doctors, Dr. Eugene Nagel and Dr. Jim Hirschman, who are both scheduled to attend this year’s competition and speak on the beginnings of EMS. Boaz’s passion for his work earned him the respect of his peers and students throughout his career. He worked tirelessly to develop improvements in protocol for emergency response, first responder innovations and Emergency Medical Technician curriculum standards, which are still in place at the state and national levels.
As an instructor, he demonstrated a strong love and dedication to the field of EMS. Using humor and his natural enthusiasm he maintained interest while being extraordinarily informative. This competition is intended to honor Boaz’s belief in a fun learning atmosphere. It is estimated that Boaz trained 85% of paramedics at the time of his death that work working in Miami-Dade County. He passed away in 2000.
To participate as a competitor, actor or judge, send an email to rbarnet@mdc.edu. Registration is required and guaranteed participation is on a first come, first serve basis. The cost to register is $175 per team and it is preferred that the required registration fee be included with the registration form. The deadline to register is June 17. The registration form and more details are available at www.randyboaz.com.
MDC, the nation’s largest institution of higher education, is the top producer of first responders in Florida and a national model of excellence with bachelor’s degrees in public safety management, physician assistance and nursing, hundreds of allied health degrees and certificate programs.