Medics On Scene

22/08/2026

Whoa there… it turns out my question wasn’t quite so simple! 😁
Thanks to everyone who commented on our injured-rider scenario. There was actually quite a bit to unpack—and probably far too much to squeeze into one sensible Facebook post without you all losing the will to live as I expanded on each point…

The short version is this:
Parents reasonably expected the Medic team to assess the rider, manage their pain, stabilise the injury, safely get them out of the arena, continue their care somewhere suitable and arrange onward transportation to hospital if needed. All perfectly sensible.

Something to remember: “Medic” isn’t one universal level of capability. Different clinical roles have different scopes of practice. An EMT, for example, can’t provide IV medications; those require a Registered Paramedic or Specialist Paramedic, depending on the medication and treatment required.

Also, qualifications, medications, equipment, vehicles, treatment facilities and support systems can all vary—even where providers are working to the same minimum personnel specification.

So, the question for event organisers isn’t only: “Have we met the Medic specification?”...
It’s also: “What can our Medic team actually do on the day?”

For those keen to unpack that a little further, I’ve done the long version on the MOS Blog:
https://www.medicsonscene.org.nz/medic-resources-event-safety/what-sits-behind-the-word-medic

And our free Event Organiser Resources provide practical tools to help organisers check what capability is actually being offered:
https://www.medicsonscene.org.nz/new-event-organiser-resources.html

21/08/2026

Hey, get ready Hawke's Bay...!

OVER 5,300 TICKETS SOLD AND STILL COUNTING😮‍💨

Tickets are selling fast and it’s shaping up to be a good crowd tonight👀

🎟️Come join us tonight in cheering on the boys!
https://hbmagpies.flicket.co.nz/events/55080346-16df-4d21-96d0-5a3812c7a885/reservation

19/08/2026

How about we do something different...
as a parent, what would you expect from the Medic team in this scenario...?

Your child falls from their horse in a Show Jumping arena at an A&P Show and may have fractured their leg. They are in a significant amount of pain.

The Medic team is called.

What would you expect to happen next?

Tell us in the comments—we’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts...
( For some context, let's assume the Medic team consists of an EMT and a First Responder - I mention that because thats a pretty standard medic spec for something like this ).

15/08/2026

Different events. Same commitment.
It's been a wonderfully varied few weeks for the Medics On Scene team!
From the lights and crowds of Illuminate Light & Sound Experience in Hastings, to horse racing at Foxton Racing Club and Hastings, the mud and action of Hawkes Bay Motorcycle Club, Hawkes Bay Magpies rugby under the lights at McLean Park, and runners heading into the darkness for the Puketapu School Night Run — no two event days have looked quite the same.
And that's one of the things we love about event medicine.
Every event brings a different environment, different risks and different operational challenges. One day we're working trackside at a racecourse, the next we're beside a motocross track, covering a major stadium fixture, supporting a community event or setting up for an evening festival.
Behind each one is the same objective: having the right medical response, in the right place, at the right time.
A big thank you to the event organisers and organisations who continue to trust our team with the medical care at their events — and, of course, to our Medics who turn up with a smile, adapt to whatever the day throws at them, and make it all work.
It's certainly been a varied winter... and the busy event season hasn't even started yet!
Different events. Different challenges. One very fortunate Medic team that gets to be part of them all.

06/08/2026

🚑 WE’RE LOOKING FOR NEW EVENT MEDICS!

Medics On Scene is growing, and we’re looking for friendly, reliable and professional people to join our Hawke’s Bay team in casual Event Medic roles.

We’d love to hear from:

🔴 First Responders
🔴 Emergency Medical Technicians
🔴 Paramedics

Already hold a current Comprehensive First Aid certificate and interested in taking the next step? We’re prepared to provide further training for suitable people who would like to work with us as casual First Responders in the event sector.

Event medicine is certainly varied! One weekend you might be working at a local sports club, and the next at an equestrian event, a Magpies game, a motocross track, festival, concert or major community event.

We’re looking for people who are:

✓ Reliable and able to honour the events they commit to
✓ Friendly, professional and comfortable working with the public
✓ Confident, adaptable and keen to learn
✓ Able to work well as part of a medical team
✓ Interested in developing their event medical experience

These are casual positions, with work offered across Hawke’s Bay and occasionally in neighbouring regions.

Sound like something you’d enjoy?

Find out more and apply through our vacancies page:

👉 https://www.medicsonscene.org.nz/job-vacancies.html

Please feel free to share this post with someone who might be a great fit for the MOS team!

18/07/2026

An absolute stunner of a day in Tikokino. Central Hawke's Bay Motorcycle Club have turned it on for today's club day...

18/07/2026

What a great addition for the Pahiatua community. So good to see another of our team members getting the recognition he deserves too. Well done Steven Mar !!

Same-day urgent care in Dannevirke and Pahiatua. Visit our Acute Care walk-in clinics for injuries, illness, and health concerns that can’t wait. No appointment needed.

13/07/2026

Outstanding work Lowe Corporation - what a fantastic supporter you have been 👏🙏. Handing over the reigns to the Wallace Foundation... much respect! 🫡

11/07/2026

A message from the 2026 Intensive Care Paramedic Training Conference:

What an incredible two days!

The 2026 ICP Training Conference came to a close on Wednesday, and we'd like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who attended, presented, and helped make this year's conference such a success.

The aim of the conference is simple: to provide a practical, supportive learning environment where advanced clinicians can refresh rarely used critical skills, challenge their thinking, and learn from one another.

Over two days, delegates rotated through a series of hands-on skill stations and presentations covering topics including:

• Front of neck airway (FONA) and intraosseous access
• Advanced airway management and capnography
• Synchronized cardioversion and transcutaneous pacing
• Staying ready for rare critical skills (HALO decision making)
• Fascia iliaca nerve blocks
• Management of the agitated traumatic brain injury patient
• Neurogenic shock scenarios
• Advanced medical and traumatic cardiac arrest management
• Crisis Resource Management (CRM) and managing cognitive overload
• Rapid Sequence Intubation and high-performance team roles

A sincere thank you to our outstanding presenters, who generously shared their knowledge, experience, and passion for education:

• Dr Hannah Latta (ECP/CCP)
• Cornelius Venter (CCP)
• Benjamin van der Nest (ECP/CCP)
• Jules Dewar (ICP, Director - Medics On Scene)
• Barry McCarthy (RN, ICP, Director – Bledisloe Medical, Queensland)

Thank you for investing your time and expertise into our profession. The quality of the presentations and practical teaching was exceptional, and the feedback from delegates reflected just how valuable the conference was.

A special thank you also to our conference sponsors, Medics On Scene and ProMed EMS Trust, whose support helped make this event possible.

Finally, thank you to everyone who travelled from across New Zealand to be part of the conference. It was fantastic to see clinicians from event medicine, aeromedical retrieval, primary care, military, industrial, FIFO, and frontline ambulance services learning together, sharing ideas, and building new professional connections. This profession is stronger when we learn from one another, and there should be more opportunities like this.

We're already looking forward to the ICP Training Conference 2027. If this year's event is anything to go by, next year's conference promises to be even bigger and better. We hope to see many familiar faces return—and plenty of new ones joining us.

Until next year—keep the rare skills current, the common skills polished, and the patient at the centre of everything you do.

08/07/2026

🚑 Happy International Paramedics Day 🚑

Today we recognise the expertise, professionalism and dedication of Paramedics across New Zealand and around the world.
Whether working on the frontline, in primary care, critical care retrieval, aeromedical transport, military medicine, event medicine, or many other clinical environments, paramedics continually invest in developing their knowledge and skills to provide the very best care for their patients.

It's fitting that today also marked the second day of the 2026 Intensive Care Paramedic Training Conference in Porirua, where Intensive Care Paramedics, Critical Care Paramedics, Extended Care Paramedics and Paramedics have come together to learn from one another, refresh clinical skills and continue pursuing clinical excellence.

To everyone serving in this remarkable profession—thank you for your commitment to your patients, your colleagues, and to lifelong learning.

Happy International Paramedics Day!