Our First Steps
The Irish College of Paramedics (ICOP) intend to convene information evenings throughout the country during November. The purpose of these evenings will be to establish a constitution and executive committee and formally structure this new body. This cannot be done without your input. The vision is to establish the organisation formally, have 3 categories of registration - EMT, Paramedic and Advanced Paramedic and elect an overseeing executive council/committee.
The Executive Council
The composition of the executive council would include proportional representation from all levels, based approximately on the amount of registrants. In other words, the largest group (paramedics) would have the largest number on the committee, with EMTs and APs. Remember this is not a Union, but a professional body and all Union related business is not within the Remit of ICOP.
Membership
Membership of the executive council is limited to registered pre-hospital practitioners. This governing council must have no less than 80% of non-management practitioners.
Main Ethos
The ICOP is an all-inclusive professional body representing all EMTs, Paramedics and APs from every organisation.
The purpose of ICOP is to represent the profession.
ICOP may be assisted by other professions, but not directed.
Equally ICOP will not be directed by Unions or regulatory bodies.
Instead ICOP will engage with all those organisations that have an interest in Pre-Hospital Emergency Care.
Previous committees and organisations
Legitimate and sincere attempts have been made before in trying to establish such an organisation. These were related to a particular group of practitioners, supported by the Regulator or other professions or influenced by historical factors.