To answer that question we must tell you about The Gene Weatherall Memorial Texas EMS Reunion & Chili Cook-off, as TEMSF would have never reached conception were it not for the efforts to organize what has become more popularly known as EMStock.

EMStock came about when a small group of medics decided Texas EMS folks needed some way to get folks together and get them talking. We didn't really know how to do this, but then along came a fellow telling us about a particular episode involving himself and Gene Weatherall and a bunch of other folks. For those who don't know, Gene was the Director of the Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Emergency Management - the regulatory agency for Texas EMS. Some folks feel like it was Gene Weatherall who drove (or dragged) Texas EMS into the 20th century.

As the story goes, there was some sort of meeting going on at some hotel somewhere and the gathered luminaries were arguing feverishly trying to solve some problem or another, all the while failing miserably.  Later, after the meeting, while sitting in the hotel bar they managed to work the whole thing out. Gene Weatherall later mused "You know, almost nothing good for EMS has ever happened in a meeting or been accomplished by a committee. Every problem we have ever solved has been worked out in a bar over a beer. " He went on to suggest a gathering of EMS folks that he dubbed a "Texas EMS Reunion and Chili Cook-off". Nothing ever came of it and Gene eventually retired from the Department.

Well, we ruminated over this story for a bit then decided that we ought to honor Gene's memory by putting on the very event he had wished for. So we did, and we named the event "The Gene Weatherall Memorial Texas EMS Reunion & Chili Cook-off", calling it EMStock for short (pronounced M-stock, after Woodstock, of course!), and held the first one in October of 2002. We didn't advertise it very much and the weather was certainly not in our favor but those who attended had a great time. The 2003 event built upon the previous year's efforts - changing the dates to find better weather and adding activities that EMS folks would appreciate. We were right, because they came and they enjoyed.

As our 100% volunteer group worked on this event we spent lots of time cussing and discussing how to best draw folks together. We had lots of good ideas, but probably the best was to form TEMSF as a 501(c) 3, Texas non-profit corporation with the goal of promoting EMS education, fellowship and cooperation between EMS providers and agencies, statewide.

So, there you are, and here we are. We hope you will join us in making both TEMSF and EMStock successful.