The ninth annual Southwest EVT Conference in March set both attendance and certification testing records. More than 150 attendees made it the largest conference to date and more than 120 people took a total of 189 EVTCC exams during the event.

During the conference, the Jim Bland Memorial Award was presented to Bill Foster, vice president of Spartan Chassis, during a surprise presentation at the annual maintenance roundtable dinner. The award is given to an individual who has devoted time and effort to further the EVT profession. All of the members of the Oklahoma and Texas Association of Emergency Vehicle Technicians are grateful to Foster for his efforts and support over the years.