Inside EMS

“We wanted to build something to solve the problem and help the paramedic, not hinder them.” Clive Savacool, CEO and founder of LogRx, joins the podcast this week to discuss preventing drug diversion/theft.

Host Christ Cebollero and Savacool discuss:

• Who sets the tone for compliance accountability in an EMS organization

• The practice of gatekeeping narcotics from “drug seekers”

• Modernizing documentation practices to increase accuracy

• The LogRx smartphone platform and solution for tracking narcotics and other drugs

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com.

Inside EMS cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson delve into a legal case out of New Jersey in this week’s episode, in which law enforcement officers and EMS providers were recently charged with the in-custody, in-ambulance death of a patient under the influence of bath salts.

The discussion also discusses a similar incident out of Colorado in which two paramedics and a police officer were convicted in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain after he was injected with ketamine.

Chris and Kelly share vulnerable moments from their careers when they regret not advocating for their patient in the face of law enforcement actions, plus we dig into all this:

• The growing legal scrutiny of EMS practices

• How to use de-escalation techniques to mitigate contentious situations with law enforcement partners

• The ethical responsibilities of EMS providers

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com.

“Sometimes we made decisions and wound up getting corrective action where maybe a culture of coaching would have taught me to grow.”

Kelly Grayson puts the spotlight on fellow cohost Chris Cebollero this week as the pair discuss whether progressive discipline still has a place in EMS or if a move to a culture of coaching, as written about extensively by Chris, would have a more positive impact on retention rates, turnover, burnout and overall career satisfaction.

Top quotes

• “Experience comes from mistakes and mistakes come from lack of experience.” – Chris Cebollero

• "I've gotten enough progressive discipline, enough paper that I can wallpaper a small closet." – Chris Cebollero

• “This isn’t about me wanting to fire you. This is about me wanting to make you the very best that you can be.” – Chris Cebollero

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com.

“Sometimes we make a decision, and it snowballs.” Our cohosts get vulnerable on this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, sharing times in their career when they suffered from cascade bias – using incorrect supplied or assumed information, which led to mistakes that compounded to the detriment of the patient. Have you experienced this in your career?

Plus, we dig into all this:

• How to enhance your decision-making skills during times of uncertainty
• Which U.S. Air Force acronym can help with bias reassessment
• How experience can work against providers when it comes to bias

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com.

This week our cohosts are talking about everyone’s favorite activity: public speaking. While you may not love talking to a crowd, knowing how to effectively deliver a presentation is not just for leaders. Providers at all levels should know how to communicate on a complex topic to a group of people. And who knows more about expounding on complex EMS topics than Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson?

The pair highlight their extensive experience as educators and industry speakers, discussing:

• The key components of effective public speaking
• How to make presentations more dynamic
• Why you should be intimately familiar with your material
• Tips and tricks for new public speakers

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com.

In this week’s episode of the Inside EMS podcast, host Chris Cebollero and guest host Rob Lawrence delve into the dynamics of EMS leadership, legislative challenges and the pursuit of better reimbursement practices for EMS services. The conversation also digs into EMS on the Hill Day and how providers can impact legislation through advocacy.

Memorable quotes

• "We say, 'When is someone going to do something?' And really, the charge is, 'When is everyone going to step up and do something?'" — Chris Cebollero
• "We have to battle hard to increase our reimbursement, which therefore equates to income, which therefore equates to wages. It's not a case about we all want to go home in a Rolls-Royce.” — Rob Lawrence
• "To get things done in EMS, we actually have to be good at convincing our locally elected officials." — Rob Lawrence
• "The power of the folk out there, when they put their uniform on, when they get in front of these elected officials, is absolute." — Rob Lawrence

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com.

Chris Cebollero is flying solo on this episode of Inside EMS as he details the impact of authenticity and integrity in EMS. Through anecdotes and insights, he illustrates how credibility influences leadership effectiveness, team trust and the reputation of the EMS profession.

Memorable quotes

• “EMS is a very egotistical business; it’s the egotism that keeps us from asking ‘why?’”
• “Experiences come from mistakes and mistakes come from a lack of experience.”
• “Never allow your emotions to dictate your actions.”

About the sponsor

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com.

In this week’s episode of Inside EMS, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson delve into situational awareness, and the complexities and challenges faced every day by EMS professionals. The discussion emphasizes the importance of staying alert and prepared in emergency situations, following Cooper's Colors – a model illustrating different states of awareness from "tuned out" to "comatose."

This week’s conversation touches on:  

• The significance of situational awareness in EMS and how it can be the difference between life and death in emergency scenarios.
• Strategies for maintaining and improving situational awareness on the job, including practical applications of Cooper's Colors and mental preparation techniques.
• The psychological and emotional challenges of EMS work, offering insights into how EMS professionals navigate stress, uncertainty and the complexities of emergency response.

Memorable quotes

• "I think that paramedics are great at ensuring the scene is safe. I think paramedics and EMTs are poor once we say the scene is safe ... we forget about what's going on." — Chris Cebollero
• "’Safe scenes’ are what get EMTs killed because we don't go into unsafe scenes. It's the scene that we initially deemed safe that gets you killed because you don't see it coming." — Kelly Grayson

About the sponsor

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com.

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The latest episode of the Inside EMS podcast features a conversation with Mic Gunderson, president of the EMS Quality Academy and editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Paramedicine.

The discussion offers insights into the evolution of EMS publications and the importance of quality and research in advancing the field.

Memorable quotes

• "The people that most need to read current EMS research are the people most or least likely to read it." — Kelly Grayson
• “It isn't really the people that were sitting in the cubicle with the red pen, marking up, you know, paper charts you know, and playing quality cop in the corner that were going to change process and system design and fundamentally improve the quality of what we do. It's really about the whole way the organization is managed.” — Mic Gunderson

Key takeaways

• The evolution of EMS publications. Gunderson detailed the journey from the inception of the National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA) to the creation of the International Journal of Paramedicine. Highlighting the shift from a quality manager's focus to a broader management perspective, the conversation underscored the journal's role in elevating EMS discussions through scholarly discourse.
• A platform for diverse discourse. The International Journal of Paramedicine aims to expand beyond clinical topics to include operations, administration and science, offering a wide lens on EMS practices.
• The challenge of engaging the frontline. A significant portion of the discussion revolved around engaging EMS practitioners in research and quality improvement. The podcast highlighted the need for accessible and relevant research to inform practice and encourage progressive changes in prehospital care.
• Community and collaboration. The podcast underscored the importance of community involvement in advancing EMS research and quality. Gunderson's call for volunteers and contributors to the journal reflects a commitment to inclusivity and collaboration within the EMS field.

The episode serves as a reminder of the vital role of research, quality improvement and community collaboration in advancing EMS practices.

About the sponsor

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com.

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In this episode of the Inside EMS Podcast, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss Orange County, Florida's adoption of live stream technology for 911 calls, a move that promises to enhance the quality of emergency response through better triage and patient care.

This episode of Inside EMS Podcast exemplifies the ongoing evolution of emergency medical services, marked by technological innovation, educational advancements, and the importance of leadership and community engagement in shaping the future of EMS.

Learn more: Fla. county launches livestream option for 911 calls

Cebollero and Grayson discussed how integrating video technology into 911 dispatch can improve EMS response in the following ways:

• Enhanced triage accuracy. Live streaming allows dispatchers to visually assess the situation, leading to more accurate triage and resource allocation. This visual context can be crucial in determining the urgency and nature of the response needed. By providing dispatchers with a live visual feed, EMS teams can be better prepared upon arrival, knowing what to expect and potentially improving patient outcomes.
• Supporting scene safety. Live streaming video in 911 dispatch can significantly improve scene safety for emergency medical personnel by providing real-time visuals of the incident site before their arrival. This advanced insight allows paramedics and EMTs to assess potential hazards, understand the severity of the situation, and prepare appropriate safety measures in advance. This technology empowers responders with crucial information, enabling them to make informed decisions about their approach and ensuring they can protect themselves effectively while delivering critical care.
• Improved dispatcher-patient interaction: The ability to see the caller and the scene in real-time enhances communication between dispatchers and those in need, fostering a more empathetic and effective exchange of information.
• Efficiency in emergency response. Visual cues obtained through live streaming can help in quickly identifying the nature of the emergency, potentially reducing response times and increasing the chances of a positive outcome.
• Enhanced training opportunities. Recorded live streams can serve as valuable training tools, offering real-life scenarios for emergency responders and dispatchers to learn from and improve their skills.
• Cross-agency collaboration. The integration of live streaming technology encourages collaboration between EMS, fire departments, police and other emergency services, enabling a more coordinated response to incidents.

While enthusiastic about the potential of new technologies, Cebollero and Grayson also discussed the need for caution and the anticipation of unforeseen challenges, particularly concerning the privacy and security of live streamed 911 calls.

Also in this episode

• Innovations in EMS. Chris Cebollero shared his new role with QuickMedic and their innovative approach to utilizing paramedics for urgent care in collaboration with healthcare partners, indicating a shift towards more versatile roles for EMS professionals. He emphasized the importance of leadership and vision in developing effective teams across multiple states.
• Education and training. Kelly Grayson shared experiences from teaching a new accelerated paramedic program, stressing the importance of rigorous standards and personalized feedback to ensure student success, highlighting the evolving educational methodologies in EMS training.

About the sponsor

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com.

EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.

Heart blocks present a significant challenge to EMTs and paramedics, demanding a high level of expertise and precision in both diagnosis and treatment. Understanding the nuances of different types of heart blocks is crucial for effective patient management. The ability to accurately recognize and differentiate between various heart blocks, such as bifascicular, trifascicular and other types, is not just a matter of academic understanding but a vital skill in the fast-paced environment of EMS.

In this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss how to train EMTs and paramedics to recognize, differentiate and treat heart blocks.

Memorable quotes

"Some of the drugs that we give are sometimes cause many problems as they solve." — Kelly Grayson

"The best way to make an arrhythmia go away is to be prepared for the arrhythmia." — Kelly Grayson

“One of the things that we're talking about here is pacing. And I don't think that that's two things that we do very well in EMS. Paramedics don't pace and paramedics don't cardiovert. And one of the things that you've got to be able to remember is when those patients need both.” — Chris Cebollero

Key takeaways

• Understanding heart blocks, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson delve deep into the recognition and differentiation of heart blocks. Grayson emphasizes the challenge EMTs face in distinguishing between various heart blocks, such as bifascicular and trifascicular blocks, highlighting the need for thorough training and understanding.
• Treatment approaches. The podcast hosts discuss the traditional and contemporary treatment approaches to heart blocks, focusing on medications like atropine, lidocaine and procainamide. Grayson points out the delicate balance between treating the arrhythmia and avoiding exacerbating the patient's condition.
• Electrical therapy preference. Both hosts advocate for the use of electrical therapy ("the Edison medicine") in critical cases of arrhythmias. They stress the importance of pacing in cases of bradycardia and cardioversion in tachycardia, especially when the patient is hemodynamically unstable.
• Patient-centric care. A recurring theme is the importance of treating the patient, not just the monitor readings. This includes understanding when to apply treatments and recognizing when a wait-and-see approach might be more beneficial.
• Educational insights. Grayson shares his teaching methods, including the use of analogies and the "AV block cheat sheet" to simplify complex concepts for EMTs and paramedics in training.

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com. 

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Critical insights into the implications of recent court rulings on EMS practice and patient care

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson delve into the complex and ever-evolving legal and ethical dimensions EMS. This episode comes in the wake of a significant court ruling in which two paramedics were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the Elijah McClain case. The hosts discuss this judgment's far-reaching implications for EMS professionals, emphasizing the heightened legal scrutiny and accountability now present in the field.

Memorable quotes

"More and more, we are starting to see prosecutors making examples of paramedics, EMTs, who are not doing the right thing, or them thinking they're not doing the right thing, and our peers are now starting to get connected with murder and manslaughter charges, and it's something that we have to be very, very cognizant of." — Chris Cebollero

"I think that where this case went off the rails is that both paramedics involved forgot that they were first and foremost patient advocates and were acting as law enforcement." — Kelly Grayson

"We're doing our job with ego and this isn't about you. This is about the people that call for our help, and we've got to break that habit, because our poor interactions with people are leading to those national calls when these folks die." — Chris Cebollero

"What could be the worst day of somebody's life ... that's powerful, right? People forget what a privilege that is. But we have to be able to remember that our ego is not good for medicine." — Chris Cebollero

"You should train and educate yourself enough that you're not in doubt very often, but you should be conservative and call someone for, for consultation. That's what medical control is for." — Kelly Grayson

Key takeaways

Cebollero and Grayson discussed the growing legal scrutiny faced by EMS professionals, with the following takeaways:

• Importance of accurate medication dosage. The conversation emphasized the criticality of correctly estimating a patient’s weight for administering weight-based medications. Misjudgment in dosage, as seen in the McClain case, can lead to severe consequences.
• EMS education and training needs. The podcast underscored the need for continuous education and situational awareness among EMS practitioners. The hosts debated how such high-profile cases could influence EMS practices and potentially lead to overly cautious behavior, which might not always be in the patient's best interest. Cebollero and Grayson stress the necessity for precise patient assessment, a skill that goes beyond technical expertise to encompass a deep understanding of the patient's condition and needs. Their discussion points to a growing need for EMS education and training to adapt and address these challenges, ensuring that EMS practitioners are equipped to make informed decisions in high-stakes situations.
• Patient advocacy and interaction. Another key aspect of the conversation is the role of paramedics as patient advocates. The hosts argue that EMS professionals should prioritize their medical responsibilities over any perceived obligation to law enforcement. This episode critically examines the ethical considerations in EMS, particularly in scenarios involving mental health or police involvement. By sharing personal experiences and insights, Cebollero and Grayson highlight the delicate balance EMS providers must maintain between following protocol, ensuring patient safety and navigating complex legal landscapes.

Read for more: The EMS system failed McClain and the justice system failed the paramedics]

Rate and review the Inside EMS podcast

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

Catch a new episode every Friday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, PodBean, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed.

EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

The first episode of Inside EMS in 2024, hosted by Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson, offered valuable insights into what’s needed to overcome the challenges for EMTs, paramedics and EMS agencies in the year ahead.

Memorable quotes

• "We need to take charge and, and steer our profession, and generally we don't – as a profession, we tend to be reactive rather than proactive." — Kelly Grayson
• "We have to be worthy of [trust and respect]. And that's what we're trying to do here. So be better than the people you've seen." — Kelly Grayson
• "You don't let the people around you dictate your professionalism." — Chris Cebollero
• "Patient assessment is the most important skill a paramedic, EMT has." — Chris Cebollero

Key takeaways

• 2024 EMS Trend Survey. The hosts highlighted the importance of the What Paramedics Want in 2024 annual EMS trend survey focusing on recruitment, retention, safety, health, wellness, technology adaptation and career development.
• [Insert Promo module linking directly to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2024WPW-EMS1]
• Future of EMS system design. The podcast touched on the issues faced by volunteer and rural EMS agencies, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions and cooperation among various squads. The discussion focused on evolving EMS, particularly the potential shift from paramedic/EMT teams to dual EMT teams with paramedics in chase vehicles, to enhance the use of EMT capabilities.
• Advocating proactivity in EMS. Grayson stressed the importance of being proactive rather than reactive in shaping the EMS profession, especially in education and practice standards. Both cohosts underscored the importance of ongoing personal and professional development, advocating for a culture of continual learning and improvement in EMS.
• Enhancing education and professional standards. The conversation delved into the challenges of EMS education, particularly in teaching comprehensive patient assessment and encouraging paramedics to expect more of themselves. Grayson shared experiences from teaching paramedic classes, focusing on the need for instructors to balance high expectations with realistic goals for entry-level paramedics. The goal for 2024, as expressed by Grayson, is to produce a new wave of competent paramedics, challenging existing educational norms to improve overall EMS quality.
• Importance of patient assessment skills: The cohosts also emphasized the critical role of patient assessment in EMS, advocating for more thorough and continuous assessment throughout patient care.

Read more. Rapid Response: Scene safety trumps patient care but does not replace duty

The episode provided valuable insights into the current state and future directions of EMS, highlighting challenges and opportunities. These discussions are vital for EMTs and paramedics as they navigate their careers in 2024.

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CoAEMSP’s Executive Director, George W. Hatch Jr., discusses the EMS accreditation journey

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

The Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) plans to launch a voluntary programmatic accreditation for Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMTs) by January.

In this episode of Inside EMS1, cohost Chris Cebollero sits down with George W. Hatch Jr., EdD, LP, EMT-P, FAEMS, CoAEMSP’s executive director, to discuss the program.

Top takeaways

• AEMT is not just an EMT with additional skills; it requires a broader skill set, including understanding pathophysiology and critical thinking.
• The decision to introduce voluntary accreditation for AEMT programs wasn't preplanned but came about due to discussions within the EMS community.
• This accreditation process is voluntary, and programs that choose not to pursue it can continue operating as they do currently.
• Accreditation will help standardize AEMT programs, improve pass rates on the national registry exam, and enhance the quality of EMS education.
• The process involves benchmarking programs against a set standard, and programs must satisfy sponsorship requirements.
• While there is no plan to extend this accreditation to EMT programs at the moment, it may be considered in the distant future if deemed necessary.
• Accreditation is part of the journey to elevate EMS to a profession and should be supported by those in the field.
• It's essential to stop complaining about the state of EMS education and start actively contributing to its improvement.

Memorable quotes

• "It's about a process of improvement, a continual process of improvement." — Dr. Hatch
• "EMS may or may not be the choice that a lot of people want to make. We have to make it attractive and say, this is what you have to do to be in our profession." — Dr. Hatch

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This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this year's Inside EMS year-in-review episode, our cohosts, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson, take a critical look at the major incidents that defined EMS in 2023. Together, they tackle:

Paramedics behaving badly

The episode begins with a focus on the troubling trend of subpar patient care and missteps. The hosts emphasize the importance of delivering compassionate and professional care on every call. They discuss the case in which EMS providers faced charges of first-degree murder after a patient died due to positional asphyxia, underscoring the need for accountability in the profession.

Violence against providers

Next, the hosts address the increasing incidents of violence against EMTs, including stabbings and assaults. They highlight the need for better safety measures and policies to protect EMS personnel.

Criminalization of medical errors

Shifting gears, the hosts delve into instances of medical errors, such as administering the wrong drug. They stress the critical importance of delivering high-quality patient care on every call, regardless of the nature of the complaint.

Focus on CPR

The discussion then turns to a dramatic moment in the NFL when Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after a hit during a game. The hosts commend the quick response of athletic staff and paramedics, emphasizing the significance of well-executed resuscitation efforts.

The demise of ET3

Finally, Chris and Kelly address the unexpected premature end of the ET3 model, a pilot program aimed at improving EMS care and reimbursement. The hosts express disappointment in CMS's decision and question the rationale behind it.

In conclusion, this year-in-review podcast provides valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs of the EMS field in the past year. It highlights the need for accountability, safety measures and ongoing efforts to improve patient care and EMS policies.

Memorable quote:

"Every single call that we run has to be done with the utmost dedication, commitment, professionalism, as if it was the last or maybe even the first EMS call we've ever run. Complacency is what kills there."

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This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson delve into the crucial role of preceptors in EMS training and the impact they have on shaping the future of the profession. They emphasize the significance of preceptors as the "keepers of the flame" who pass on traditions and knowledge to new generations of EMS providers.

Memorable quotes

• "Preceptors have a fundamental understanding of their role in shaping the future of the profession." — Kelly Grayson
• "Legacy. The keepers of the flame are not the instructors. They're not the officers. Officers come and go, but the preceptors are the keepers of the flame and pass on the traditions." — Kelly Grayson
• "Preceptors are probably the most important component of EMS education." — Kelly Grayson

The hosts discuss the challenges and responsibilities of being a preceptor, emphasizing the need for preceptors to understand their role in shaping the future of EMS. They also touch on the importance of legacy and how preceptors play a pivotal role in maintaining and passing down the profession's traditions.

Grayson underscores the value of preceptors, highlighting that they are the individuals who can guide and mentor new EMS providers, ultimately affecting the lives of countless patients. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing preceptors as vital contributors to EMS education.

Listen to next: ‘You don’t know everything there is to know about EMS’

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This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, the discussion centered on the practical application of leadership in EMS. The conversation highlighted the gap between commonly used leadership buzzwords and their real-world implementation.

Key points

• Employee engagement and empowerment. The need for genuine engagement and empowerment in the workplace was stressed. Kelly Grayson shares an example of providing discounted meals for employees during hectic schedules as a concrete example of servant leadership.
• Leadership by buzzwords. Our cohosts raise concerns about leaders in EMS who rely on buzzwords without understanding their practical implications. They suggest many EMS leaders are caught up in an "ego vortex," focusing more on authority and titles rather than service and care.
• Personal leadership journey. Chris Cebollero shares his personal journey from being a "horrible leader" to understanding the essence of effective leadership. He emphasizes the importance of emotional control and viewing challenges as solutions.
• Systemic issue in EMS leadership. The discussion highlights a systemic problem in EMS leadership, pointing out the lack of formal training and understanding of the art and science of leadership. Our cohosts stress that success in leadership should be measured by the engagement, satisfaction and productivity of the workforce.
• The Peter Principle. The conversation touches on the Peter Principle, where individuals are promoted to their level of incompetence. They note often, leaders are not equipped with the necessary tools and training for their roles.
• Difference between managers and leaders. A distinction is made between managers and leaders. Managers are described as those who enforce policies and procedures, whereas leaders are seen as doing the right thing and then justifying it officially.

Learn more: Visit the EMS Leader Playbook

Memorable quotes:

• "The true measurement of leadership success is how engaged, satisfied and productive the workforce is. Nothing else matters." — Chris Cebollero
• "Leadership is both an art and a science. You've got to know and understand the science before you can paint the portrait of organizational success." — Chris Cebollero

This episode underscores the need for a paradigm shift in EMS leadership, moving away from traditional authoritative styles to a more engaged, empathetic and service-oriented approach.

Rate and review

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss an incident that sparked fierce debate within the EMS community. The incident in question occurred on October 27, 2023, when a Washington, D.C., firefighter/EMT was dismissed for stopping at a Chick-fil-A before responding to an ALS call. The hosts discuss the ethical implications of this decision, emphasizing the duty to act in emergency services.

Cebollero and Grayson, while acknowledging the challenging landscape of working in EMS, stressed that personal needs and comfort should never compromise the responsibility to respond to emergencies. They shared personal experiences of missing meals due to service calls. The hosts stress how the duty to act commitment to help others should always outweigh personal needs in emergency services.

The discussion also centered on the commendable actions of D.C. Fire and EMS in addressing the incident. Grayson was firm in his belief that the action taken by the D.C. firefighter/EMT was unequivocally unethical and damaging to the public trust. The hosts underscored the importance of upholding the greatest standards of ethics and responsibility, even when not in the public eye.

Memorable quotes

• "Ethics are how you behave when no one is looking. There's not a whole lot of gray area in ethical situations." — Kelly Grayson
• "The whole point of 911 and the honor of what we do is, you call, we come: no question." — Kelly Grayson
• "I can’t count the number of times I have been waiting in line for food and I've been dispatched to a call. I've had to get out of line. I've had to lose my money. I didn't get a chance to eat that day." — Chris Cebollero
• "We have a duty to act. We have to be able to respond as we need to respond, regardless of our own personal needs." — Chris Cebollero

Read next: Duty to act, assess, treat and transport. A legal refresher for EMS providers

RATE AND REVIEW

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss innovative approaches in EMS with guests Chief David Lewis and Kyle Gaines from the St. Charles County Ambulance District in Missouri. The district's unique approach to paramedicine, specifically in terms of substance use disorders, opioid use disorders and behavioral health, forms the crux of the conversation.

Lewis shares how the escalating number of overdose cases necessitated a novel approach to community paramedicine. Starting as a passion project to save lives, the St. Charles County Mobile Integrated Healthcare Network was born from a need to tackle the overdose epidemic more effectively.

Initially adopting a model from Ohio that involved paramedics, social workers and law enforcement officers responding to overdoses, they soon realized patients were reticent to engage when law enforcement was present. This led to the evolution of the program, with paramedics being specially trained to handle sensitive conversations, helping patients access treatment.

Gaines discusses how educating their team members about addiction was instrumental in overcoming initial resistance to the program and ensuring its success. In the years since its inception, the program has grown and has proven to be effective, with about one in four patients they encounter eventually sitting in front of a treatment counselor.

Read more: $1.5M grant allows SCCAD’s expansion of substance abuse program

RATE AND REVIEW

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors. 

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, hosts Chris Cebollero Kelly Grayson delve into the intricacies of patient assessments in emergency medical situations. They dissect the value of thorough assessments versus focused evaluations, highlighting the critical role of differential diagnosis and the dire need for feedback in honing EMS skills.

The duo debate whether a detailed head-to-toe assessment is always necessary or if a focused assessment based on the chief complaint suffices. Chris opines that a thorough examination provides a fuller picture, vital in cases where patients may not have seen a healthcare professional in years. Kelly, on the other hand, advocates for a focused approach, emphasizing efficiency and relevancy to the primary complaint, especially in high-pressure emergency scenarios.

The dialogue unveils a significant challenge in EMS education and practice – the delineation between a medical and trauma assessment, and the traditional versus a more systems-based approach to patient evaluations. They both acknowledge that the nature and depth of assessments could vary based on the patient's ability to participate in the examination.

One eye-opening anecdote from Chris revealed a situation where a misdiagnosis by a doctor led to a critical oversight in patient care, underscoring the importance of independent assessments and differential diagnosis in EMS practice. Chris shares a valuable lesson from this experience, emphasizing the need to "talk oneself into the diagnosis" rather than accepting a preliminary diagnosis at face value.

Kelly also addressed a fundamental challenge in EMS – the lack of feedback, which stifles the opportunity for professionals to refine their assessment skills and knowledge base. He asks, "how difficult it is to improve the art of assessment and your skills if you don't get feedback?"

The hosts encourage EMS professionals to share their insights and best practices, acknowledging the collective effort required to enhance patient assessment methodologies and ultimately, patient care. They wrap up the discussion with an invitation for listener feedback, fostering an ongoing dialogue to advance EMS practice.

The episode serves as a catalyst for a broader conversation on patient assessment best practices, urging EMS practitioners to continually evaluate and refine their approach towards patient care, thereby enhancing the overall quality and efficacy of emergency medical services.

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Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors. 

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the importance of integrity, documentation and tracking errors in the field.

Chris spent the past week in jury duty, listening to prosecutors unsuccessfully try a murder case that resulted in a hung jury.

He shares details that tripped up law enforcement officers testifying in the case, and the jury’s perspective on errors made, lies told and how integrity doubts derailed the case.  

Memorable quotes

“One of the things that you need to be able to remember is you should not talk about anything that is not written in your report, because they will tear it apart, and I watched that happen ... when we talk about documentation, why documentation is very, very important is because it's the little nuances that you leave out that now you're going to discuss that are going to get you into trouble.” — Chris Cebollero

“In working with Gene Gandy back in the day …  he used to say that the plaintiff's attorney – in a malpractice case – his job is to make you look like a sloppy idiot, and your attorney's job is to make you look like Johnny Gage. And the weapon that each one of them will use is your report. And it's up to you to determine who it's more valuable to: the plaintiff's attorney or your attorney.” — Kelly Grayson

“We, in civil cases in EMS, we don't really get a jury of our peers. You know, we may have people who are demographically very similar to us, but as far as judging our actions, what they know is Hollywood, which is about as realistic a portrayal of EMS and medicine in general as your average Disney movie.” — Kelly Grayson

“The briefer your remarks, the better your case is going to be received, and that's true, you know, it's probably just like an EMS lecture. If you go on forever and ever, you lose people. You want to capture their interest, say what you need to say, and set the stage for what's going to come.” — Kelly Grayson

Rate and review

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson welcome Chief Gary Ludwig to the podcast. The group discuss imparting knowledge to new medics and Ludwig’s latest book, “385 Things Veteran EMTs and Paramedics Can Teach You: Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic Tips and Tricks of the Trade.”

The book contains information on patient assessment, managing airways, starting IVs, penetrating trauma, crimes scenes and more.

Chief Ludwig shares his experience with terrible PCRs, and why we should be teaching medics to write reports like our law enforcement partners.

He shares tips like:

• Why you should always stay in the left lane
• How to avoid tipping stretchers
• Why to avoid abbreviations in PCRs

For a signed copy, visit www.garyludwigbooks.com.

About our guest

 Gary Ludwig is a well-known author, educator, speaker, and consultant who has served in three fire departments over his career. His fire, EMS, rescue, 911 and emergency management career spans a total of 46 years, including 35 years in two metropolitan cities, St. Louis and Memphis. He has been a paramedic for over 44 years.

He served as the president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) during the 2019-20 term, and was selected as the International Career Fire Chief of the Year in 2022.

He has a master’s degree in business and management.  He has written over 500 articles for professional fire and EMS publications and is the author of four books.  He has also been invited to speak at over 400 professional EMS or fire conferences or seminars.

He has won numerous awards including the International Career Fire Chief of the Year in 2022, the James O. Page EMS Leadership Award in 2014 and the IAFC EMS Section’s James O Page Achievement Award in 2018.

He has managed two award-winning metropolitan EMS systems (Memphis and St. Louis) and was fire chief of an ISO Class 1 fire department (Champaign).  In 2022, he was appointed by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to the National Advisory Council for FEMA.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Suicide is always preventable. If you are having thoughts of suicide or feeling suicidal, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline immediately at 988. Counselors are also available to chat at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Remember: You deserve to be supported, and it is never too late to seek help. Speak with someone today.

In this episode of Inside EMS, our cohosts,  Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson, are joined by Willie Doan, a paramedic and academy coordinator from Newcastle, Delaware, to discuss the rampant issues of stress, depression, burnout, substance abuse and suicide among first responders.

A recovering alcoholic, Doan shares his story of addiction, beginning with his first drink at 14, acknowledging that he often drank more than his peers, but never recognized it as a problem. As he joined EMS and began witnessing distressing scenes as part of his job, he continued to drink, sometimes using his work as an excuse, whether it was to celebrate a successful resuscitation or to numb the pain of a bad call.

Despite his dedication to his duty, Doan admits that his addiction worsened. He didn't acknowledge his alcohol problem until he was in rehab and was educated about how substance abuse affects the brain. His turning point came about 604 days ago, when he was arrested on suspicion of DUI, his second in 6 years. Waking up with no recollection of the event, he asked his mother, "What's wrong with me?" This moment marked the beginning of his journey to recovery.

Throughout the discussion, Willie underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing addiction in high-stress professions like first responders. His story serves as a reminder that recovery is possible, and that seeking help is the first step towards overcoming addiction.

EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors. 

Additional resources

• Addiction in EMS providers: Always see the human side
• Gordon Graham: First responders are not immune from the opioid crisis; here's what to know
• Self-care tips to recover from a traumatic EMS incident
• Healthy coping mechanisms: The most effective ways to combat stress
• The Code Green Campaign: Mental health resources for first responders

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode, our cohosts,  Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the dire straights for rural EMS as Kelly settles into his new region in upstate New York. Tune in as they discuss:

• Why EMS isn’t deemed essential. Though more states are making moves to designate EMS an “essential” service, it’s not universal. What will the designation mean for EMS – and will it be a tax base?
• The volunteer shortage. With volunteers aging out of EMS, how do we bring new volunteers in? The diminishing numbers are not due to generational differences, Kelly says. “I used to be one of those people who said, ‘aw, kids these days,’ … it’s not the kids that are bad, it’s that EMS has failed to adapt to the times,” he noted.
• Getting over ego and grudges. Mergers and consolidation are a path to stem EMS closures, but require getting over old conflicts and for someone to step aside and make way for growth.

They ask for your input: What will save rural EMS? Chat with our hosts at [email protected].

Catch a new episode every Friday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, PodBean, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed.

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Inside EMS has been serving up industry news and hot topics for 10 years, with over 600 shows and about 2 million listens!

In this episode, our cohosts,  Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the importance of getting outside your rig, your agency and your silo to learn from others.

Our dynamic duo break down an article from rural EMS expert Nancy Magee on the top 10 reasons to attend EMS conferences.

Memorable quotes

“If you’ve seen one EMS squad, you’ve seen one EMS squad, and way too many agencies only know their way of doing things, and they kind of stagnate – or they run the risk of stagnating – if they don’t get outside their own little bubble and see the ways that other agencies are doing things.” — Kelly Grayson

“If you feel like you’re the smartest person in the room; you’re in the wrong room.” — Kelly Grayson

“There are people who are doing the work in organizations who are far more advanced than you are.” — Chris Cebollero

“There are very few new problems under the sun.” — Kelly Grayson

Listen in as they discuss:

• Getting out of your comfort zone/tearing down your silos
• The benefit of networking – seeing what’s working for other agencies
• How enthusiasm is infectious

Additional resources

• 10 reasons to attend EMS conferences
• EMS World Expo 2023: Welcome to New Orleans
• Can’t make it to EMS World Expo?

Rate and review

Catch a new episode every Friday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, PodBean, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed.

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest. LIST

This episode of the Inside EMS podcast is sponsored by Verizon Frontline. The advanced network for first responders on the front lines. Learn more at verizon.com/frontline.

“To remember those who have sacrificed, and who ran up the stairs and escorted people in the eyes of danger, you owe it to them to try to be your best every day.” — Aaron Zamzow

In this special crossover episode of the Policing Matters, Better Every Shift and Inside EMS podcasts, Cohosts Jim Dudley, Aaron Zamzow and Chris Cebollero come together to discuss preserving the legacy of 9/11 responders and to assess our readiness to respond to a large-scale MCI in our communities.

Together, they dive into technology trends that we could (and should!) use to improve the security of citizens and first responders, from license plate readers to crime mapping, facial recognition, drone surveillance and AI analysis.

Watch in as our panel discusses:

• Keeping the 9/11 legacy alive with new generations
• How awareness of occupational cancer and mental health concerns is more prevalent today
• Community preparedness and incident command
• 9/11-related illness and its continued impact and devastation today
• How AI can contribute to the security of citizens and first responders
• The importance of information sharing and security

Memorable quotes

Our cohosts shared poignant reflections of the infamous September day and offered their analysis on how best to prepare first responders for large-scale mass casualty events, with several notable takeaways:

“It’s up to all of us to try to get better, try to improve, try to do something to hone our profession to provide the best service we can when we’re called to do that. And that doesn’t require a chief, that doesn’t require leadership; that requires a mirror, and that requires you and some dedication.” — Aaron Zamzow

“After 9/11, we had PPE in the trunk of every radio car, and training every year, and little-by-little, the suits expired, the training stopped, the funds ran out; and we may be at a situation worse than before, so we need that impetus to take another run at preparedness, training, exercises, PPE, equipment, and a best practices manual, and that’s got to come from above so that we’re all doing it the same.” — Jim Dudley

“The economic factor should not be a factor. FEMA puts out 100, 200, 700, 800 for free to law enforcement agencies and many more subsets beyond that. So if you are an agency – if you’re listening to this podcast – if you’re not practicing ICS, find out why and explain to your chief sheriff, ‘it’s free, we’ve got to do it; we should start doing it now.” — Jim Dudley 

“We’re not working for today – we’re working for the next 5 and 10 and 15 years now – and how do we need to prepare for this?” — Chris Cebollero

“We saw firefighters run into that building – there were police officers there too – that were in harm’s way, trying to get people out of there, and that’s what we do, and now we’re seeing ‘hey, even though we do that, there are harms beyond just that physical incident.’” — Aaron Zamzow

“We’re in protective service and we need to be proactive in the way that we look at these things … we looked and said this could never happen; well it did, and we did a heck of a job responding after the fact, and we were very proactive after a period of time, and I think that’s gotten a little bit lax and we need to stay on our toes, stay vigilant, and I think that’s one of the best ways to remember all those people sacrificed in these events, is to grow from them.” — Aaron Zamzow

Additional resources

Read more reflections, tips for processing and lessons for training to respond to MCIs in our 9/11 coverage, sponsored by Verizon.

Learn more with these resources mentioned in this episode, as well as additional articles from Police1, FireRescue1 and EMS1:

• The Raytom Group – training law enforcement officers in EMS
• Policing Matters: BRINC's Blake Resnick and Don Redmond on evolving drone technology
• ‎Policing Matters: Jamie Hudson on how Elk Grove’s Real-Time Information Center gathers and shares information AI in action: Enhancing school security with ZeroEyes' gun detection system
• FEMA’s free ICS training
• Why all law enforcement officers should read the 9/11 Commission Report
• POV: ‘It is time to demand adherence to NIMS/ICS and accountability for failure to implement’
• On-Demand Webinar: What Firefighters Want from Incident Commanders
• Are we communicating better after 9/11?
• Responding to an MCI of 9/11’s proportions, with today’s limitations

Rate and review

Catch a new episode of Inside EMS every Friday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, PodBean, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed.

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

“Tell me a time when you were stressed and how you dealt with it.”

You’ve like heard, answered or asked a variation of that question in one or more interviews during your career. But how can interviewers get more from their questions?

In this episode of Inside EMS, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss a recent article by Lexipol Editorial Director, Greg Friese, MS, NRP; “How to use ChatGPT for paramedic interviewing, selection.”

In the article, Greg outlines how leaders can use Chat GPT to craft panel interview questions, and a sample prompt:

I am interviewing applicants for a full-time job as a paramedic at a busy, private ambulance service that responds to 911 calls and interfacility transport requests. One component of the process is a panel interview with the operations supervisor, a field training officer and an experienced paramedic. Recommend five scenario-based questions the panel should ask each applicant. 

In this episode, Chris and Kelly put Greg’s prompt to the test and debate, should we be using AI in our daily work in EMS?

Tune in to this episode

Listen in as our hosts discuss:

• Other use cases for generative AI in EMS – from scenarios to deployment plans
• How AI is a potential resources – as well as a potential headache – for educators
• Takeaways from the recent 2023 NAEMSE Symposium
• Flattening the forgetting curve – retaining training

And don’t miss a side debate: is there a case for prehospital ultrasound?

Memorable quotes

“When we think about interviewing, that’s when people really will put the dog on; they are giving us the very best of who they are and we are just getting answers to questions that may or may not be true, and we really have to try to decipher, but how do we challenge these people who are coming in?” — Chris Cebollero

“Our dean walked into the office and said, ‘I need you all to start thinking about how we can use ChatGPT and generative AI to enhance and augment our paramedic program.” — Kelly Grayson

“The better you are at writing prompts and giving it some specific direction, the better content it’s going to churn out for you.” — Kelly Grayson

Let us know how you’re using AI in EMS: contact [email protected].

Rate and review

Catch a new episode of Inside EMS every Friday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, PodBean, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed.

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

Get better every shift with stress management and leadership insights from Aaron Zamzow and Janelle Foskett

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this special episode of Inside EMS, Host Chris Cebollero welcomes the dynamic hosts of the Better Every Shift Podcast, Aaron Zamzow and Janelle Foskett. In Better Every Shift, Zamzow, a Madison (Wisconsin) firefighter; and Foskett, editor-in-chief of FireRescue1, spotlight the passion and perseverance of firefighters and EMS providers, as they dig into what drives responders to improve themselves, their crew, the service as a whole. Listen in to get better every day, every call, every shift.  

In this episode, they discuss:

• Getting out of your comfort zone
• The issues no one wants to talk about in the fire service (e.g., recruitment and sleep)
• Leadership and stress management
• Managing up
• The need for leadership training
• How a staffing crisis leads to a leadership crisis, that leads to a stress crisis – and the ramifications on health and wellness

Foskett also shares insights from the FireRescue1 "What firefighters want in 2023 report," into firefighter stress. Foskett notes among respondents, 46% reported considering leaving their fire department – mostly due to staffing – and a staggering 42% of firefighters are considering leaving the fire service due to their stress levels.

Memorable quotes

“In order to be a better whatever – paramedic, firefighter, EMT, podcaster – you need to get out of your comfort zone.” — Aaron Zamzow

“We’re really starving for leadership, but in the same breath, we’re looking in the maybe the wrong places, whereas we should be starting in the mirror and then looking out.” — Aaron Zamzow

“People are craving leadership and when there is a lack of leadership, that doesn’t mean all is lost; you have options, you have solutions, and you can take ownership of that and be proactive.” — Janelle Foskett

“There are some of those fire houses, they don’t turn a wheel in a 24 hour period; there are other ones that don’t get to see their beds in a 24 hour period. It’s one of the things that we now have to start to think about. We’re still running models for EMS and fire that we were running 40 years ago.” — Chris Cebollero 

Learn more

• Follow Better Every Shift on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcastsor wherever you listen to your podcasts
• Download the "What firefighters want in 2023 report" for more insights into staffing and stress relief
• Download the "What paramedics want in 2023 report" for insights into mitigating stress, staffing challenges and leadership shortfalls

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode, Chris and Kelly discuss the recent spotlight on public access defibrillation after high profile cardiac arrests in young athletes, as well as the growing danger of assaults in the field for EMTs.

Together, they discuss:

• Bronny James, USC freshman and son of Lakers star LeBron James, was resuscitated after a cardiac arrest at USC basketball workout
• Julia Taylor Fatum, a N.Y. EMT, was stabbed and nearly killed by a patient in her ambulance
• The death of Lt. Alison Russo-Elling, who was stabbed multiple times
• The collapse of Damar Hamlin and the world watching his on-field resuscitation
• Has EMS taken a step backwards in training the public?
• How violence against providers is becoming a retention issue

Memorable quotes

“Children and athletes and young adults can go into cardiac arrest, and I would wager that the only thing that saved Bronny James’s life is that second link in the AHA chain of survival, which is prompt, early access to defibrillation, and it’s a shame that public access to defibrillation in so many places is still a pipe dream or poorly implemented such that it’s not really public access.” — Kelly Grayson

“Public access to defibrillation means just that: public access to defibrillation. It’s not a special thing for special people to use. The whole point of public access to defibrillation is that it can be readily accessed by anyone.” — Kelly Grayson

“As an EMS leader … that has to be first and foremost concern of mine:  to make sure that the workforce goes home at the end of their shift. And I’m losing faith in that we are keeping our providers safe.” — Chris Cebollero

“We’ve been on calls that have been very benign, that have escalated verbally, that have escalated behaviorally.” — Kelly Grayson

“Keep your heads on a swivel. Always be alert, always have your eye on your patient.” — Kelly Grayson

Learn more

• Damar Hamlin: A pass or fail exam for the EMS profession
• Confronting sudden cardiac arrest in America
• Training Day: Train citizens to use an AED
• Protecting EMS providers from violence
• Leadership’s role in keeping our workforce safe
• Improving scene safety with technology

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, Cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson dive into critical thinking. They point out the need to teach EMT students how to make the leap from linear to critical thinking, and the key critical thinking skills needed to make decisions:

1. Being curious: Asking the question why
2. Reasoning
3. Self-awareness

Memorable quotes from this episode

“Critical thinking is all about the discipline of being able to take in information to experience what’s happening, to have a good observation of what’s happening and to reason and make the best decisions that we can.”

“I think one of the hallmarks of intelligence is intellectual curiosity.”

“This is a missing component of critical thinking. Just because we’ve gotten some information doesn’t mean that information is acted on without good analysis.”

“When you can divorce yourself emotionally from the information that you’re processing, it makes it much easier to analyze.”

Together, they discuss:

• Linear thinking vs. critical thinking
• Taking emotions out of thinking
• Emotional intelligence
• Falling victim to confirmation bias

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

After 30 years in EMS in Louisiana, the past 15 as a critical care paramedic, Kelly Grayson is leaving the Bayou state – and the rig – for a full-time paramedic educator role in New York.

Kelly will begin his position as the lead instructor as the lead instructor for the new CoAEMSP-accredited paramedic program at Clarkson University in Pottstown, New York, in August.

Chris and Kelly discuss what motivated Kelly to make this leap, and what happens when you change jobs and have to prepare for the next chapter.

Memorable quotes from this episode

“I can render no higher praise for an EMS agency than to say they let me do my job without handcuffs.”

“When we lose a longtime member of the workforce – it hurts – and I hate to be the one to do that.”

“You never want to burn a bridge. Even if you hate the place you work, you never know that you may have to go back to them one day and say, you know, ‘are you looking for any help?’”

“If I make a commitment to a place, I’ll follow their rules, cheerfully.”

“Make yourself valuable to prospective employers. If you’re not happy where you are, you can make a good living at EMS, you can have career satisfaction in EMS. You might not be able to have those things at the place you are currently.”

“It’s an employee’s market right now.”

“Vote with your feet.”

Together, they discuss:

• When it’s time to make a career change
• The skills you need when you come off the truck
• Shifting the paradigm in EMS education
• Developing and standing up a new paramedic program
• Bringing affordable EMS education to rural communities
• How to leave a position without burning bridges

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

“My first reaction was, what the hell. My second reaction was, well, I guess if there’s not going to be any participation agreement, then we’re not bound by confidentiality anymore, and I’ll just email the Booz Allen presentation to every member of Congress, and say, ‘here’s the savings to the Medicare program, please pass the TIP and TAD language. And I honestly think we should do that, and we probably will.” — Matt Zavadsky

In this crossover episode of Inside EMS and EMS One-Stop, Matt Zavadsky, MS-HSA, EMT, chief transformation officer at MedStar Mobile Healthcare (an ET3 participant), joins cohosts Chris Cebollero and Rob Lawrence to discuss the recently announced end of the ET3 program.

Top quotes from this episode

• “That must be a mistake … I was just dumbfounded, absolutely dumbfounded.” — Matt Zavadsky
• “We can’t stop this – we’ve got to continue to move this along somehow and ensure that we’re still doing the things we need to do for our patients.” — Chris Cebollero
• “Continue to do what you do while we try to sort out this mess, because we thought we were on the right route, and then someone’s now put out a roadblock, so we have to work out how to detour or indeed knock it down. Keep up the good work while we try to work out how to get around this.” — Rob Lawrence
• “We as a profession cannot let this be the final word.” — Matt Zavadsky

In addition to why CMS didn’t see the savings they were anticipating, and the hoops agencies had to jump through to participate in the ET3 program, the group focuses on what’s next for reimbursement reform.

Together, they discuss:

• How the national associations (NAEMT, AAA, IAFC, IAFF) are working to get legislation introduced in Congress to get treatment in place and transport to alternate destinations (TIP and TAD) covered
• The need for data from organizations that participated in the ET3 model that proves the cost savings
• Admittance avoidance vs. arrival avoidance at the ED
• Turning frustration with Medicare into action

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

Steve Grau, Anna Liotta and Steve Wirth join hosts Rob Lawrence and Chris Cebollero at the American Ambulance Association Annual Conference 2023

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this EMS One-Stop/Inside EMS crossover podcast, Chris Cebollero teams up with Rob Lawrence to report on the 2023 American Ambulance Association Annual Conference from the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas. Rob and Chris discuss their own personal highlights and Rob’s leadership session, delivered with Acadian Ambulance President, Justin Back.

Rob and Chris are joined by Page, Wolfberg & Wirth Founding Partner, Steve Wirth, Esq., and discuss bias, the topic of Steve’s conference session.  Rob then interviews AAA keynote speaker, Anna Liotta, together with Royal Ambulance President Steve Grau, as they discuss:

• Generational codes in the workforce
• The revolving door of employment
• Creating the milestones of forward progression
• Understanding that your people are you primary customer

TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE

“In dealing with bias, self-awareness is absolutely critical – you have to do an inventory of your life and say ‘where are these things that I’ve experienced and how do they affect my decision making today and my interaction with other people,’ so self-awareness is really the first step.” — Steve Wirth

“When you go to a conference, go up to somebody. The reason that you have a nametag, with your first name in very large font is so that I can say, ‘Hello Chris, I’m Rob, pleased to meet you. What do you do?’ and that’s how a network occurs.” — Rob Lawrence

“Having this culture of a high-level of engagement is really focusing on our employees as our primary customer and making sure that we understand what their goals, ideals, passions are, and how to meet them.” — Steve Grau

“Just by the way they answered a simple question ‘so, what do you do?’ I could tell if they had been working there 2-3 weeks if they answer with a bright sparkle, ‘I work at Amazon.’ But if they had been there 2-3 months, they would pause, ‘well … I work at Amazon,’ And 6 months, they would drop a codeword, ‘I currently work at Amazon.’” — Anna Liotta

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EPISODE CONTENTS

Part 1: Rob Lawrence and Chris Cebollero – Serving to lead

00:30 – Rob and Chris introduction

1:30 – Car seat safety (not rated for ambulances)

3:30 – Rob’s leadership session with Acadian President Justin Back on the principles of leadership, serving to lead

05:30 – Chris discusses leadership as a science

06:30 – What we want from our leaders

Part 2: Steve Wirth – Overcoming bias

07:30 – Welcome Steve Wirth

08:00 – Steve discusses his conference session, “We are all prejudiced” delivered in partnership with Macara Trusty (GMR)

11:30 – The importance of networking and meeting professional friends

14:56 – Chris talks about his leadership series on EMS1

Part 3: Anna Liotta and Steve Grau – Retaining your primary customer

16:00 – Introduction: Anna and Steve

17:00 – Generational difference - Have you seen a “Star Wars” movie?

17:30 – Anna: Common sense is not that common

18:30 – The Royal Ambulance (award winning) Career Bridge Program

20:00 – Generational codes in the workforce

22:50 – The revolving door of employment

24:00 – Creating the milestones of forward progression

25:00 – Anna’s Experience with Fortune 500 companies

25:30 – Understanding that your talent and people are your primary customer

26:00 – Creating an arc of experience

28:00 – Not allowing yourself to say “that’s how I did it”

29:00 – Fostering the whole human

30:00 – Pulling talent forward

31:00 – Rob and Chris close

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Anna Liotta

Anna Liotta, creator of Generationally Savvy Communication Solutions, is an award-winning speaker, business consultant and author. She engages audiences with her practical strategies for attracting, growing and retaining top talent and loyal clients from every generation.

Anna integrates communications, sociology, business psychology and demography to unify workplaces and dramatically improve company performance. Her expertise and insight have helped such companies as Pike Place Market, Intel, Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Amazon, the PGA, NBA and United Way.

Steve Grau

Steve Grau and his family emigrated from Ukraine in 1989, arriving in San Francisco with $80 to their name. He became interested in healthcare 15 years later, when he took a hands-on role caring for his grandfather after a series of debilitating strokes. Witnessing how emotional support impacted physical healing, Steve was inspired to leave the tech industry to start an ambulance service that focused on patient experience.

Steve Wirth

Steve Wirth is a founding partner of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth. In a distinguished four-decade public safety career, Steve has worked in virtually every facet of EMS – as first responder, firefighter, EMT, paramedic, flight paramedic, EMS instructor, fire officer and EMS executive. He was one of central Pennsylvania’s first paramedics. Steve brings a pragmatic and business-oriented perspective to his diverse legal practice, having served for almost a decade as senior executive of a mid-sized air and ground ambulance service, helping to build the company from the ground up.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, our cohosts and best-selling authors put our listeners on the path to becoming authors.

Top quotes from this episode

“Everybody has a book title in them and we’re going to put everybody on the path of becoming authors.”

“I have an idea of where I want the story to go, but how the characters interact, how they talk, the adventures and trials and tribulations they go through, develop as the story goes along.”

“When I'm at my best, the writing just flows, and I'm just typing away and I'm giggling or crying, as the case may be, and enjoying the hell out of it.”

“The days that it doesn't flow like a waterfall is where it takes some work ethic and some discipline, and you have to get the story on the page no matter how bad you think it is, and then find your muse and find the spark in it in the editing process.”

Together, Chris and Kelly discuss:

• How writing can be therapeutic
• Kelly’s latest short stories, “They call me Tully”, “Cecil the Combat Wombat,” and “The battle of Waffle Haus 814”
• Chris’ top 10 tips for success in “Ultimate leadership”
• Writing process: how Kelly gets through the tough days and Chris’s unique approach, that isn’t writing at all

Additional resources

• How to submit an article to EMS1
• 5 alternatives to journaling if you don't like to write
• Getting published in EMS
• How writing may have saved my EMS career

Send your book titles to [email protected]

In this episode of Inside EMS, our Cohosts, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson, break down the skills needed to be a servant leader.

Notable quotes from this episode

“My job as a leader is to get work done through other people.”

“The true measurement of leadership success is how engaged, satisfied and productive the workforce is.”

“What I believe as a leader is that my job as the chief of the department is not any more important than your job of working on the ambulance. It’s that we have different roles and responsibilities for reaching the vision.”

“The most important component of servant leadership is realizing that it’s an honor for you to be in the position that you’re in and you can get taken out of that position as fast as you were put into it.”

Together, they discuss:

• Chris’s recent article and video on servant leadership
• Reversing the organization chart
• Practicing responsibility upward
• The skills a servant leader should bring to the table

Enjoying the show? Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

In this week's episode of Inside EMS, Cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson lean on their experience as field training officers and EMT instructors to discuss EMS skills mastery.

If our message to new EMT graduates is, “You don’t know everything there is to know about EMS,” then how do we teach them what they need to know in the field?

Top quotes from this episode

“It’s not laziness; it’s cognitive offloading.”

“If I’m not using it, why am I teaching it?”

“Is the way you intubate today the way you intubated when you started in EMS?”

“There is nothing that substitutes for constant repetition and practice.”

Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

In this week's episode of Inside EMS, Cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson share their messages on professionalism, career development and asking questions with the graduating classes of EMTs.

Memorable quotes from this episode

• “You don’t know everything there is to know about EMS – so you need to be able to ask the question why.”
• “EMS is a very egotistical business – it’s the egotism that prevents us from asking why”
• “You have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable … you have to challenge yourself; you have to reach.”
• “We train people to be decisive in their actions and their throughs and to think fast – what we don’t always teach them is that the wisdom of EMS has to come with some years behind you and you have to develop some introspection.”
• “People are using [EMS] to get to the fire department, people are using it to get to medical school, people are using It to get to nursing, and that’s great – but don’t waste your time while you’re here …. That has to start with professional development.”

Together, they discuss:

• Choosing your hard
• How to guide and motivate the next generation of EMS provider
• How EMT classes graduate two kinds of people (and why it’s a good sign if you’re terrified)
• Looking ahead and developing the goals you need to advance as an EMS leader
• Learning from your mistakes
• The value of teachable moments
• An exercise in assessing your skills mastery
• Is EMS a career or a stepping stone?

Additional resources on career mastery and growth

• Achieving EMS mastery
• How to maximize clinical expertise through everyday experiences
• Cultivate a ‘beginner’s mind’ for ongoing growth
• 5 ingredients for psychomotor mastery

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this EMS Week episode of Inside EMS, Cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson welcome Brian K. Hathaway, president/CEO of Spirit EMS, in Greenville, Ohio, who offers a free EMT training program. Hathaway shares his perspective on how EMS education has changed, and the creative ways Spirit is attracting, engaging and retaining recruits – from 2-year agreements, to giving away a car during training.

Together, they discuss:

• Why Hathaway is the Oprah Winfrey of EMT education
• How to engage and motivate the workforce
• What Hathaway is looking for when he evaluates student patient assessments
• How we deliver education to the newer generation

“As we educate in the classroom and make sure that people are comfortable and confident in their skills, and we’re making sure that we’re doing that good head-to-toe assessment on the patients – that that’s the ultimate important thing.”

“Memorizing 43 things on a skills sheet to make sure that we’ve touched everything is not necessarily applicable to every patient that we’re taking care of.”

“My concern is we’ve got to get people involved and we’ve got to continue to change with the times or it’s going to be a competition when I’m in the nursing home 25-30 years from now as to who’s going to get out of bed and respond to the call if we don’t do something now.”

What skills should we test?
A simple framework for an EMT skills competency portfolio

Whatever will we do without the skill sheets?
NREMT is discontinuing the ALS psychomotor exam. That’s a good thing, if you let it be

Brian K. Hathaway is president/CEO of Spirit EMS, in Greenville, Ohio. Brian has been actively involved in Fire/EMS since 1996. Aside from his duties as an owner of Spirit, Brian is a 27-year veteran of the Union City Fire Department and continues to work part-time as a 911 dispatcher at the Darke County Sheriff's Office where he has worked since 1999. Brian is a certified Advanced EMT, EMS continuing education instructor, volunteer firefighter, Certified Ambulance Coder, Certified Ambulance Compliance Officer and Certified Emergency Medical Dispatcher. Brian serves as education chairman and is a board member of the Ohio Ambulance and Medical Transportation Association, a member of the Four County Career Center advisory board, a member of the Darke County Chamber of Commerce, and attends the EUM Church in Greenville. Brian enjoys spending time with his wife Audrey as well as their daughter Naomi.

Educating the public about when it is appropriate to call EMS – and how quickly we should get there

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this EMS Week episode of Inside EMS, Cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson dive into where emergency care begins, and how community paramedicine launched a paradigm shift years in the making. They discuss how EMS did a fine job of educating the community about the obstacles and dangers of the job during COVID-19, but need to capitalize on and maintain that momentum moving forward.

Memorable quotes from this episode:

• “Community paramedicine has everything to do with EMS week.”
• “Advocacy is what this is all about, and we as a profession have kind of fallen down on the job for quite a while on educating the public about the capabilities of EMS, and the obstacles and hardships that we face, and that’s what EMS Week is all about.”
• “We need to leverage our advocacy and teach the real first responders, the public, about what’s appropriate to call EMS for and what they can do to crowdsource that urgent care.”

Chris and Kelly discuss:

• How emergency care begins at dispatch and nurse triage of 911
• ET3 and the telehealth model
• Kelly’s experience with treatment-in-place and alternate destinations
• Response time standards

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, Kelly Grayson rejoins Cohost Chris Cebollero to discuss his recent medical scare and to celebrate 10 years of Inside EMS.

Kelly recently suffered a massive pulmonary embolus, which severely compromised blood flow to nearly 100% of both his lungs.

Though he admits delaying care was not the brightest decision at the time, he now knows how close he came to losing his life, and is committed to taking his health seriously – both mental and physical.

“Be good patients and don’t be stupid. We are the world’s worst at taking care of ourselves.”

“It slapped me upside the face on April 14 that it’s time to start walking the walk about your own health.“

“Even if you have the capacity to rationalize, and the capacity to be clinically analytic during your own medical emergency, ultimately, all it’s going to do is give you piece of mind when you die that you knew what killed you.”

• ‘Is this what dying feels like?’
  A wake-up call and a plea: Don’t be stubborn about your health
• After the wakeup call: First steps of a wellness journey
  “The problem with people testing their limits is that they often find them.”

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, Host Chris Cebollero is joined by Firefighter/Paramedic Steve Whitehead, NREMT-P, and scholar-practitioner Nick Nudell, PhD(c).

Real-life friends, Whitehead and Nudell bring forth an EMS debate in which they find themselves on opposite sides: the importance of reporting mechanism of injury.

In paramedic school, they teach us to take what we see at the scene and bring that into the hospital – to take photos, describe the damage to the vehicle, etc., Chris notes. But, does it matter?

Chris listens to their perspectives as they state their case, and then makes his decision. Listen in and let us know your thoughts: is reporting mechanism of injury important?

“This is one of the few things in EMS in which we need to own. Because if we make a mistake and we evaluate the mechanism of injury wrong, no one else can fix that for us.” — Steve Whitehead

“For all except the most unusual mechanisms of injury, the photo is likely worthless.” — Steve Whitehead

“The critical things that the trauma surgeons are really trying to get at in that moment when the patient arrives is – is their airway patent, are they breathing, is their blood circulating – they are going to the ABCs, just like we do.” — Nick Nudell

Steve Whitehead

Steve Whitehead, NREMT-P, is an EMS instructor with the South Metro Fire Rescue Authority in Lone Tree, Colorado, and the creator of the blog The EMT Spot. He is a primary instructor for South Metro's EMT program and a lifelong student of emergency medicine. Reach him through his blog at [email protected].

Nick Nudell

Scholar-practitioner Nick Nudell, PhD(c), is the manager of trauma research services for UCHealth, in Loveland, Colorado; and the president of the American Paramedic Association. He has more than 24 years of data science, public policy and paramedicine experience at all levels, including as a hospital and ambulance-based clinician, educator, consultant, regulator, program manager, executive and researcher.

His research interests include innovative governance models and improving health system design to reduce systemic healthcare disparities through mixed methods research concentrated on system design and implementation. He is an advocate for social justice and health equity, interested in discovering the most appropriate resources to provide for a person's needs, in suitable locations, at the right time.

Additionally, through his clinical practice, he has gained significant real-world field and academic experience with behavioral health and substance use disorders that contribute to his health equity and social justice scholarship.

Jon Lee joins the podcast to discuss following the evidence and pharmacology research insights

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode, one of Chris Cebollero’s favorite authors, Jonathan Lee, joins Chris for a discussion of his most recent article, a research analysis examining the benefits of midazolam vs. morphine.

While morphine is the go-to drug when it comes to cardiac events, once you look at the research, there are some red flags, Lee notes.

Lee’s analysis focused on

• The in-hospital mortality had no significant difference between midazolam versus morphine
• The frequency of serious adverse events in using morphine versus

Listen in to the discussion.

Resources mentioned in this episode

• Jonathan Lee: Front-line pharm
• KinderMedic
• Research analysis: Midazolam vs. morphine

About our guest

Jonathan Lee is a critical care paramedic with Ornge in Toronto, Canada, with over 25 years of experience in 911, critical care, aeromedical and pediatric critical care transport. Jonathan’s teaching experience includes classroom, clinical and field education as well as curriculum development and design across a number of health professions.

He is currently delivering KinderMedic, a program he developed to improve the confidence and competence of prehospital providers caring for acutely ill children. In addition to his clinical practice, he is also adjunct faculty in the Paramedic Program at Georgian College. Jonathan is a freelance author and has been invited to speak across North America and Europe on topics such as pediatrics, analgesia and stress.

Jonathan has previously served on committees for professional organizations including the Ontario Paramedic Association and NAEMT. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Critical Care from Cardiff University. Jonathan can be contacted via Twitter and LinkedIn.

Rate and review Inside EMS

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

Catch a new episode every Friday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, PodBean, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, cohost Chris Cebollero reflects on his time in the military and the privilege of serving in the military’s Honor Guard. Chris explains the significance of the 13 folds of the American flag and the honor felt in folding the flag that would be given to a family member of a fallen servicemember.

Chris is joined by Folds of Honor’s Senior Vice President of Outreach, Luke Sherman. Sherman is a past chairman and now senior member with the Board of Directors for the National Tactical Officers Association; a 29 year veteran of the Tulsa Police Department; and owner and principal with Aegis CPG, a Tulsa-based security consulting company.

Sherman shares how the Folds of Honor scholarship program will now benefit first responders, including paramedics and EMTS.

Lt. Col. Dan Rooney started Folds of Honor after his second tour of duty in Iraq. As a fighter pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, he became painfully aware of the realities families face when a loved one in uniform is fallen or disabled.

On his return flight home, the pilot announced the plane carried the remains of Corporal Brock Bucklin on board. Lt. Col. Rooney watched as Corporal Bucklin’s twin brother walked somberly alongside the flag-covered casket to meet his family on the tarmac.

Lt. Col. Rooney committed to meeting sacrifice with hope through Folds of Honor, providing life-changing scholarships to the spouses and children of America’s fallen or disabled servicemembers. Folds of honor has awarded more than 44,000 educational scholarships totalling about $200M since 2007

And now, the mission expands to the families of America’s first responders.

Additional resources

Learn more about supporting Folds of Honor’s mission to help fund educational opportunities for military and first responder families, or to apply for a scholarship at FoldsOfHonor.org.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

According to Bureau of Labor statistics, for healthcare workers, assault is the most common source of nonfatal injury or illness requiring time off of work.

In this episode of Inside EMS, Host Chris Cebollero is joined by Jason Brooks, BAS, EMT-P, I/C, to discuss the rising frequency of assaults against EMS providers.

Brooks owns and operates DT4EMS, LLC, providing defensive tactics for escaping, mitigating and surviving violent attacks. He has been in the EMS profession for over 25 years, serving as a firefighter, paramedic, paramedic educator and EMS administrator.  He has spent nearly a decade studying the issue of violence in healthcare.

Together, they discuss:

• Personal defense and de-escalation training
• When to de-escalate domestic violence cases
• What to do when verbal de-escalation fails
• 4 rules of physicial and mental defense
• When to leave the scene

If you’re being threatened, you need to make the decision, “is this safe for me to stay here?”

“It's not patient abandonment to leave a scene that's unsafe.”

“There's no law out there that says that you have to sit there and be abused, be assaulted, etc. If it's unsafe, we need to know that care can end.”

“If it gets to the point where it's escalated so quickly, if you have to leave equipment behind for your safety, leave it.”

• Special coverage: Protecting EMS providers from violence
• Preventing violence against EMS personnel
• Research Analysis: Preventing downstream consequences of EMS assaults

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, host Kelly Grayson welcomes Nancy Magee, volunteer EMS consultant, and

Rom Duckworth, fire captain and paramedic EMS coordinator for the Ridgefield (Connecticut) Fire Department and the founder of the New England Center for Rescue and Emergency Medicine.

As a NAEMT board member, Rom recently attended the EMS advocacy event, EMS on the Hill, along with Nancy, who attended to represent the interests of rural EMS providers. 

Rom shared, “Bottom line, the experience was great, some parts a little frustrating, but I feel like we were fighting the good fight overall and it was a learning experience for me and I think an eye opening experience for a lot of the other people who were down there trying to fight for a little bit more money, a little bit more protection and a little bit more rights for EMS providers.”

Nancy and Rom recount their experiences and what they learned in Washington, including:

• What the representatives asked of legislators
• Why it’s important to be specific in grant funding
• The elephant in the room (hint, it’s fee-for-service)
• Where the money goes

Connect with us

Email [email protected] to share your feedback!

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. 

While EMS is uniquely rewarding, it is also uniquely challenging, with physical, mental and emotional impacts. During the inaugural First Responder Wellness Week, our dynamic duo, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson, hosted a special live edition of Inside EMS.

In this edition, our cohosts, joined by EMS One-Stop podcast host Rob Lawrence, welcome Global Medical Response's Ed Racht, MD; and Rhonda Kelly, who manage one of, if not the biggest EMS wellness programs in existence. Listen in to learn how wellness programs are essential to creating resilient responders, and what's working to support members' health, emotional wellness and coping strategies for career longevity.

WHAT ATTENDEES LIKED FROM THIS PRESENTATION

"Great ideas and options to assist providers when they need help and to encourage them to ask for help." 

"Good practical ideas to implement."

"It was very informative on information that we as an industry are using to move ahead with responder wellness." 

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

As we lead up to Lexipol’s First Responder Wellness Week, this week’s cohosts Rob Lawrence and Kelly Grayson learn about the work of two important EMS and public safety charitable organizations – EMS Gives Life, with Executive Director, Christine Fiechter, and the Code Green campaign with Treasurer and Board Member RJ Morrison.

 “Who knew you could donate a portion of your liver – many of us don’t and that portion of your liver you donate grows back in full size and functionality in a short period of time.” —Christine Fiechter

“This is a community that has a very hard time asking for help. They don’t want to ask for help, they want to sit silently; they are used to being the helper, it’s very awkward to ask for someone to donate a kidney.” — Christine Fiechter

“We bring to your attention the names of people that have passed through suicide or have passed through medical or accidents, etc., but we never talk about the people that didn’t – what about the people that did go and get help, that did reach out, that did ask for support, and we don’t read their name, because they were successful.” — RJ Morrison discussing the Code Green “Names not read” tag line

“No one knew how many of our brethren took their own lives unless someone reported it, or said so in an obituary, and we still don’t know how many died in accidents because they were depressed or suffering from PTSD. It’s hard to do good work if you don’t have the statistics and the [FBHA Register] is a crucial initiative.” — Kelly Grayson

Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

If you’ve seen his videos, you’ve likely said to yourself, “been there, done that.” In this episode of Inside EMS, cohost Kelly Grayson and guest cohost Rob Lawrence welcome Firefighter-influencer Jason Patton to the show. Patton, famous for Fire Department Chronicles and Fire Department Coffee, offers a caffeine-fueled glimpse at how he got started in producing videos that have garnered him over 5 million followers.

Listen in as they discuss:

• The power of social media
• The “can’t make this stuff up” calls we’ve all been to that produce fodder for his videos
• Patton’s tips for sharing your own message with the masses, including an outside-of-the-box suggestion for why mistakes are a good thing

Don’t miss:

• “The world, especially our world, needs humor.”
• Patton’s approach to tough topics
• What he did to get a cease-and-desist letter from National Geographic

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In the 10-year anniversary episode of the Inside EMS podcast, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the shortage of EMTs, the imperfections of the onboarding process, and the importance of having good leaders in demanding jobs.

Join Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson as they celebrate 10 years of the Inside EMS podcast by taking a hard look at the desperate search for more EMTs. With more EMS professionals nationally registered now than ever before, the duo dissects why those statistics don’t match up with the number of EMTs currently working.

Our hosts take a close look at EMS leaders and their impact on new EMTs. Plus, they cover specific ways that we can improve the onboarding process to better prepare EMS professionals, and how the sink or swim method is harming new EMTs.

• The lack of preparation in onboarding new EMTs.
• Is there really a shortage in EMS?
• Why is it so important to pair new EMTs with good mentors?
• The negative impact of hazing in EMS.
• How to take care of yourself while maintaining a successful EMS career.

• “What we have is a shortage of people who are willing to work under horrible conditions for chump change and be unappreciated.”
• “We spend an inordinate amount of time recruiting adrenaline junkies and trying to teach them to be hand holders when we should be recruiting hand holders and teaching them how to function in a crisis.”
• “We need to teach new EMTs to keep that soft chewy center and retain that compassion for as long as they possibly can.”

• Article: “Top 10 Ways to Ruin a Good EMT” written by Kelly Grayson
• Book: “Ultimate Leadership: 10 Rules for Success” written by Chris Cebollero

• Listen to this episode of the Inside EMS podcast and look out for new episodes every Friday
• Contact us at [email protected]
• Review the show on Apple Podcasts and leave us some feedback

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Host Kelly Grayson gets vulnerable on the podcast, as he shares his experiences with PTSD, resiliency and how best to deal with hidden emotions. Asked to be a guest author in a recent anthology on coping with traumatic stress, Kelly's contributed chapter in "But Not Broken" focused on a particular call that caused him to struggle for years and how he worked through it. 

Our co-hosts also explore how the act of writiung or journaling can have therapeutic benefits for first responders who are grappling with traumatic stress, as Kelly shares his tips for dealing with feelings through the written word. 

"Any of us can suffer from PTSD ... and as the saying goes, it's not what's wrong with you, it's what's happened to you," Kelly says.

Have an idea for an episode? Send an email to [email protected].

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Inside EMS hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson open this week's episode with the news of the death of Paramedic Pete Reed, a former Marine who was recently killed in Ukraine when his ambulance was shelled by Russian forces as he was helping to evacuate civilians out of the city of Bakhmut.

"I have tremendous respect for those who don't have a legal requirement to render aid but give of themselves, and in this case, Pete Reed paid the ultimate sacrifice," says Grayson. 

Our co-hosts also discuss a county in New York that is offering a 10% property tax exemption for volunteer providers and firefighters, as well as the sentencing details for a man who stabbed an on-duty EMS captain. 

"We see a lot of our peers who are getting assaulted and getting hurt on the job. Where is the justice for those people?" asks Chris Cebollero. 

Listen to the latest episode and subscribe to get next week's episode automatically in your feed. 

"Ten years from now, this work that you do still shows up on your work history and what will it say about you as you go forward and you go on to the next phase in your career?" — Chris Cebollero

"That's why we have this podcast. This is something we do to extend our advocacy and our passion for our profession beyond the guy in the other seat in the truck and beyond the classroom. It's a way to leave our mark and leave our profession a little better than we found it by spreading the message and getting advocacy out there to a broader range of people." — Kelly Grayson

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

This special episode of Inside EMS is a crossover post from FireRescue1's new Better Every Shift Podcast. Hosted by Madison (Wisconsin) Firefighter Aaron Zamzow and FireRescue1 Editor-in-Chief Janelle Foskett, the show brings kitchen table conversations to the airwaves, always focused on solutions, positivity and the realities of station life.  

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. 

This episode of the Better Every Shift podcast is extra super because Zam and Janelle are talking all things Super Bowl with Glendale (Arizona) Captain Ashley Losch, digging into the fire and EMS preparations, training and coordination for this year’s big game. Captain Losch details the many moving parts of “Super Season,” what they’ve learned from the past two Super Bowls the city has hosted, plus how the Damar Hamlin incident prompted additional questions.

Plus, we get into all this:

• The big messaging change for this year
• Maintaining citywide staffing during the big game
• The tabletop exercise that had 150 agencies represented

• Hot seat sneak peek: Best Super Bowl halftime shows of all time
• Don’t miss: How the super-wealthy deal with Super Bowl travel
• Episode power quote: “It’s about connection, it’s about coming together for a common goal, making sure that people are safe, making sure that everyone has a good time, everyone goes home with good memories, and the sheer amount of people that are coming together to make sure that happens is really incredible.”

• Glendale Fire on Instagram

Email [email protected] to share your feedback, and if you enjoy the show, take a moment to rate and review Better Every Shift on Apple Podcasts. 

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

This week, Inside EMS host Chris Cebollero is joined by Chief Gary Ludwig to discuss killing of Tyre Nichols, which led to the firing of five Memphis police officers and three members of the Memphis Fire Department. Ludwig previously served as the deputy chief of the department for 10 years, running their EMS program.

Chief Ludwig discusses professionalism, how a “normalization of deviance” may account for the lack of concern for bad behavior, and leadership’s role in keeping our workforce safe. The pair round out the episode by discussing whether it’s time for EMS to start wearing body cameras during patient care or at other times during a call.

“The cameras are rolling and people know the cameras are rolling and this is still the behavior.” — Chris Cebollero

“We behave on these cameras inappropriately, and nothing happens to us. You go on the next call, there’s cameras there – body cams, security cameras, Ring doorbells – there’s cameras everywhere. We behave inappropriately and there’s no consequences, even though it was captured on camera, so it becomes normalized.” — Chief Ludwig

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

As the industry waits for more details in the case involving two Illinois EMTs charged with murder in the death of a patient, cohosts Kelly Grayson and Chris Cebollero discuss the lack of compassion show by the providers and the scourge of apathy that plagues EMS. The conversation explores how EMS leaders can help keep industry personnel on a more professional path.

"Members of the workforce will stay for low pay if they are treated well, or good pay if they are not treated well, but they won’t stay for both.” — Kelly Grayson

"We must define our own professionalism, and every call we go on now has the opportunity to become a national news event. It is not 'if' but 'when.'" — Chris Cebollero

• Malpractice or murder: When do EMS providers cross the line from negligence to a crime?
• Video: Is deeply disturbing patient care murder?
• Listen: 'How does this happen?' – Wolfberg and Wirth weigh in on EMT murder charges
• You've seen the video; now what? 14 action steps for EMS leaders to root out bad behavior
• You’ve seen the footage – Now what? Part 2: 15 steps for providers to compassionate care 
• Prone positioning: Therapy or apathy?

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, Host Chris Cebollero discusses goal setting for a successful 2023. Chris breaks down the top 5 golden rules for making your goals and resolutions a reality.

Chris notes, “success does not happen by chance, you have to create the opportunities that will create your success.”

Listen for more on:

1. Developing a motivating value statement
2. Using the SMART method of developing goals
3. The importance of developing an action plan
4. Ensuring you are sticking to the plan you developed

This is a great show to outline a blueprint for your success in 2023.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In the first episode of the 10th year in EMS, Cohost Chris Cebollero is joined by the legal powerhouse of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth’s EMS Attorneys Doug Wolfberg, Esq.; and Steve Wirth, Esq. to discuss the case everyone is talking about.

An Illinois prosecutor has filed virtually unprecedented first-degree murder charges against two EMS providers over the death of a patient in their care. Wolfberg and Wirth broke down the points of the case and the lessons for EMS in an EMS1 article, "Malpractice or murder: When do EMS providers cross the line from negligence to a crime?"   

In this episode, Wolfberg and Wirth share their first impressions of the case and the body camera footage of the incident.

Wolfberg noted what hit him was the “callous, cold, very detached, aggressive demeanor of the providers.” “You get into EMS because you care for people – how do you get to the point to what we saw in the video – that’s really where I keep coming back to,”  Wolfberg said.

Wirth added, “it wasn’t until I looked at the video that I felt outraged – outraged is the word that comes to my mind – how could a human being deal with another human being in this fashion – basically treat another human being as an inanimate object.” He asked, “how does this happen … because we can’t allow this to happen; we can’t.”

Are first-degree murder charges warranted in this case? See how EMS1 listeners are weighing in.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Our co-hosts bid farewell to 2022 by counting down the most talked about and debated stories from this year's slate of Inside EMS episodes. Join Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson as they discuss EMS-police relations, patients' gender identity requests, legal conundrums and more. 

Check out the stories referenced in our episode: 

• Video: N.Y. officer on desk duty after handcuffing EMT in hospital
• 2 medics' credentials suspended after Texas patient dies in transport
• Mother's lawsuit: 23-year-old dies in ED area after Conn. hospital ignores him for 7 hours
• 2 Mich. firefighters suspended over delayed response to EMS call
• Air ambulance pilot refused to fly in dangerous conditions; feds say company retaliated

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

This week, Cohost Kelly Grayson is joined by guest Host Greg Friese, MS, NRP, editorial director for Lexipol, and the pair discuss the traits of a great EMS book. Grayson and Friese, both fans of the genre of EMS literature, discuss the importance of clinical accuracy, a narrative arc that connects the patient responses, and author point of view. They also dive into whether the EMT or paramedic author needs to both experience and convey personal transformation through the narrative. Listen closely as Grayson and Friese shout out some of their favorite EMS authors and books. 

What's your favorite book by an EMT or paramedic? How did that book influence your education and career in EMS?  Listen to the full conversation and add your comments on the topic below.

Kelly Grayson is the author of "Perspectives, Volume I: An Emergency Medicine and Public Safety Anthology", and the follow-up, Perspectives, Volume 2.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

This week cohost Kelly Grayson is joined by guest host Greg Friese, editorial director for Lexipol, and the pair discuss a Canadian research study on the diversity of CPR manikins used in instructive social media posts within North and South America.

During a two year period, researchers found that fewer than 10% of the more than 200 manikin images used in social media instructional posts represented Black or Asian patients, while fewer than 2% represented overweight individuals.

“I kind of rolled my eyes at the study itself, but it does speak to a larger issue,” Grayson said. “No CPR manikin looks like me; none of them have legs and they all have at least one less chin than I do, but [this research] does speak to a larger issue in EMS, and society as a whole, about diversity and inclusivity in our profession.”

What do you think about the study? Listen to the full conversation and add your comments on the topic below.

• The 'hidden curriculum' in EMS education: Teaching the good, the bad and the ugly
• Teaching differential diagnosis
• How to recognize lazy students, bad instructors

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Our Inside EMS cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson are joined by guest Major Chris Lokits from Louisville Metro EMS (LMEMS) to discuss paramedic intubations in the field. LMEMS is part of the Prehospital Airway Control Trial (PACT), a four-year Department of Defense research study aimed at "improving survival among people who have difficulty breathing after a trauma," through the University of Louisville. A significant number, up to 15%, of people with traumatic injuries die due to a lack of airway management. 

Dr. Raymond Orthober, LMEMS medical director and assistant professor of emergency medicine at UofL, is helping lead the university's participation in the clinical trial. 

• 5 tips to provide safe and effective ventilation
• Airway management: Improving first-pass intubation success (eBook)
• 5 tips for securing a patient's airway
• Improve endotracheal intubation with First and TEN approach
• 5 things to know about endotracheal intubation

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Our cohosts are joined this week by Jeff Hensley, emergency manager for MedTrust Medical Transport in Charleston, South Carolina, who discusses the requirements for the position and the characteristics of a successful emergency manager.

The discussion also touches on the role of emergency management in the community during public health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid epidemic. 

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visitlexipol.com.

Inside EMS cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson respond to the social media discussion on a recent EMS1 article: "Should waveform capnography be in the EMT scope of practice?"

The comments on the topic were divided:

• "If you can bag or insert an airway, you should be able to use ETCO2. As others have said, it’s a fantastic tool for all levels of clinical practice."
• "They need to be good at what is already in their scope of practice and most of the aren’t. They’re just medic dependent."
• "... Why is this even a question? Absolutely yes."

Our cohosts discuss how to train EMTs for this skill and how to make it a reality in the educational process. Chris offers his take on the topic and suggests that nothing needs to be added to the EMT curriculum; instead, he believes it's the responsibility of the agency to teach this skill. 

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the "hidden curriculum" in EMS education on this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, differentiating the fine line between a discussion of the educational components, the potentiality for bad habits and "lore" of EMS – and all three have a place. The duo makes the case for balance when teaching about the good, the bad and the ugly of an EMS career. 

The discussion also touches on valuing experience over evidence-based medicine, how to take the ego out of the educational process, and instructor tips for teaching flexibility and the importance of doing the right thing as a matter of principle to students. 

• Passion: Is it required to teach EMS?
• Addressing toxic heroism in the EMS education system
• How to recognize lazy students, bad instructors

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

By request, this episode of Inside EMS tackles the topic of resiliency, based on a conversation cohost Chris Cebollero had with listener Benoit Rudolphe at EMS World Expo. Cebollero and fellow cohost Kelly Grayson take the idea and run with it, detailing the top six elements of achieving personal or professional resilience.

Additional resiliency resources:

•  How to build mental health resilience in EMS
• Quick Take: Building first responder resilience
• Fit for duty: How to be a resilient responder
• Enhancing first responder resilience through mindfulness
• EMT 360: Teach emotional resilience during training

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Fresh off their appearance at EMS World Expo, Inside EMS cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson break down what it takes to become a successful conference speaker. The duo discuss the process for getting engaged in events at both the state and national level, how to develop a professional presentation, the agonizing-but-cathartic process of crafting a catchy title and the critical need for to fully prepare before the event. 

To cap off the episode, Chris gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at his personal preparation process ahead of a speaking engagement. 

• Conference dos and don’ts
• How to select education sessions at an EMS conference
• EMS conferences: 10 reasons for volunteers to attend
• 10 ways to get the most out of a virtual conference

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

This week, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the murder of FDNY EMS Capt. Alison Russo, who was violently stabbed to death by a man just a half mile from her home EMS station. The conversation touches on personal safety, how to prepare the EMS workforce with additional safety equipment and self defense training.

The duo also revisit the fraught discussion about arming EMS providers in the field and how thoughts on the topic have evolved over the years. 

"Some people say, 'We're not combatants, we're compassionate.' I was a combat medic; we can do both." — Chris Cebollero

"Are we becoming so inured to the violence we face every day that we look at it as part of the job?" — Kelly Grayson

"I think we need to learn hand-to-hand combat, I think we need to worry about wearing Kevlar vests, and we need to think about arming our paramedics with some kind of weapon." — Chris Cebollero

• An outpouring of support, outrage over FDNY EMS provider's murder
• Rapid response: Risk of senseless violence is constantly looming
• EMS response is often considered safer than firefighting, but is it?
• Former partner of slain FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo reflects on her love of EMS
• Slain FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo devoted herself to volunteer agency for 30 years
• Fallen 25-year FDNY veteran was months from retirement
• FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo to be posthumously promoted to captain

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode, host Chris Cebollero is joined by guest co-host Mike Touchstone, who previously served as president of the National EMS Management Association and recently retired as the deputy paramedic chief of the Philadelphia Fire Department. Touchstone outlines the foundations of professionalism in your career, including the integration of your personal values, how to develop a personal strategic plan and how to advance to the next level of your EMS career. For good measure, Touchstone also offers a few tips on developing a national presence through professional writing and speaking on EMS issues at conferences. 

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the drug Ketamine and its use in EMS. Providers may utilize the drug to assist with many different conditions they encounter in the field. The discussion references a recent article regarding ketamine's possible use in treating anxiety and depression, and the conversation turns to other drugs that are being used to treat similar maladies, such as MDMA, which has been touted as helpful when treating terminal patients.

6 ways to avoid ketamine pitfalls

Article Bites: Pain management options

Understanding prehospital ketamine: Dosing to drawbacks

Excited delirium: The Long Beach integrated medical response

Vodcast: Patient with delirium and agitated behavior

This episode of the Inside EMS podcast is sponsored by Verizon Frontline, the advanced network and technology for first responders on the front lines. Learn more at verizon.com/frontline.

In this special crossover episode, public safety leaders come together to reflect on the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and the legacy of 9/11 in the emergency services.

Inside EMS host Chris Cebollero is joined by Policing Matters host Jim Dudley, deputy chief (ret.), of the San Francisco Police Department; and Gary Ludwig, of the Champaign (Illinois) Fire Department, the 2022 IAFC Career Fire Chief of the Year.

Together, they discuss how first responders have continued to move forward for over 20 years now and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11 as recruits enter public safety who were not even born yet at the time.

The focus is on honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice and lived up to their oath to help others in their time of need, the legacy of lessons learned about responding in a hazardous situation, ongoing vigilance against threats and why “never forget” should not be a cavalier statement, but one made with meaning, purpose and with emphasis.

Read more recollections, as well as how lessons learned are impacting the way first responders of today train and respond to incidents in our 9/11 coverage, sponsored by Verizon.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson are joined by guests Lisa Giruzzi and Robbie MacCue, founders of the EMS Leadership Academy in New York. The robust conversation emphasizes the most important attributes of a leader, and the group discusses what future EMS leaders should know about the current state of the industry and where it's headed. Giruzzi and MacCue also share the philosophy of the EMS Leadership Academy and discuss the upcoming Fourth Annual EMS Leadership Summit. 

Learn more about the summit here. 

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

From monkeypox to state licensure, to certification requirements and funding recruitment programs, it’s been a busy few weeks in EMS news. In this episode of Inside EMS, our cohosts run down the biggest news stories of the day, and what they mean for the future of EMS.

Together, they discuss:

• Monkeypox. With cases now identified in all 50 states, including a handful of pediatric cases, is it time to be anticipatory in preparing for a monkeypox emergency? Chris and Kelly discuss how transmission method, decontamination practices and COVID fatigue all come into play.
• State licensure. After the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced that it has established an EMS task force to evaluate medical services, systems and a state licensing system, Chris and Kelly applaud their efforts and encourage others to look to other states for programs and solutions to EMS staffing issues.
• A state-funded EMT class. Pennsylvania is using state dollars to fund an EMT class for underemployed residents, supported by the Johnstown Fire Department, with training provided by Conemaugh School of Emergency Medical Services Program Director Mike Rodgers. Kelly notes this creative solution will hopefully help to grow the EMS talent pool, but cautions, “we don’t have a paramedic shortage; we have a shortage of paramedics who are willing to work in toxic environments.” As long as the graduates are placed in positive environments, he can’t see a downside. “Hopefully this seed corn that Pennsylvania is developing here isn’t spoiled and is allowed to take root in a positive environment with a good agency and help relieve some of the staffing woes there in Pennsylvania,” he comments.
• NREMT certification proposal. Finally, our cohosts discuss the EMS story that had everyone up in arms. After a lively comment period, the National Registry rescinded a resolution that would have changed EMS certification eligibility criteria. Kelly noted in his opinion, and according to the majority of comments received, this was a potential step backward for EMS. Our cohosts discuss how the comment period worked exactly as it should, and the National Registry listened to the stakeholders, while also putting education standards front and center.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

This week, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson tackle the topic of TXA, including its uses and how to administer it. In a recent article, "Understanding TXA," columnist Jonathan Lee offers an overview on how TXA is becoming a mainstay in the field and makes a case for it to be considered for shock and trauma patients. Grayson, who carries TXA on his ambulance, shares the protocols for the drug's administration and management. 

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this week's episode, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson are joined by Adam Heinz, executive director of REMSA Health in Reno, Nevada. The trio discusses the future of EMS, how agencies should rethink current systems and the role of EMS providers, and the best ways to recruit and retain new career professionals. Adam also shares the four P's for developing a successful EMS system.

This episode of EMS One-Stop is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, recorded at the Pinnacle EMS 2022 leadership conference, Host Rob Lawrence chats with Joe Ryan, MD.

Dr. Ryan is adjunct clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at Stanford University and is well known as a veteran EMS medical director at some of the most notable EMS operations in the country, past and present, including MAST in Kansas City; City of Pittsburgh EMS; Sun Star in Pinellas County, Florida; Santa Clara County EMS in California; and REMSA in Reno, Nevada. 

Dr. Ryan was at Pinnacle to pay homage to his lifelong friend, Jack Stout, whose life was celebrated at the conference.

In the podcast, Dr. Ryan discusses the origins of high-performance EMS and his involvement with Jack Stout as he set EMS systems up. Additionally, Rob and Dr. Ryan look to the future and discuss the “silver tsunami” in geriatric healthcare.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this crossover edition of EMS One-Stop and Inside EMS, hosts Rob Lawrence and Chris Cebollero report together from Pinnacle EMS 2022 leadership conference and are joined by guest Bruce Evans, president of NAEMT. 

During the discussion, Bruce issues a call-to-action to save ambulance services as we know it, in the face political, reimbursement and recruiting pressures. The crew also discusses their favorite presenters and presentations from the conference, and offer a vivid description of the memorial to the late Jack Stout, considered to be the father of high-performance EMS systems.

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

There are more paramedics in Australia than there are paramedic jobs!

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence speaks with Mick Lazell, Neil Noble, Alan Mountford and Colin Allen of Australia EMS.

They are currently in the U.S., leading a study tour of undergraduate paramedic students from various Australian universities. They discuss the over-production of graduate paramedics in Australia and how they hope that visa, and clinical certification and registration hurdles can be overcome to allow Australian paramedics to seek employment in the US.

As we head to the Pinnacle EMS leadership conference, this could provide a key discussion point as we desperately seek to increase our clinical workforce.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson analyze the most popular stories of the week, beginning with an incident in Rochester, New York, where an EMT hit a police officer's squad car that was parked in the ambulance bay with the rig door, leading to the officer eventually handcuffing the provider. 

Our co-hosts then discuss the statement put out by the NAEMSP regarding NREMT's change to education standards – which is open for public comment until Aug. 17. 

The talk then turns to an assault of a paramedic and nurse after a patient was placed in triage at a local hospital. Every EMS organization should be aware of the rise in violence and have a plan in place to keep EMS providers safe on duty.

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence welcomes Matt Zavadsky, MS-HSA, EMT, chief strategic integration officer of MedStar Ft Worth.

Matt describes how Walt Disney World’s culture and approach to the guest experience contain important lessons for EMS agencies, our leaders and our providers. The conversation covers:

• The importance of branding
• How reputations are built and can implode
• The importance of “cast member” selection for your agency
• How paying attention to the 1,000 little things create a magical immersive experience for your employees and patients

EMS1 is the premier media partner at the Pinnacle EMS conference and Rob and Matt also highlight the pre-conference session, “Hot topics in high-performance/high-value EMS,” as well as the AIMHI webinar, “How much funding do you need?” which will be featured in a future episode.

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

In this episode of Inside EMS, our cohosts,  Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson, are joined by former EMS Director for the state of Utah, and current FirstNet Board Member, Paul Patrick.

The discussion revolves around communication and making communication a stress-free resource. Patrick shares his knowledge on how communication can be hampered in MCI response, how we changed our communication practice during the pandemic and what we learned for the future of communication.

He then shares some information about the history of FirstNet, how it came about and what it means for the first responder community. 

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

"Amateurs talk tactics. Professionals talk logistics" — General Omar Bradley

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence chats with Superintendent Joe O'Hare of Boston EMS. After an illustrious EMS career, O'Hare is heading into a well-earned retirement. Rob and Joe reflect on leadership lessons learned as well as Joe’s experience as EMS commander during the Boston Marathon bombing.

The conversation covers leadership, partnership, cooperation, interoperability, logistics, NIMS, ICS and the Olympic flame.

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

In this week's episode, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss EMS1 columnist Todd Bowman's recent article, "5 ways to build confident providers". The discussion delves into training practices, building confidence with crew resource management, and understanding how call repetition can build the skills for treating patients.

The conversation then turns to the importance of a good quality assurance program, which should be considered a non-punitive process. The final point touches on reassurance, and the power of saying "thank you."

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence welcomes Jay Fitch, PhD, of Fitch & Associates; and Tom Judge, executive director of LifeFlight of Maine.

EMS1 is the premier media partner at the Pinnacle EMS conference, and Rob is a part of this year's Pinnacle Shark Tank Innovation Generator pre-conference session. In this series of podcasts, the EMS cast of the Shark Tank will join Rob to discuss their own hot topics.

In this episode of the series Rob, Jay and Tom discuss the upcoming conference and some of its key sessions, as well as current issues that those attending will ultimately look to solve. Rob also asks Jay, who has been operating in the EMS space for five decades as a leading consultant, what he is currently advising his clients as they look to operationally survive.

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

This week, our co-hosts welcome two members from the Lexington (Ky.) Fire Department, Lt. Ken Howell and Firefighter Mackenzie Gross, to discuss the organization's community paramedicine program. Gross also serves as one of two social workers in the program. 

The discussion flows as our guests outline their efforts and share how to progressively develop as a community medic. Gross, who serves as one of two social workers for the LFD, explains the importance of social work in conjunction with a community paramedicine program. 

Looking for more information about community paramedicine? Check out these additional EMS1 resources: 

• Chris Cebollero's work to bring reimbursement to community paramedicine
• How community paramedicine is a risk reduction program for your citizens
• How to hire effective community paramedics

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Just over three months ago, Rob Luckritz assumed his new appointment as the Chief of Austin Travis County EMS, Texas. He got the job after a very public selection process where he not only competed against internal, time served candidates, but also a list of very qualified external candidates. Thanks to the transparency of the process, the public, both in Austin, and far and wide, were able to follow the process every step of the way.

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence catches up with Rob Luckritz to discuss his first 100 days in office. Luckritz describes his reception so far, what he has found and his future plans for ATCEMS. He also offers advice for young EMS leaders aspiring to get a senior job at an organization such as ATCEMS and how to prepare for an EMS leadership career.

Luckritz also takes part in a quick-fire round, highlighting his thoughts on our current EMS challenges from recruiting to available ambulances and everything in between.  

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

This week, Inside EMS co-hosts Chris Cebellero and Kelly Grayson discuss a drafted resolution by NREMT that could affect certifications at all levels. 

If the resolution is approved following a public comment period, the National Registry executive director would update the initial certification requirements for all levels of certification (EMR, EMT, AEMT, and paramedic) to include successful completion of an EMS education program that meets or exceeds the National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards and:

• has an CAAHEP-accreditation, or
• has been issued a CoAEMSP “Letter of Review,” or
• has received state EMS office approval.

Listen to the discussion and weigh in below with your comments. 

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence welcomes Ed Racht, MD, chief medical officer at Global Medical Response; and Joelle Donofrio-Odmann, DO, deputy chief medical officer, San Diego Fire Department, to discuss what the future holds for EMS. The discussion focuses on how we get others in the house of medicine to realize what we do and appreciate it. 

EMS1 is the premier media partner at the Pinnacle EMS conference, and Rob, Mike and Remle are also part of this year's Pinnacle Shark Tank Innovation Generator pre-conference session. In this series of podcasts, the EMS cast of the Shark Tank will join Rob to discuss their own hot topics.

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

On this week's podcast, our co-hosts analyze bodycam footage released by the City of Dallas after a patient died in police custody while being transported in the back of a Dallas Fire-Rescue ambulance. According to a Dallas police deputy, the patient "became quiet and started to lose vital signs" while en route, and died shortly after arriving at the hospital. 

Listen as our co-hosts break down the video and share tips for handling a similar situation. 

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

In this week's episode, co-host Kelly Grayson interviews fellow host Chris Cebollero about his efforts to create a universal reimbursement plan for community paramedicine work. For the last three years, Cebollero has collaborated with a commerical payer to establish a pilot program that levels the reimbursement playing field, regardless of the type of EMS delivery system – fire-based, public, private, etc. The program is expected to expand to 10 states this year. Cebollero also discusses the logistics of the program, how agencies get up to speed and trained, and what it means for the future of community paramedicine in EMS. 

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence welcomes Remle Crowe, PhD; and Mike Taigman to discuss research, improvement science and project implementation. Along the way, they also cover the UCLA Prehospital Care Research Forum, a red lights and sirens project update, and their top research projects.

EMS1 is the premier media partner at the Pinnacle EMS conference, and Rob, Mike and Remle are also part of this year's Pinnacle Shark Tank Innovation Generator pre-conference session. Over the next few weeks, the EMS cast of the Shark Tank will join Rob to discuss their own hot topics. 

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

This week, Inside EMS co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the recent mass shootings across the country in New York, Texas and Oklahoma. What does the increase in shootings mean for EMS providers and should agencies prepare? Should organizations increase training for these types of scenarios? The discussion also revolves around hardening targets, arming teachers and industry impact. 

• Rapid response: 5 ways to be prepared for an MCI in your community
• Child death calls: How to talk to your family and support your mental health
• Preparing a workforce to deal with emotional trauma

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In light of the recent monkeypox outbreak, both the CDC and Atlanta’s National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) have issued specialist guidance to both EMS and healthcare.

To discuss this emerging issue, Rob Lawrence is joined by Alexander P. Isakov, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine at Emory University.  He is also the director for Emory’s Section of Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, whose faculty and staff provide medical oversight for 911 communications centers, first responders, and air and ground ambulance services in the metropolitan Atlanta area.

Additionally, Dr. Isakov founded and directs the Emory-Grady EMS Bio-Safety Transport Program, which supports the Emory University Hospital Serious Communicable Diseases Unit and the CDC for the transport and management of persons confirmed or suspected to have a high consequence infectious disease. 

Discussed in the podcast are the signs and symptoms of monkeypox, methods of transmission, precautions for providers and notification requirements. The conversation also includes COVID-19, and the current upward trend in cases.

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

In this episode, host Chris Cebollero interviews co-host Kelly Grayson about his new book, "Perspectives, Volume I: An Emergency Medicine and Public Safety Anthology." The concept for the book came from a successful excercise on Grayson's blog, in which he would create a fictional patient and elicit the perspective of an ER nurse and a police officer to understand how they see the same patient. 

For his book, Grayson expanded on the concept, and invited a number of public safety and public health professionals to collaborate on the work. Our co-hosts discuss how readers should approach the book, where the idea came from and what a lay person can glean from the pages.

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this special edition of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence is joined by Mike Taigman, improvement guide at FirstWatch, and Nicole Holm, MA, BCC, a chaplain with Allina Health Emergency Medical Services.  This edition was recorded the day after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Holm and Taigman discuss resilience and the role of chaplaincy in EMS. The conversation identifies coping strategies and methods to prepare a workforce to deal with such levels of mental trauma in the future.

Read more: Uvalde aftermath: What should we do today? - “Sadly, this isn’t the last time we will see these headlines, but for us, today, put the tourniquet away and focus on the heart and soul of those in our charge.”

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of  EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence speaks with Stefan Korshak, senior defense correspondent for the Kiev Post. U.S.-born, now Ukrainian resident Korshak is a journalist and foreign correspondent reporter specializing in conflict zone work. 

Rob and Stefan discuss the general situation in Ukraine, humanitarian and refugee issues, and support being provided to displaced citizens by the Ukrainian Government, and the unity and morale of the general population.

In the second half of the podcast, Stefan recounts a recent visit to the front line and his interaction with ambulance and frontline medical support and evacuation operations.  To conclude, Stefan identifies current needs and it’s ambulances … as long as they are 4x4 AWD and armored.

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss a recent news article out of Florida regarding a Fla. patient's Do Not Resuscitate order. The family of the patient alleges EMS providers violated the legal wishes of Celeste Salanitri, 81, who suffered from end-stage Parksinson's disease, after she was treated for a fall at an assisted living facility. 

"There is so much ambiguity when it comes to DNR's that EMS providers need to be up on how to handle when nursing staff or family members say there is a DNR in place," Cebollero says. 

Our co-hosts end the show by describing a series of DNR scenarios to consider how they would respond in the moment. 

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode, host Rob Lawrence delves into the essential work of State EMS Associations, their functions and the key legislative activities they are undertaking.

His EMS leader guests for this podcast, recorded at the recent AAA Stars of Life event, include:

• Terrence Ramotar, director for government affairs for the SE region for Global Medical Response, and president of the Florida Ambulance Association
• Jimmy Pierson, president and COO of Medic Ambulance Service in Northern California, and president of the California Ambulance Association
• Chris Anderson, COO of Bell Ambulance of Milwaukee, and president of the Professional Ambulance Association of Wisconsin

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the concept of self awareness and emotional intelligence. Sometimes people push our buttons, and we allow emotions to dictate our actions – why does this happen? What is the process of analyzing our emotions that allows us to control them when confronted? Cebellero outlines the components of emotional intelligence and offers tips to better understanding through reflection and developing a solid self-awareness.

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Anna Muller is a TikTok sensation who has been viewed on her channel over 20 million times. Muller now spends her time as a transformational life coach and public speaker.

As a keynote speaker at the American Ambulance Association 2022 Stars of Life Ceremony on May 3, 2022, in Washington D.C., Anna described the moment two paramedics saved her life after she made a difficult 911 call. That call changed her life, and generated a TikTok message that has touched millions since.

In this EMS One-Stop Podcast, Anna tells Rob Lawrence her story of survival, hope, courage and resilience, and how the interaction with EMS changed her life. Anna and Rob also discuss the patients’ eye view of being the patient in crisis and receiving care from EMS. 

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss EMS1 Editor-in-Chief Kerri Hatt's recent article, "Fentanyl: Separating fact from fiction," which dispels the myths surrounding the drug and details how first responders should safely approach a scene where fentanyl is present. 

• Educate public safety partners about fentanyl protection
• Opioid overdose: Fact vs. fiction
• Fentanyl fever and MIH opiate interventions
• MRSA, fentanyl, bed bugs: What are you bringing home with you?
• 6 strategies to protect first responders from fentanyl
• Quiz: Fact vs. fiction on fentanyl exposure

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss an article by Andrea Abbas, MS, NRP, IP, CP-C, "5 leadership flaws that hold us back." The duo discuss the difficulties of leading multi-generational crews, their own personal management styles, how complacency can cause a disconnect with field crews and more.

According to Cebollero, "the true measurement of leadership success is how engaged, satisfied and productive the workforce is – everything else is extra gravy."

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open—to help you respond faster, smarter and safer.

Contact us

Enjoying the show? Contact the Inside EMS team at [email protected] to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or let us know if you’d like to join us as a guest.

This is a special edition of the Inside EMS Podcast – enjoy a crossover post from Chris Cebollero's Ultimate Leadership Podcast.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of the Ultimate Leadership Podcast, Chris Cebollero is joined by Vivian James Rigney. Vivian is in a relatively small group of individuals to have climbed the highest peaks on all seven continents of the planet. When he summited Mount Everest, Vivian had a life-changing experience, which he recounts in his recently published book, “Naked at the Knife-Edge: What Everest Taught Me About Leadership and the Power of Vulnerability.”

Vivian James Rigney is president and CEO of Inside Us LLC, a boutique executive coaching consultancy, operating throughout five continents. He has helped implement leadership development initiatives for some of the world’s leading companies and their executive teams. As an executive coach for some of the world’s most successful leaders, he is known for building a strong rapport with people and asking tough and incisive questions, with an uncanny ability to help them reveal and become their best version of themselves. 

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the 14-cent pay increase announced for Austin-Travis County EMS; the first pay increase since 2018 – and not one that delivers a living wage to the members of ATCEMS. The Austin EMS Association was reportedly asking for an increase in EMT base pay from $19 an hour to $27 an hour. 

[Read next: A 14-cent raise. Are you kidding?]

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the success of Trentin Monk, who was one of Kelly's EMT students. Trentin passed the NREMT cognitive exam in only 70 questions; at 15 years and 196 days old, that accomplishment makes him the youngest EMT ever certified in the state of Louisiana.

The conversation then shifts to a new course offering from NAEMT. The organization will begin offering Political Academy, an eight-hour seminar designed to educate providers on how best to progress EMS causes in the political arena at the state and federal levels.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss a recent court case where a nurse was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide for a medication error that lead to the death of a patient. 

Chris and Kelly discuss the facts of the case and how the verdict could impact EMS. They also outline the steps providers should take to protect themselves when dispensing and administering medication on duty. 

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

This week, President Biden announced that Russia is in the planning phases of a significant barrage of cyberattacks against the United States, and reported Russian-sponsored cyber aggression at sustained levels never seen before.

To discuss the implications of the effects of a cyberattack on EMS infrastructure, EMS One-Stop Host Rob Lawrence welcomes EMSA COO, Frank Gresh, and FirstWatch Cyber Security Strategist, Bill Ott.  

Mike Taigman also joins to discuss the recent FirstWatch alert.

In this episode of Inside EMS, host Chris Cebollero shares five tips for becoming the best industry professional possible, and stressed the importance of behaving like a leader, regardless of position. 

Cebollero's advice touches on the importance of acting like a leader, focusing on skill growth, staying in control of your emotions, advancing your listening skills and showcasing your professionalism at every turn. 

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence welcomes an international panel to discuss falls, drops and lifts. Matt Streger, attorney with Keavney & Streger; Brian Hupp, director of EMS at the Maury Regional Medical Center in Columbia, Tennessee, and newly awarded Tennessee EMS Administrator of the Year; and Simon Claridge, CEO of Mangar International, based in the UK, join the show.

While discussing falls, drops and lift, Matt describes a patient movement sim lab used by one of his clients, funded by an insurance company in order to assist with the prevention of paramedic acquired workplace injuries and with the liability associated with dropping patients.

Brian talks protocols and prevention, and Simon identifies UK health and safety law and the requirement for every vehicle to carry lifting devices. He also touches on mandatory training for care home staff and highlights the post-falls management white paper now made available to U.S. services.

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the challenges we are having with recruiting and retaining good EMS providers. Kelly offers tips for getting the very best out of the new workforce.

The duo focus on the importance of having a normal onboarding process. As most systems are short-staffed, too many agencies are cutting short the onboarding process and throwing new employees to the wolves.

The discussion then moves to the topic of hazing and bullying new employees. It is this behavior that will turn a new employee off to the organization. Chris asks, "is it time to put this practice to bed?"

Read Kelly's article, “Top 10 ways to ruin a good EMT,” and listen to the discussion below.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss traumatic brain injuries, following the recent revelations surrounding the death of comedian Bob Saget. Our co-hosts discuss what providers need to know about TBIs, as well as how to treat and manage patients with suspected head injuries. 

This episode of EMS One-Stop is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence welcomes Tony O’Brien (Boston EMS), treasurer of the National EMS Memorial Foundation and Tim Perkins (VA Office of EMS), board member of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride.

Tony identifies a timetable and the progress towards establishing a permanent monument in the national capital to honor the heroism, courage and enduring sacrifice of all past, present and future EMS providers and to remember and celebrate the lives of those killed in the line of duty.

Tim outlines how the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride honors emergency medical services personnel by organizing and implementing long distance cycling events that memorialize and celebrate the lives of those who serve every day, those who have become sick or injured while performing their duties, and those who have died in the line of duty.

Tony explains that H.R. 1037 – the National EMS Memorial bill – was signed into law by President Donald Trump, becoming public law 115-275 in 2018, starting the formal countdown to establishing a memorial. Additionally, Tim reveals the routes and dates of the five 2022 routes covering the East Coast, southern route, Midwest, Colorado and West Coast.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson are joined by Maria Beermann-Foat to discuss her recent article, "The first 90 days: 12 strategies for laying a foundation for a rewarding career while onboarding new employees," part of EMS1's special coverage package, "Year one: Creating a career path for new EMTs."

The conversation covers Beermann-Foat's 12 strategies, as well as tips for how to make the best impression possible on new employees over the first 90 days and a discussion on how this strategy assists with developing a strong employee culture. 

• The first 90 days
• Turnover: We have measured it, but can we manage it?
• Improving personnel performance through evaluations and training
• 3 ways you're losing EMS providers and how to stop the revolving door
• 4 steps to improving EMS retention through onboarding

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the most interesting industry news of the week.

First, our co-hosts discuss a story about the creation of an EMS council attempting to pool resources to develop a mult-state EMS solution. 

"Good on these states for trying something new and trying to get it done," Cebollero said. "We need role models because there are going to be other states and other counties that need to look at this type of model to sustain for the future."

Next, our co-hosts discuss two stories that focus on safety in EMS and assault on providers by patients. 

Join the discussion: Listen to the episode and share your thoughts in the comments below. 

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the importance of the 2022 EMS Trend Report and how every voice in EMS matters as to the future of our field.

"It is our responsibility to leave the profession better than we found it," Cebollero said. 

The conversation then transitions to retirement and how EMS professionals can take advantage of the retirement benefits at every agency they work.

Finally, our co-hosts discuss a recent position paper released by 13 industry groups regarding the use of lights and sirens by first responders. The document lays out the challenge of emergent response, who is being hurt, and gives 10 suggestions on how to change the culture. 

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence chats with NAEMT President, Bruce Evans about the upcoming virtual EMS on the Hill Day. 

The online event, which consists of virtual meetings with members of congress, spans the week of April 4-8 with groups organized by state and scheduled into Zoom meetings.

Rob and Bruce discuss the NAEMT legislative agenda and the requests that attendees will be asked to make in their meetings.  Bruce also discusses the collaboration taking place between a number of national associations and the lobbying value that it brings.

Also included: information on the forthcoming workshop to be held at the Pinnacle conference where NAEMT will provide guidance on how to run for public office.  Bruce's aspiration is to have at least one EMS professional in each state house, if not more.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the launch of the EMS Trend Survey 2022, which will provide the data for the 7th annual EMS Trend Report. During the conversation, the hosts emphasize the importance of field providers participating in the survey. 

"This is their opportunity to have their voices heard," Cebollero said.

Grayson echoed his sentiment. "This is a chance to take stewardship of our profession," he said. 

The pair also discuss Grayson's recent article, "Whatever will we do without the skill sheets?" regarding NREMT's plan to sunset skill sheets for paramedic certification, and what other changes are needed in EMS edcuation.

Cebollero and Grayson also discuss a recent news item from Lexington, Kentucky, that found a nearly 7% decrease in call volume due to the area's robust community paramedicine program. 

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson are joined by Dr. Adam Saltman, chief marketing officer for Eko Health. The discussion centers on tips and best practices for accurately using a stethoscope to listen to heart tones and lung sounds. According to Dr. Saltman, data gleaned from stethoscopes help providers chart the best path for patient treatment. 

Listen to the group discussion and leave your thoughts in the comments below. Have a comment or suggestion? Send an email to [email protected]. 

This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

On Jan. 29, 2022, FirstWatch took an exceptional step in issuing a cyberattack warning as cyber and ransomware attacks in the U.S. were peaking. FirstWatch’s systems identified public safety infrastructure and sites were included in this round of direct attacks.

In this rapidly recorded EMS One-Stop podcast, Rob Lawrence first chats with Mike Taigman as to why FirstWatch decided to send out a far-reaching alert.

He is then joined by FirstWatch cyber security specialist, Bill Ott who discusses the types of attacks observed as well as the up-to-the-minute situation as attempts on public safety systems are continuing.

By way of further example, Bill also discusses the ransomware attack that occurred in Durham, North Carolina, and extracts lessons learned from that event that can be used as strategies in the current elevated threat environment. 

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson are joined by Reuben Farnsworth, clinical/operational coordinator for Delta County Ambulance District and EMS1 columnist, to discuss his latest article, "Do we really need degrees in EMS?"

"Bettering yourself and having those letters behind your name gives you a little confidence, gives you a little bit more opportunity to grow, gives you a bit more focus," Cebollero said of pursuing an undergraduate program. 

What are your thoughts? Do you think there should be degree requirements in emergency services?

In this episode, Lexipol Editorial Director, Greg Friese, MS, NRP, joins cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson to kick off the eighth year of tackling the hot topics in the Inside EMS podcast.

Friese offers some insight into what EMS1 will be focusing on in the year ahead, from physical, mental and emotional safety and wellness, to continuing to provide timely, accurate, relevant and actionable information relevant to topics like COVID-19, clinical recommendations and legal issues.

The conversation also includes a discussion on the alarming frequency of ambulance and apparatus crashes resulting in injury or death, and what is needed to keep patients and providers safe. From engineering controls, to fatigue and workload management and continuing education, Friese identifies two main buckets from which to improve ambulance safety:

1. Provider mindset: making a commitment to staying seated and belted when in motion
2. Safety monitoring: implementing a monitoring and reporting system to measure compliance

Finally, the group discusses provider burnout, and how the EMS Trend Survey seeks to identify pressure points that are challenging providers, and the actions leaders can take to recruit and retain talent. As Grayson puts it, this is your chance to lend your voice, and your hand to “steer the ship.”

Coming soon: The EMS Trend Survey, which informs the EMS Trend Report, will be released this month. Check back at www.ems1.com/ems-trend-report/ to help guide future coverage and provide insight into the status of EMS and workforce needs

This episode of EMS One Stop is sponsored by Blink; the mobile app helping EMS providers to better communicate with their field staff. Learn more about how Blink's two-way communications features are helping to reduce first responder turnover at www.joinblink.com.

Communicating is the subject of this edition of the EMS One-Stop podcast. Host Rob Lawrence welcomes UK-based George Monk, from Blink, and Ron Quaranto, a board member of the American Ambulance Association and co-chair of the AAA Workforce Board.

Quaranto is executive vice president for operations of Cataldo Ambulance, based in Boston. 

Cataldo is the largest 911 provider in Massachusetts, and the discussion focuses on the challenges of leading a large organization in the pandemic including retention and recruiting, vaccines and mandates, and – above all – communicating with the workforce, in Cataldo’s case, now spread across 20 deployment areas.

This is a special edition of the Inside EMS Podcast – enjoy a crossover post from Chris Cebollero's Ultimate Leadership Podcast.

In this episode, Cebollero is joined by speaker, author and coach Bo Brabo. Bo stops by to share his leadership expertise regarding the importance of after-action reviews and how they are essential for the growth of a team and organization.

He discusses how best to cultivate a value-based organization and the keys to use those values to inspire and motivate the workforce. Bo shares his thoughts about his book, "From the battlefield, to the White House, to the boardroom."

Bo had the opportunity to work at The White House during President Bush's and President Obama's administrations. What was the biggest lesson Bo took from that experience? Join the discussion to find out.

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In the final episode of Inside EMS for the 2021 season, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson count down the top five stories that generated the most debate and buzz by readers this year. Did you miss any of these high-engagment articles? Listen to the podcast and read for more.

• Okla. FF disciplined for transporting burned child in engine
  
  
• Unvaccinated Wash. firefighters will no longer be able to respond to medical calls
  
  
• Toxicologist: You can't just touch fentanyl and overdose
  
  
• Ambulances held hostage: Can the hospital make you stay?
  
  
• A triad of findings: 3 case presentations for Cushing's Triad

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this week's episode of Inside EMS, Kelly Grayson is joined by guest host Rob Lawrence.

The subject of the week is trauma, and Rob and Kelly discuss the origins and meaning of the Trimodal Distribution of Death and the advances in trauma treatment. Kelly then answers the key trauma treatment question of fluids versus pressors.

This episode of EMS One Stop is sponsored by Blink; the mobile app helping EMS providers to better communicate with their field staff. Learn more about how Blink's two-way communications features are helping to reduce first responder turnover at www.joinblink.com.

In the final EMS One-Stop podcast of the year, the tables are turned on host Rob Lawrence as Lexipol/EMS1 Editorial Director Greg Friese, MS, NRP, takes over the mic and welcomes Rob as the guest.

Rob is about to celebrate 30 years in EMS leading both military and civilian prehospital ambulance services and Greg drills into Rob’s views on leadership.

Having served in the British army and many deployments in the early ’80s, Rob was selected for officer training and entered Britain’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. On receiving the Queen’s Commission as a second lieutenant, he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and the rest – as they say – is history. 

Rob and Greg discuss the influences of Sandhurst on Rob’s leadership style and how that is carried forward to this day. Topics discussed include pride, integrity, learning, humor, service, courage, communication, trust, training and serving to lead.

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this special crossover episode of Inside EMS, host Chris Cebollero speaks with Chief Marc Bashoor, host of the Side Alpha Podcast, about the major news and trends impacting EMS and fire in 2021.

Cebollero and Bashoor unpack issues related to apparatus and ambulance safety, the COVID-19 vaccines, ET3 and telehealth, the use of ketamine, mayday training, and staffing shortages. 

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss top industry headlines. Grayson kicks the conversation off with highlights of the bill signed by President Joe Biden to expand the Public Safety Officers Benefit, which aims to improve the function of the program.

Our hosts also celebrate the promotion of Micah Morgan, who became the first female to be assigned to the elite Tactical Paramedic Team at Austin-Travis County EMS. The duo also discuss a decision by ATCEMS to remove a question related to marijuana use from their career application. 

This episode of EMS One Stop is sponsored by Blink; the mobile app helping EMS providers to better communicate with their field staff. Learn more about how Blink's two-way communications features are helping to reduce first responder turnover at www.joinblink.com.

In the light of the series of articles on ambulance patient offload times and hospital bed delays by Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, host Rob Lawrence is joined by PW&W Attorneys Doug Wolfberg, Esq.; and Steve Wirth, Esq. A solid discussion takes place on the EMS legal and ethical obligations to patients at the ED, and strategies to combat hospital bed delays, as well as the downloadable tip sheet also available at EMS1.

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the article by Jonathan Lee "Understanding prehospital vasopressors: Dopamine, epinephrine or norepinephrine?" The hosts discuss the resurgence of vasopressors in the EMS field, particularly when it comes to treating sepsis. The conversation follows what vasopressors are used for, how they work, and some of the things to look out for when administering vasopressors to patients. 

This episode of EMS One Stop is sponsored by Blink; the mobile app helping EMS providers to better communicate with their field staff. Learn more about how Blink's two-way communications features are helping to reduce first responder turnover at www.joinblink.com.

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence catches up with Harris County ESD11 EMS Chief Executive Doug Hooten. ESD11 is now at day 80 of being a new service provider – get an inside look at their progress.

Doug provides background on ESD11’s fleet of hybrid Ford Ambulances and the challenges of building a full fleet before the go live date, and also comments on his recruiting initiatives, which – even in the current era of shortages – sits at 110% staffed.

Rob and Doug also discuss operation enhancements and initiatives, from offering staff a doggy daycare, to the creation of a Resilience Officer post to look after the wellbeing of all staff.

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss a hot topic in the EMS1 community: EMT placement of a supraglottic airway in the field. The conversation touches on the future of EMS, the expanded role of EMTs and how training should adapt. 

This episode of EMS One Stop is sponsored by Blink; the mobile app helping EMS providers to better communicate with their field staff. Learn more about how Blink's two-way communications features are helping to reduce first responder turnover at www.joinblink.com.

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence chats with Christine Fiechter, executive director of the 501c3 Charity EMS Gives Life, and live liver doner Will Lindbergh, whose selfless act spurned the creation of the charity.

Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Pro EMS CEO Bill Mergendahl was inspired to launch EMS Gives Life after seeing the personal example set by one of his paramedics, Will Lindberg, who made the life-giving decision to become an anonymous liver donor.

Will was inspired to learn more about liver donation after responding to an emergency call from a patient with liver failure. In February, 2020, Will underwent a laparoscopic procedure to remove a portion of his liver, which helped save the life of 3-year-old Ian Charles, who was suffering from a rare type of liver cancer that can affect babies and young children.

Listen in to learn more about Will’s story, and why EMS Gives Life encourages first responders to give a small piece of themselves to give someone else a new chance at life – and help address the chronic unmet need for life-giving organ donations.

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson tackle the topic of EMS education. The National Registry of EMTs recently announced it was doing away with skill sheets for EMS providers, setting up an issue for educators to determine the best way to teach the skills. The discussion also touches on teaching tools that hinder rather than help instructors in the classroom. 

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this episode, host Chris Cebollero is joined by guest co-host Matt Zavadsky, the chief strategic integration officer for MedStar Mobile Healthcare in Fort Worth, Texas, and the immediate past president of NAEMT. 

Zavadsky breaks down three reasons for the current EMS staffing shortage, and outlines what agencies can do to reserve resources, as well as how to compete with other work opportunities. Zavadsky also touches on the topic of vaccine mandates and the repercussions some responders are facing for not complying. The discussion concludes with a debate about EMS redesign and the importance of partnering with local officials. 

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss an article by Mike Taigman centered on mental health, "A 5-step wellness checkup," with tips for learning to focus on the things you can change and forgetting the those you can't. 

The conversation turns to the recent fatal shooting by actor Alec Baldwin on the set of his upcoming movie, "Rust." Baldwin was handling a prop gun when multiple shots were fired, injuring the movie's director and killing the film's cinematographer. Our co-hosts discuss what providers need to know about firearm safety. 

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the top EMS news of the week, starting with Kelly Grayson's most recent EMS1 contribution, "Top 10 apps to make you a better EMT." Our hosts also dicsuss a news story concerning a Dallas paramedic caught on video allegedly assaulting a homeless man. 

The conversation then turns to the topic of vaccine mandates in New York and Maine. The FDNY recently announced all members will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, placing those who refuse on unpaid leave, a policy that has proved effective for EMS agencies in Maine.

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-host Kelly Grayson shares a personal story after getting hurt and preparing for an upcoming surgery. He shares his experience working through the disability process, and what others should know about its complexities. The conversation touches on his mental health status, his concern over taking pain medications and the importance of EMS providers in similar situations talking through these emotions. 

In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence sits down with EMS attorneys Steve Wirth, of  Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, and Scott Moore. With vaccination mandate deadlines looming, the discussion focuses on current vaccination requirements, accommodations – including the increase in numbers of those with deeply held religious beliefs.

They also examine the right of the employer to require vaccination in return for employment and pay, as well as the free choice of the employee to celebrate their liberty and freedom and move on elsewhere if they feel they can’t comply.

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

Should healthcare professionals lose their jobs if they refuse a COVID-19 vaccine?

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson enter into a lively discussion on the topic of nurses being relieved of duty secondary to refusing a COVID-19 vaccine.

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here.

In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the death of firefighter trainee Peyton Morse, and Greg Fries’s recent analysis, “Respond to ‘I can’t breathe’ like it’s a mayday – because it is.”

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Pulsara. Learn more about how you can build a regional system of care for free by clicking here.

This is a special edition of the Inside EMS Podcast – enjoy a crossover post from Chris Cebollero's Ultimate Leadership Podcast.

In this episode of the Ultimate Leadership Podcast, we flip the script a bit, we are not talking about professional development, but instead the 5 tips you need to know about keeping yourself as healthy as possible. Host Chris Cebollero is joined by Dr. Nick Barnes. In this crazy time of the pandemic, what is the best way to keep ourselves healthier? Dr. Barnes shares his expertise on developing a nighttime routine, clean eating, the power of movement and how hydration aids the body in cell nutrition. Get insight into how to become the best version of yourself. Come and join the discussion.

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Pulsara. Learn more about how you can build a regional system of care for free by clicking here.

In this episode of Inside EMS, cohost Chris Cebollero is joined by guest co-host Corey Ricketson, vice president of national accounts for Pulsara, who shares his experiences visiting multiple EMS agencies throughout the country. The discussion focuses on the role of EMS during the pandemic and how EMS needs to adapt for the future, as well as how interoperability, connection and communication should be part of the main focus for EMS agencies.

This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Pulsara. Learn more about how you can build a regional system of care for free by clicking here.

In this episode of Inside EMS, cohost Chris Cebollero is joined by NAEMT President, Chief Bruce Evans, MPA, CFO, SEMSO, NRP. Evans is the fire chief for the Upper Pine River Fire Protection District, located in Bayfield, Colorado.

The duo discuss the recent indictment of paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, and what the charges mean for EMS.