EMS Today

“It’s OK to get hurt, but fixers need fixing too.” - Chief White   What happens when a tragedy affects a first responder family? Chief Tray White discusses his own vulnerability during difficult times in his career and personal life.

This episode spotlights the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. Executive Director Bill Seifarth, MS, NRP, explains who they are, what they are currently doing to have a fair, balanced and validated exam, and what is on the horizon. 

Over the holiday weekend, host Bradley Dean takes to the microphone to continue the conversation about resuscitation on the EMS Handoff. 

New Castle County (DE) Paramedics Implement an Innovative Pay-as-You-Learn Recruitment/Education Academy Join A.J. Heightman and New Castle County (NCC) Paramedics’ Assistant Chief Chris Johnson for an enlightening 90-minute podcast on the innovative Paramedic Academy implemented by New Castle County (DE) paramedics and offered in neighboring state Pennsylvania at the nationally recognized Good Fe...

The EMS Handoff crew talks with Doug Smith, a co-founder of Platinum Educational Group, on his last day of a practicing paramedic.

Listen to the inside story of rescuing “Lone Survivor” Marcus Luttrell through the perspective of Dr. Tony Brooks, an U.S. Army Ranger on the recovery mission.

John Spencer is the director of Education for Platinum Educational Group. He is a certified firefighter, licensed paramedic and EMS instructor-coordinator in Michigan. John loves the EMS industry that he has been a part of for the past 28 years and enjoys sharing this love with others. He is passionate about advancing professionalism in EMS by teaching with a focus on the affective domain.

Has your department or agency dealt with a suicide involving a co-worker? How does your career change your perspective and personal life? Hear from Ralph McGill, a probationary officer for 21 years, about his experiences on and off the job.

Bradley Dean and Eric McCullough review the somber reality of dealing with deaths in the field. The moral and ethical dilemma that EMS providers can find themselves in should not be ignored.  Often relegated to the periphery, the aging population will increase demand for proper dealing with death training.  This is a perfect podcast for instructors introducing these concepts to students or those w...

Tom Bouthillet is Battalion Chief of EMS for Hilton Head Island (SC) Fire Rescue.  Currently, he is a member of NREMT's Continued Competency Agenda Steering Committee, NEMSMA's EMS Quality Improvement Committee, and NENA's Telecommunicator CPR Working Group. He is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for EMS World and a Content reviewer for the British Paramedic Journal. Previously, he wa...

Infection control consultant Katherine West gives an update on Tuberculosis testing for healthcare workers.

Phillip Wahby was a 20-year heroin addict who, with the help of a 12-step program, has been sober since May 2011. Phillip earned his Associate of Applied Science-Paramedic from St Louis Community College Forest Park in 1988. As a paramedic for St Louis, he spent 12 years on the front lines providing emergency care and crisis intervention in emergency settings, receiving multiple Dressel Life Savin...

Hear from the Friends of Firefighters Podcast, a program that was born from the wreckage of 9/11 and has helped the firefighters of the FDNY. Friends of Firefighters has become an example non-profit that is creating real change with mental wellness among first responders.

May was Mental Health Awareness Month and this episode focuses on the story of a firefighter/paramedic who had a traumatic on-duty discovery. Candace Cox, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist, joins the podcast for a clinical perspective. In the EMS Careers segment, Dr. Scott Gilmore, the medical director of the St. Louis (MO) Fire Department, discusses his career path.

We’re not ambulance drivers and the public needs to know. The common refrain, “I didn’t know you could do that sort of thing,” should not be uttered by professionals and legislators adjacent to our profession. Fighting entropy in our profession takes a volunteer spirit and Nancy Magee joins us to discuss strategies for doing just this.  Nancy has been active in EMS for over 20 years. Having been a...

It’s the EMS Handoff crew on this one discussing medication error, how our squishy brains are terrible at handling complex numbers in high-stress situations and what we can do to offload some of that stress to do the right thing. 

This EMS Week episode discusses careers in EMS. Joel Thacker is a paramedic and has ascended to the post of fire marshal for the State of Indiana. How did he get there? Learn how, what inspirations he received and his next steps.

Happy EMS week to our first responders! Hear from a medical director on her perspective on the relationship between hospital staff and field personnel. She has a unique perspective of starting in the medical field as an EMT and how she views EMS.

Preventing Burnout by Advocating for Change in EMS with Dr. Candice McDonald and Nurse Robin Goldinger. Special guests are Shelly Carter and James Garcia. Dysfunctional workplaces and a lack of control are two causes of burnout in the workplace. Ignored or unaddressed job burnout stressors can have significant consequences on an individual and the organization. One way to prevent burnout is to adv...

Jason Haag is a well-traveled EMS educator who currently works as the quality assurance analyst and clinical educator for MultiMed Billing in Baldwinsville, NY. With more than 18 years of EMS experience, Jason is a critical care paramedic who has experience as an EMS supervisor and CIC certification teaching agencies across New York.  He also speaks at conferences, hosts classes and reviews texts...

Due to mandatory staffing patterns, could this force first responders to leave their chosen career path because of burnout? Mike Lucero explains his perspective as a father, husband and his struggle for mental wellness within his dream career.

Dr. Candice McDonald and Robin Goldinger, RN, talk about empowering women in emergency medical services.

Tim Nowak is the Founder & CEO of Emergency Medical Solutions, LLC, an EMS training & consulting company that he developed in 2010. His background includes nearly a decade of company officer and chief officer level experience, in addition to training content delivery and program development spanning his entire career. Tim also has active experience as a columnist and content developer with...

Infection control consultant Katherine West explains the new influenza vaccines for the upcoming year.

Chief Douglas Randell talks with Kraig Kinney and Dr. Michael Kaufmann from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, EMS Division, and Dr. Kristina Box, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Health, on the state's Coronavirus response.