American Ambulance EMS Podcast

Dr. Brian Lawton is a resident at UCSF Fresno and we were pleased to welcome him as a guest host for this episode.  

Are you in EMS, wondering what it would take to be an EDPA (Emergency Department Physician Assistant)? Jordan Golding did it! He started his EMS career as an EMT with American Ambulance, and now works as an EDPA here in Fresno. Join us today as he answers our questions and shares his experience. 

American Ambulance Paramedic Josh Garcia joins us again for this discussion as we prepare to introduce the pediatric i-gel into our local CCEMSA protocol. 

It's not often that we are able to time a podcast to coincide exactly with the release of a new protocol, but today we did it! Dr. Scott Avey from UCSF Fresno joins us as a guest co-host, and we were pleased to have American Ambulance Paramedic Josh Garcia join as well to bring his experience and a story from the field.   

in 2000, the CDC declared Measles eliminated but last year we saw a huge rise in cases and in 2026 the trend continues. Dr. Brian Lawton returns for the discussion today. Measles is no joke.

On today's podcast, we bid farewell to Ben Wiele and welcome Joey Ferreira to our usual panel of co-hosts. We were also pleased to have Dr. Brian Lawton join us to discuss the dangers of foraging for mushrooms.   

American Ambulance Paramedic Elisa Bompadre joins the discussion today to share a story from the field. We were also happy to have Dr. Miranda Lewis join us again as a guest co-host. 

A huge thanks to Jamie Charlston (special friend of the pod) for sitting down with us and bringing her experience and expertise to the conversation today.

This terrible scenario is rare, but can happen. Make sure you are confident in your knowledge of how to give these patients the best care possible, should you find yourself running this call.  

What exactly are these tubes, and more importantly for EMS, what happens if one of these vital tubes becomes dislodged?  

Join us for a breakdown of all the various viral illnesses circulating this time of year. All of these should be taken seriously. 

We were very happy to have Dave Nicholas, a nurse at CRMC, join the team today to bring his cardiac expertise to the discussion.  This is a big topic, so we split it into two parts.

Our CCEMSA pediatric cardiac arrest specific protocol has been updated be more streamlined and comprehensive with an emphasis on incorporating high performance CPR, as well as quite a few other changes backed by the latest data on how to achieve the favorable outcomes we all are hoping for! Join us as we walk through this updated protocol with Dr. Miranda Lewis.    

The first ten minutes of a cardiac arrest are the most critical. We have updated our cardiac arrest protocol to incorporate high performance CPR, as well as quite a few other changes backed by the latest data on how to achieve the favorable outcomes we all are hoping for! Join us as we walk through this updated protocol with Dr. Miranda Lewis.    

Hyperthermia has a high risk of mortality. A dangerously overheated body, usually in response to prolonged, hot, humid weather, is very important to look out for. Especially in these hot months of summer.  

Backboards, cervical collars... first we used them, then we didn't, now we're bringing them back! Why, and how to use them is the subject of today's discussion. 

Code 3 driving is a potentially risky part of the job. We are thrilled to have Ben Garcia, American Ambulance's Manager of Risk, Safety and Compliance joins us on the podcast today to discuss how to navigate Code 3 Driving as safely as possible.   

Our system has recently added Ketamine to our pain management toolbox. How's it going? Find out!

American Ambulance's own Daniel Bernhardt joins us today to discuss the dangers of RMCT (Refusal of Medical Care and/or Transportation).

It's warming up, and that means the snakes are coming out! Join us for a deep dive into how to approach rattlers, fortunately the only venomous snakes we have in our service area of California. 

Transtracheal Jet Insufflation (TTJI) is one of those rarely needed procedures that hopefully you will never even have to perform. But if and when you do, you need to be ready! So have a listen and brush up. 

For today's discussion we are joined by two awesome guests: Paramedic Derek Ratzel, and Dr. Joe Mueller, both bringing their own expertise on the subject to the podcast!

The basics (BLS) are core to what we do, and vital to doing it well! Today we are pleased to welcome paramedic and field training officer Alex Diaz to discuss these important EMS fundamentals.

Today our team is pleased to have Kathy Cromwell from Hinds Hospice join us to discuss death and how to navigate this dreaded/avoided but inevitable scenario in the career of an EMS worker.