EMTS Academy Podcast

Texas is putting whole blood in the field, and medics say patients on the verge of death are waking up and talking. In this episode, Texas EMS Director Joe Schmider joins Matt Nealand to explain how it's happening and what's coming next. Joe started in 1974 as a volunteer firefighter and now oversees more than 84,000 EMS providers across Texas. He shares the inside story of the state's $10 million...

Should you get your paramedic certification before being hired at a fire department? It's one of the most common questions aspiring firefighters wrestle with — and Battalion Chief Chris Nored of New Braunfels (TX) Fire Department doesn't dodge it. With 18 years in the fire service, Chief Nored makes a case you don't hear often: the time you spend running calls on the ambulance is exactly what make...

What if EMS could prevent the call before it ever happens? Dr. Miramontes, EMS Medical Director in San Antonio, has built one of the most innovative Mobile Integrated Healthcare programs in the country — and it's saving $2 million a year by keeping people out of the ER, off the 911 queue, and healthier at home. In this episode, Matt Nealand sits down with Dr. Miramontes to unpack how a fire depart...

John Gonzales didn't plan on a career in EMS — he stumbled into it through the Army and a National Registry patch he didn't know he'd earned. Today he's the Director of Williamson County EMS, overseeing one of Texas's most respected prehospital systems. In this conversation, Matt and John cover the full arc: military medic to paramedic school, clinical captain to director, and what he learned alon...

What does it take to build a lasting career in EMS and a life you're proud of? Garnet Morris, author of "17 Runs," shares the four core values that became the foundation of everything he's accomplished — and how he broke free from the generational limiting beliefs he calls "bricks." In this episode, Garnet and Matt Nealand talk about what integrity actually looks like on the truck, how to identify...

On the EMTS Academy Podcast, host Matt interviews Dr. Taylor Ratcliff, former Lubbock firefighter/paramedic and current medical director for multiple Texas EMS agencies (including Williamson County EMS, Marble Falls Area EMS, Robertson County EMS, and Texas EMTF Region 7) and associate medical director for Travis County Star Flight.  Ratcliff recounts starting in EMS as a teen, becoming a paramedi...

What truly separates average EMS agencies from elite, high-performance systems? In this episode of the EMTS Academy Podcast , host Matt Nealand sits down with Dr. Casey Patrick , Medical Director for MCHD EMS , to explore how top-tier EMS organizations think, lead, and deliver patient care at a higher level. Dr. Patrick shares his unique path into EMS medical direction and explains why great syste...

When Ignoring Your Health Finally Catches Up With You Most people don't wake up one day unhealthy. They arrive there slowly — one compromise at a time. In this episode of the EMTS Academy Podcast , Matt Nealand talks with Charles Fielder , who openly shares how years of putting everything and everyone else first led him to a breaking point at 375 pounds . Charles walks through the moment he realiz...

In this episode, Matt Nealand sits down with Steve Tafoya , a critical-care paramedic, U.S. Coast Guard veteran, EMS educator, and former State EMS Program Manager for Nevada. With more than 25 years of experience across frontline care, regulation, leadership, and system design, Steve brings a unique perspective on how to improve EMS, build better leaders, and prepare the next generation for the r...

In this powerful episode of the EMTS Academy Podcast, Matt Nealand sits down with Dr. Don Wood , founder of the Inspired Performance Institute and creator of the TIPP Method, to unpack how unresolved trauma, chronic stress, and environmental triggers quietly sabotage human performance—especially for EMS professionals. Dr. Wood explains why the brain isn't "broken" but simply interrupted , and how...

When lives are on the line, you don't just need skills — you need a framework for making clear decisions under pressure. In this special EMTS Academy session, Program Director and paramedic of nearly 30 years Matt Neland sits down with Justin "Hasard" Lee , F-16/F-35 fighter pilot and author of The Art of Clear Thinking , to translate combat-tested decision frameworks directly into EMS. Hazard sha...

In this episode of the EMTS Academy Podcast, Matt Nealand sits down with Mike Knipstien for a powerful conversation about money, budgeting, and financial freedom for EMTs and Paramedics. Mike shares the real-world strategies he and his wife have used for more than 20 years to create stability—strategies that allowed her to stay home and raise their children without financial stress. From tackling...

In this episode of the  EMTS Academy Podcast , host Matt Nealand talks with entrepreneur and author Rich Christiansen about what it truly means to build resilience that lasts a lifetime. From climbing Kilimanjaro with his sons to helping families rediscover their values, Rich shares stories and frameworks that teach us how to stay grounded, connected, and "anti-fragile" in a world that often feels...

In this inaugural episode of the EMTS Academy Podcast , Program Director Matt Nealand sits down with Dr. Jeff Jarvis—emergency physician, medical director, and host of the EMS Lighthouse Project Podcast . From his early days as a volunteer firefighter in East Texas to becoming one of the most respected voices in prehospital medicine, Dr. Jarvis shares lessons on leadership, lifelong learning, and...

Join host Matt Nealand, Paramedic and Program Director of EMTS Academy, as he sits down with leading voices in emergency medical services, public safety, and healthcare education. In each short, high-impact episode, you'll hear insights from EMS innovators, field medics, educators, and thought leaders shaping the future of prehospital care. Whether you're an EMT student, a veteran paramedic, or a...