Inside EMS

North Carolina has always been proud of being first in flight. More than 120 years after the Wright brothers took to the air at Kitty Hawk, a small rural EMS system in the eastern part of the state is once again asking what flight might mean for the future. In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence heads to Hyde County, North Carolina, where EMS leaders have become the first in the nation to o...

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence sits down with Oscar Monterrosa, the 2026 NAEMT Paramedic of the Year, whose career has taken him from Army combat medic to street paramedic , medical student and now an emergency medicine-internal medicine resident at Hennepin County Medical Center. Yet despite the white coat and demands of residency, Monterrosa continues to work on the ambulance...

FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito recounts FDNY’s devastating losses, the decisions that saved thousands of lives and why honoring 9/11 means preparing the next generation to meet the moment Twenty-five years after Sept. 11, 2001, FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito joins podcast hosts Jim Dudley, Rob Lawrence and Aaron Zamzow of Police1’s Policing Matters , EMS1's EMS One-Stop and FireRes...

AI may feel like the newest revolution in EMS, but the industry's relationship with data has been evolving for decades. In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence sits down with FirstWatch founder Todd Stout, whose 28 years working with EMS data gives him a particularly long view of where the industry has been and where it is heading. Todd traces the journey from an era when monthly reports pri...

This week on EMS One-Stop, I sit down with Liz Harney, almost a year after I first walked into a classroom at EMS World Expo looking for another session to report on and found what I later described as  “the keynote I didn’t know I needed.” Liz’s presentation was built around a part of EMS education we routinely acknowledge but rarely give equal billing: the affective domain — empathy, communicati...

EMS research has grown rapidly, but finding the studies that truly matter to everyday clinical practice remains a challenge. In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence is joined by Dr. Christopher Richards, EMS and emergency physician at the University of Cincinnati; and Dr. Christian Martin-Gill, chief of the Division of EMS at the University of Pittsburgh and former president of the Prehospit...

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence speaks with Wesley Brookshear, critical care paramedic and FTO program supervisor with AMR in Knoxville, Tennessee, about a community-led effort that is changing how EMS responds to the city’s Mission District. What began as an attempt to understand unusually high 911 utilization has evolved into a multidisciplinary outreach program bringing EMS, publi...

Finding grant funding can feel overwhelming, particularly for smaller EMS and fire agencies where one person often wears multiple hats. In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence is joined by Lexipol Grant Writer and Colorado Firefighter-Paramedic Anya Otterson to demystify the grant-writing process. From identifying funding priorities and locating grant opportunities, to build...

Matt Zavadsky explains how a commercial insurer’s reimbursement proposal — and looming Medicaid changes — could reshape EMS funding In this week’s episode of EMS One-Stop, we examine two major financial threats facing EMS reimbursement. Host Rob Lawrence is joined by Matt Zavadsky to analyze the recent Elevance (Anthem) Health Public Policy Institute paper , which argues that commercial insurers s...

The 2026 AIMHI Excellence in Public Information or Education Award recognizes organizations that create innovative programs which improve health, educate communities and demonstrate measurable outcomes. This year’s recipient, the  Medic Keep the Beat Foundation , earned national recognition for a groundbreaking fall-prevention initiative that is helping older adults remain independent, reducing re...

This week on the EMS One-Stop podcast, Rob Lawrence sits down with emergency management and large-scale exercise expert Mike Marsh to explore what really goes into preparing agencies, communities and public safety partners for major events. With the FIFA World Cup underway, America 250 upon us, and countless local events happening every weekend, the conversation focuses on the practical realities...

The countdown to Pinnacle is on. Returning this year to San Diego from July 13-16, Pinnacle remains one of the most influential leadership and management conferences in EMS. Now entering its 22nd year, the event continues to attract executives, clinical leaders, innovators, educators and industry partners who gather not simply to learn, but to debate, challenge assumptions and shape the future dir...

At a time when EMS reimbursement faces unprecedented scrutiny and pressure, Shawn Baird joins the EMS One-Stop podcast to explain what is happening in Washington, D.C., why it matters to every ambulance service in America and what EMS leaders can do about it. | MORE: When the spreadsheet meets the siren: How CMS’s Proposed GEMT Rule could reshape EMS funding A former Paramedic, ambulance service o...

What happens when the stars of the television series that introduced America to paramedicine decide it's time to tell the real story? In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence is joined by EMS pioneer Dr. Baxter Larmon and award-winning filmmaker Tom Putnam to discuss Into the Unknown: The Paramedics' Journey. | MORE: ‘Emergency!’ stars launch Kickstarter campaign to expand reach of paramedic...

In Episode 4 of the EMS One-Stop Blood on Board Series , host Rob Lawrence brings together two powerful perspectives on prehospital blood transfusion. First, retired Army trauma nurse and national blood advocate Randi Schaefer discusses the work of the Prehospital Blood Transfusion Initiative Coalition and the ongoing effort to remove barriers to blood product availability across the United States...

Texas is taking prehospital whole blood to scale. In this second installment of the Blood on Board series , the conversation moves from pioneering local programs to a statewide initiative backed by legislation, trauma system collaboration and a $10 million investment in EMS blood capability. Host Rob Lawrence welcomes Dr. Jeff Jarvis, chief medical officer and system medical director, Fort Worth O...

The EMS One-Stop Blood on Board series moves to the federal level in Episode 3, exploring how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program is opening new funding pathways for prehospital blood programs. Host Rob Lawrence is joined by three leaders directly involved in building regional blood capability through federal funding. Julie Stilley...

EMS systems can safely deliver blood in the field, and when they do, patients who would otherwise die are surviving Whole blood in the field is no longer theoretical; it is operational, measurable and increasingly expected. In this EMS One-Stop episode, host Rob Lawrence brings together two of California’s leading medical directors — Drs. Clayton Kazan and Kevin Mackey — to compare and contrast th...

In this special EMS One-Stop update, Rob Lawrence is joined by returning guest Dr. Alex Isakov to break down the rapidly developing Andes Hantavirus outbreak linked to the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius. What began as a handful of unexplained respiratory illnesses aboard a South Atlantic voyage has evolved into an internationally monitored infectious disease event involving multiple countries,...

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence sits down with Tanir Ami of the CARESTAR Foundation to explore a subject that is increasingly central to the future of EMS: equity, data and system design. Born from the legacy of CalSTAR, CARESTAR has evolved into a philanthropic engine focused on improving EMS through research, convening and targeted investment. Ami brings a 25-year background in com...

In this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, host Chris Cebollero shares why he left the consulting and community paramedicine world to become chief of EMS and COO for EMS Team in Dayton, Ohio — a growing multi-state agency with “visions of world dominance.” The conversation digs deep into servant leadership, workforce buy-in and the balance between supporting crews while still holding the line on p...

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence sits down with Kevin Hazzard to explore No One’s Coming , a gripping account of the 2014 Ebola outbreak and the extraordinary effort to rescue infected American aid workers from West Africa. |WATCH NOW:  FDNY’s future: AI, BWCs and pay parity with Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore   What begins as a seemingly impossible mission evolved into a high-stakes...

This week on Inside EMS, it’s a no-holds-barred breakdown of HBO’s The Pitt — and surprisingly, it earns a solid thumbs up from the field. The show nails the feel of emergency medicine: nonstop chaos, overlapping patients and that mental grind that never lets up. The set, the medicine and the team dynamics all hit close enough to make even seasoned providers nod along. But let’s not pretend it’s p...

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence sits down with Dr. Maria Koeppel to explore a topic that has long existed in the shadows of EMS culture — alcohol use among providers. | MORE: First responders and alcohol – how much is too much? Drawing on NIH and FEMA supported research, Koeppel outlines how EMS clinicians may be engaging in higher-risk drinking behaviors than the general population,...

Editor’s Note: Suicide is always preventable. If you are having thoughts of suicide or feeling suicidal, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline immediately at 988. Remember: You deserve to be supported, and it is never too late to seek help. Speak with someone today. ----more---- This week on Inside EMS, host Kelly Grayson is joined by Texas educator John Puryear as they process the l...