RideAlong: EMT School

This week on Ride Along: EMT School, we’re talking highway operations, vehicle extrication, and what EMTs need to understand when patient care moves into the wreckage. Mike, Max, and Jonathan walk through disentanglement, scene safety, highway blocking, vehicle hazards, patient access, PPE, electrical dangers, vehicle stabilization, and the EMT’s role while rescue crews work to free a trapped pati...

You're a Catastrophe Part 2 (MCI & ICS) In this episode of RideAlong: EMT School, we continue our discussion on mass casualty incidents and the Incident Command System. After covering primary triage in Part 1, we dig into what defines an MCI, how disaster plans are built, and why ICS exists to bring order to chaotic scenes. We break down single versus unified command, the role of the incident...

In this episode, Mike, Max, and Jonathan kick off the first half of their MCI and ICS discussion, focusing on primary triage. After a brief note about technical difficulties that cut the episode short, the crew explores what makes a mass-casualty incident so overwhelming, how incident command helps organize chaos, and why triage is one of the most important skills EMS providers need when resources...

This week on RideAlong: EMT School, Mike, Max, and Jonathan dive into HazMat — hazardous materials, scene safety, and why the best first move is often staying far away from whatever is leaking, burning, spilling, or glowing. The Medical Term of the Week is zones, covering the hot zone, warm zone, and cold zone, and how those operational areas help protect responders, patients, and everyone else on...

Close The Doors and I am Gone (EMS Operations - Patient Transport) In this episode, we close the doors and hit the road for the final part of our EMS Operations series: patient transport. Mike, Max, and Jonathan break down what happens after the patient is loaded into the ambulance, including packaging, stretcher safety, provider safety in the patient compartment, reassessment, hospital notificati...

This week on RideAlong: EMT School, we’re back in EMS Operations and moving from “getting ready” to actually getting out the door. In “No Stop Signs, Speed Limits,” Mike, Max, and Jonathan talk through the response phase of EMS calls: dispatch information, Code 3 responses, lights and sirens, ambulance operations, safe driving, navigation, highway scenes, and what it really means to respond quickl...

EMS doesn’t start when the tones drop — it starts before the call ever comes in. In this episode, we begin our EMS operations block by breaking down what it means to be ready: checking the ambulance, knowing your equipment, understanding the minimum equipment list, and making sure the truck is truly prepared for the next patient. Mike and Jonathon walk through ambulance types, BLS versus ALS equip...

Some patients require EMTs to slow down, adapt, and think beyond the standard call. In this episode, we break down special patient populations, including patients with developmental disabilities, cognitive differences, hearing or vision impairment, chronic illness, mobility challenges, and technology-dependent medical needs. Mike, Max, and Jonathon discuss how EMTs can approach these calls with em...

Episode 40 is here, and we’re going full term. In this episode, Mike, Max, and Jonathon tackle one of the most intimidating low-frequency, high-acuity topics in EMT school: OB/GYN emergencies. From childbirth and labor complications to gynecological emergencies and the realities of caring for two patients at once, the crew breaks down the concepts EMT students need to understand before the call co...

Environmental emergencies don’t stop at heat and cold — sometimes the real danger comes from water, altitude, and the creatures around us. In this episode, we dive into drowning, diving injuries, high-altitude illness, and bites and stings. We break down what’s actually happening in the body, what EMTs should be looking for, and how to manage these situations in the field — all while sharing real-...

EMS 20/20 Simulcast - Split the Party This one’s different—and honestly, one of the most fun (and chaotic) things we’ve ever done. The RideAlong crew teamed up with EMS 20/20 for a special simulcast episode where EMS meets Dungeons & Dragons. Guided by Chris and Spencer, we were dropped into a high-stakes, dice-driven scenario that quickly spiraled into full-blown EMS chaos. What started as a...

Environmental emergencies can sneak up fast, and once the body starts losing its ability to regulate temperature, things can go downhill in a hurry. In this episode, we break down hot and cold emergencies, focusing on how the body responds to temperature extremes, what warning signs EMTs should watch for, and when simple exposure becomes a true medical emergency. Mike, Max, and Jonathan walk throu...

Multisystem trauma patients present one of the biggest challenges in prehospital care — multiple injuries, competing priorities, and the constant risk of rapid deterioration. In this episode, we break down how EMTs identify high-risk trauma patients using mechanism of injury, physiologic findings, anatomic criteria, and special patient considerations, along with how trauma scoring and transport de...

Chest and abdominal trauma can rapidly become life-threatening, even when injuries aren’t immediately obvious. In this episode, we break down blunt and penetrating trauma affecting the thoracic and abdominal cavities, focusing on injuries that can compromise breathing, circulation, and major organ function. We discuss pneumothorax, hemothorax, flail chest, internal bleeding, and solid organ injuri...

This is Spinal Snap (Neck and Spinal Trauma) Neck and spinal injuries can be subtle, devastating, and easy to miss — making them one of the highest-stakes assessments an EMT will perform. In this episode, we break down spinal anatomy, mechanisms of injury, red flags for spinal cord involvement, and when spinal motion restriction is appropriate. We also discuss how spinal cord injuries can affect b...

Head injuries can change everything in an instant. In this episode, we break down head and skull trauma, including traumatic brain injuries, skull fractures, and why bleeding or swelling inside the skull can quickly become life-threatening. Mike, Max, and Jonathon discuss mechanisms of injury, signs of increased intracranial pressure, and the importance of identifying subtle neurological changes e...

Great tools don’t just show up in EMS — they’re built by people who understand the problems providers face in the field. In this episode, we sit down with Bob Waddell from SAM Medical to talk about the evolution of hemorrhage control, product design, and what it takes to create equipment that actually works when it matters most. We dive into the story behind SAM Medical, the development of tools l...

Bones break. Joints dislocate. Ligaments stretch and tear. In this episode, Mike, Max, and Jonathan dive into musculoskeletal trauma, one of the most common injury categories EMS providers encounter. The crew breaks down the anatomy of the musculoskeletal system, the difference between fractures, sprains, strains, and dislocations, and how EMTs assess and stabilize extremity injuries in the field....

Burn injuries are some of the most dramatic trauma patients EMS providers encounter — but the real danger often isn’t the burn itself. In this episode, we break down the different types of burns, how to assess burn severity, and why airway compromise, fluid loss, and infection risk make burn patients especially dangerous. Mike, Max, and Jonathan walk through thermal, chemical, and electrical burns...

Soft tissue injuries are some of the most common calls in EMS — and some of the easiest to underestimate. In this episode, we break down contusions, abrasions, lacerations, hematomas, crush injuries, and bleeding control, focusing on what’s happening beneath the surface and why even “minor” trauma can become serious if reassessment is ignored. Mike and Max walk through DCAP-BTLS, distraction injur...

In this special interview episode of the RideAlong: EMT School Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. John Croushorn, Emergency Medicine Physician, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Compression Works, and co-inventor of the AAJT-S. Dr. Croushorn sits down with us to discuss the AAJT-S (Abdominal Aortic and Junctional Tourniquet – Stabilized) — what it is, why it was developed, and where it fits into the...

The trauma block starts now. In this episode, we dive into one of the most time-critical topics in EMS: bleeding and shock. From arterial spurters to sneaky internal hemorrhage, we break down how blood loss kills, how shock develops, and what we can actually do about it in the field. We revisit the lethal trauma triad, talk tourniquets (including junctional applications), and walk through why “tre...

Chris & Spencer - EMS 20/20 (RideAlong Interview) In this special interview episode of the RideAlong: EMT School Podcast, we sit down with Chris Pfingsten and Spencer Oliver, the hosts of the hit podcast EMS 20/20. Chris and Spencer join us to talk about their individual paths into EMS, how their friendship evolved through paramedic school, and how those experiences ultimately shaped the creat...

I Don’t Need Your Civil Warfarin – Hematologic & Renal Emergencies Some of the most dangerous emergencies in EMS don’t look dramatic when you first arrive on scene. In this episode, we dive into hematologic and renal emergencies — the “quiet” problems involving blood, kidneys, dialysis, and anticoagulants that can deteriorate rapidly if key details are missed. Mike, Max, and Jonathan break dow...

Step Back From That Ledge My Friend (Psychiatric Emergencies) Psychiatric and behavioral emergencies are some of the most complex, emotionally charged calls EMS providers will ever respond to. In this episode, we take a deep dive into mental health crises, suicide, and behavioral emergencies—why they’re becoming more common, how they present in the field, and how EMTs can approach these patients s...