Inside EMS

The EMS Book Club: 10 texts all paramedics should have on their shelves

This week, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson host a virtual book club as they count down the top 10 essential texts that paramedics should have on their shelves – a mix of useful references, anatomy and physiology deep dives, and heartfelt memoirs that capture the essence of EMS work. From learning resources, to comic relief, there’s something for everyone in this list.

Did our cohosts exclude a favorite EMS-focused book? Send your suggestions to editor@ems1.com for inclusion in a future article.

Memorable quotes

• “I think that a good paramedic is someone who is proficient in their knowledge and their skills, and keeps up to date. That's a good paramedic. A great paramedic adds empathy and compassion to that list. And that's what differentiates the confident ones from the great ones.” — Kelly Grayson

• “The central message is that Teddy Roosevelt quote: ‘People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.’” — Kelly Grayson

ABOUT THE SPONSOR

Whether replacing radio reports, alerting specialty teams, or managing mass casualty incidents, Pulsara simplifies communication. Pulsara scales to meet your dynamic communication needs. From routine patient alerts to managing large-scale emergencies, every responder and clinician connects seamlessly. Familiar yet powerful, Pulsara streamlines your response, from routine transfers to regional disasters. One tool. Every day. Regardless of event. Discover more at Pulsara.com.

RATE & REVIEW

Catch a new episode of the Inside EMS podcast every Friday on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed.

Enjoying the show? Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or let us know if you’d like to join us as a guest.

‘Is nasal intubation dead?’: How to think about ‘old school’ EMS training

How old are you in EMS years? Are you using clinical skills that should be put out to pasture? Listen as cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson debate the effectiveness of “retired” EMS skills, like nasal and digital intubation, and whether the value of those skills has held up over time.

Memorable quotes

• “If you’re not proficient with all the tools in your box, what does that say about your training?”
• “I take a lot of pride in having a deep bag of tricks to pull from. And I can't count the number of times that some obscure piece of knowledge, or an assessment or treatment technique worked for me in the field when everyone else had given up or not even considered it.”

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This isn’t you, right?: 10 signs of a bad employee

Last week, Inside EMS cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson laid out the top 10 indications of a bad EMS supervisor (Did you miss it? Catch it here!). This week they’re tackling the top signs of a bad employee, such as poor attendance, lack of initiative and a bad attitude – that’s not you, right? Listen as our duo reflects on each characteristic and where they have seen (or exhibited!) those traits in their career.

Memorable quotes

• "If you’re emotionally intelligent and honest with yourself, you probably see yourself in some of these things."  

• "It’s not over until the paperwork – or the ambulance – is ready for the next day."  

• "Being disengaged shows up in things you don’t think matter, like documentation and keeping the ambulance stocked." 

ABOUT THE SPONSOR

Whether replacing radio reports, alerting specialty teams, or managing mass casualty incidents, Pulsara simplifies communication. Pulsara scales to meet your dynamic communication needs. From routine patient alerts to managing large-scale emergencies, every responder and clinician connects seamlessly. Familiar yet powerful, Pulsara streamlines your response, from routine transfers to regional disasters. One tool. Every day. Regardless of event. Discover more at Pulsara.com.

RATE & REVIEW

Enjoying the show? Send an email to the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or let us know if you’d like to join us as a guest.

‘Leadership is an action’: 10 signs of a bad EMS supervisor

The What Paramedics Want in 2024 report, produced by EMS1 and Fitch & Associates, found respondents to the 2024 EMS Trend Survey ranked leadership No. 4 in the critical issues facing EMS today (behind only retention, funding & reimbursement, and career development).

In this episode of Inside EMS, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson expose the unpleasant side of EMS leadership by naming the top 10 signs of a bad manager. From communication breakdowns to micromanagement nightmares, they explore what makes some managers, well … not so great, while dishing out hard truths about inconsistent leadership, the dangers of favoritism, and the importance of empathy.

Want to know if your manager is part of the problem – or if you're on your way to becoming one? Check it out!

TOP QUOTES

• "Communication is the language of leadership."
• “When you show no concern for the employees, for their interests, you have a breeding ground for developing a toxic work environment.”
• “The true measurement of workforce success is how engaged, satisfied and productive the workforce is – nothing else matters.”
• “You need to care about these people and love them a little bit, as well.”

ABOUT THE SPONSOR
Whether replacing radio reports, alerting specialty teams, or managing mass casualty incidents, Pulsara simplifies communication. Pulsara scales to meet your dynamic communication needs. From routine patient alerts to managing large-scale emergencies, every responder and clinician connects seamlessly. Familiar yet powerful, Pulsara streamlines your response, from routine transfers to regional disasters. One tool. Every day. Regardless of event. Discover more at Pulsara.com.

REACH OUT
Enjoying the show? Please contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or let us know if you’d like to join us as a guest.

Cultivating the next generation of EMS

Welcome to this special crossover edition of EMS One Stop and Inside EMS, recorded live at the EMS World Expo 2024 in Las Vegas. Hosted by Rob Lawrence and Chris Cebollero, this episode features insightful discussions with Dr. Ray Barashansky and Tracy Loscar, EMS Deputy Director at Matanuska-Susitna (MatSu) Borough Department of Emergency Services, Alaska.

The episode covers key themes such as leadership development, emotional intelligence in EMS, and the importance of mentorship programs like "Stand and Deliver," aimed at cultivating the next generation of EMS speakers.

Memorable quotes

• “The next generation of EMS leaders is here, and it's our responsibility to pass the torch with the lessons we've learned." — Rob Lawrence

• “We need to stop staying siloed. Growth happens when we learn from each other’s experiences and different perspectives.” — Chris Cebollero

• “Designating EMS as an essential service is critical, but without form, function, and funding, it's just words on a page.” — Dr. Ray Barashansky

• “Stand and Deliver is about giving everyone a chance to step up, present their ideas, and get real-time feedback from experienced national speakers." — Tracy Loscar

Highlights

• Leadership Transition in EMS. The influx of new attendees at the Expo reflects the need to develop the next generation of EMS leaders. Rob and Chris highlight the importance of passing the torch to younger EMS professionals.

• Emotional intelligence in EMS. Dr. Ray Barashansky emphasizes how emotional intelligence impacts supervisors and leaders in EMS. He discusses his presentation on this topic, sharing insights on how emotional intelligence can shape better leaders.

• Stand and Deliver Program. Tracy Loscar introduces the "Stand and Deliver" initiative, a program that identifies and mentors emerging EMS speakers, offering real-time feedback from national experts.

• EMS as an essential service. Dr. Barashansky discusses his recent editorial about EMS being recognized as an essential service and the need for formal structure, funding and legislative support to ensure its sustainability.

• Mentorship and learning from each other. The hosts and guests stress the importance of learning from one another, breaking silos within EMS, and continuously evolving as professionals through shared experiences.

ABOUT THE SPONSOR

Whether replacing radio reports, alerting specialty teams, or managing mass casualty incidents, Pulsara simplifies communication. Pulsara scales to meet your dynamic communication needs. From routine patient alerts to managing large-scale emergencies, every responder and clinician connects seamlessly. Familiar yet powerful, Pulsara streamlines your response, from routine transfers to regional disasters. One tool. Every day. Regardless of event. Discover more at Pulsara.com.

The enduring legacy of 9/11 on public safety practices

This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by Verizon Frontline, the advanced network and technology for first responders. To learn more, visit verizon.com/frontline.

The 2024 anniversary of 9/11 marks 23 years since the tragic events that forever altered the course of history and the landscape of public safety.

As we move further from that fateful day, the significance of remembering and learning from 9/11 grows even more critical. For many, especially younger generations, 9/11 is transitioning from a lived experience to a historical event, making it essential for public safety professionals to ensure that the lessons identified are not only remembered, but actively applied in today's ever-evolving emergency response environment.

In this special crossover episode of the Policing Matters, Better Every Shift and Inside EMS podcasts, Co-hosts Jim Dudley, Aaron Zamzow and Rob Lawrence highlight the importance of remembering 9/11 not just as a historical event but as a continuing influence on how public safety agencies operate today.

Clinical dive: Should you consider naloxone during OHCA response?

This week on Inside EMS, our cohosts discuss a recent study out of UC Davis Health that highlights the benefits of using naloxone in opioid-associated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest response. Chris and Kelly discuss the results and debate how this knowledge could impact OHCA protocols.

Top quotes

• “If you look at the … survival of hospital discharge, the number needed to treat was 26. So 1 in 26 patients you would do this to has a chance of surviving the hospital discharge. That's pretty compelling. It's going to change my practice.” — Kelly Grayson

• “It's obviously needed information considering how bad the opioid overdose epidemic is in the United States. The numbers are compelling – the fact that this affects so many of our out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and that this actually shows pretty strong evidence of improved outcome.” — Kelly Grayson

• “We think about over the past 20 years, and now with fentanyl being part of that process, we're starting to see a lot more [drug-related cardiac arrests] and there's an urgent need for this evidence that allows us to now figure out if Narcan can make a difference in OHCAs.” — Chris Cebollero

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Response time addiction: Is EMS under an urgency illusion?

This week on the Inside EMS podcast, our hosts delve into a heated discussion on the topic of time requirements and response times in EMS – are they necessary or a nuisance? Listen and watch as Kelly Grayson and Chris Cebollero go back and forth on the history, the reliance and the continued use of response times as a standard metric in EMS.  

Top quotes

"We are in a mess and a corner we painted ourselves into with response time standards." – Kelly Grayson

"The dislike of response times really has to be respectful of how the response times came about. We were trying to develop a system and show that we can make a difference." – Chris Cebollero

"We created this expectation and no one is going to change this expectation if not us." – Kelly Grayson

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

Navigating international healthcare and a $60K+ flight home

In this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, host Chris Cebollero walks cohost Kelly Grayson through his recent emergency trip to Italy after his sister experienced a major medical crisis while on vacation in the country. He talks through his shock at certain protocols that would never be found in the U.S., leading to a discussion about necessary care vs. defensive medicine and how that dichotomy is stark between the two countries.

Top quotes

• “The quality of care or the TLC, if we call it, is significantly less than what we’re used to over here. There were a couple of days when my sister was laying on a bed with no sheets. There were a couple of days where she was naked and I asked about getting her a gown or something.” — Chris Cebollero
• "[The U.S. healthcare system] will enthusiastically commit to what other countries would consider futile care.” — Kelly Grayson
• “How much stuff do we do in the United States because of defensive medicine and the differences in our legal and our court system than everybody else?” — Kelly Grayson

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.

‘Everybody is doing weed’: Should EMS providers have the option if legal?

“Marijuana use is becoming part of a societal norm.” Our cohosts tackle one of the more contentious topics in the industry, as Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson debate the logistics and implications of allowing EMS providers to consume marijuana in their off-duty time. The use of federal money by most agencies in the country makes this a difficult task. Listen as the discussion tackles the debate from all sides. 

Top quotes

• “We don't require that people not be impaired from alcohol while off duty.”
• “There's no test for impairment. For alcohol use, the test is literally about reaction time and fine motor skills. It's literally a test to see if you can operate heavy machinery. And there is no such thing for marijuana use.”
• “I think it's time we started to look at this realistically rather than this condemnation of marijuana as the devil's lettuce.”

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.