Inside EMS

Beyond check-the-box: Making National Registry prep actually stick

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by ZOLL software and data solutions. Optimize EMS performance and outcomes at every stage of operations with interoperable solutions from dispatch, to patient care, QA/QI, billing and beyond. Visit zolldata.com to learn about the complete solution suite.

This week on the Inside EMS podcast, Jon Puryear, NREMT-P, is back and if you’ve ever sweated a National Registry deadline, this one hits home. Amid the ever-looming March 31 cutoff, Puryear breaks down what’s changed in continuing education — and what hasn’t.

Known for his ability to simplify complex topics, Puryear has built National Registry refresher courses, explainers and CE programs designed not just to check a box, but to truly reinforce clinical understanding. His teaching style leans heavily on storytelling and practical analogies — think pulmonary edema explained through a waterlogged sponge — so providers walk away actually understanding the information, not just memorizing it.

If you need hours, motivation — or just someone to explain it like a human — this episode is your reset.

Top quotes

• “I don’t believe that we chose this profession. I believe that the profession chose us. We have a special calling inside of us to be able to take care of our fellow mankind.”
• “We don’t get rich. We don’t make a lot of money doing this. We’re truly public servants.”
• “Continuing education is still important to be able to keep our mind, our clinical care, our judgment, everything on top.”

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Are you burned out — or done?

Editor’s Note: This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by ZOLL software and data solutions. Optimize EMS performance and outcomes at every stage of operations with interoperable solutions from dispatch, to patient care, QA/QI, billing and beyond. Visit zolldata.com to learn about the complete solution suite.

This episode of Inside EMS tackles a difficult question: When is it time to step away from the job? Hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson trade hard-earned wisdom — from Kelly’s knee-rehab comic relief to serious talk about emotional burnout, wellness needs and timing.

The hosts also explore the psychology of identity — how being a paramedic or EMT isn’t just a job, it’s who you are. They unpack how to carry forward the best parts of that identity — calm under pressure, decisive action, compassion — into new roles if needed. This isn’t about quitting — it’s about owning your career before it owns you.

Whether it’s fewer shifts, a new role, a new service or a new direction altogether, the message is clear: protect your identity, protect your professionalism and make moves that keep you sharp for the long haul.

Quotable takeaways

• “Burnout is gradual. It's not explosive, but you've got to be able to realize the emotional flattening that is happening.” — Chris Cebollero

• “Our identity often becomes EMS. I tell people, to this day, ‘I'm a paramedic,’ and there's a lot that goes into that — and not just when you put the boots or the polo shirt on. It really becomes the core of who you are.” — Chris Cebollero

• “The vast majority of us don't leave after one bad call. We wake up one day and realize we've been surviving instead of serving, and that's when the burnout epiphany really hits us hard.” — Kelly Grayson

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AI, body cams and bills on the Hill

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by ZOLL software and data solutions. Optimize EMS performance and outcomes at every stage of operations with interoperable solutions from dispatch, to patient care, QA/QI, billing and beyond. Visit zolldata.com to learn about the complete solution suite.

NAEMSP is officially a “big little conference” — and it’s only getting bigger. In this crossover episode, Rob Lawrence and Chris Cebollero unpack the momentum: tighter collaboration, a unified push toward EMS on the Hill Day, and the growing realization that if we want change, we need boots (and uniforms) on Capitol Hill.

But the real buzz? AI.

From autonomous ambulances to narrative-writing software, the conversation gets real about the promise — and the potholes — of artificial intelligence in EMS. Charting shortcuts? Maybe. Courtroom landmines? Definitely possible. Add in body-worn camera debates, budget crises and a push for legislative support at the federal level, and it’s clear the profession is standing at a pivot point.

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A paramedic-school survival guide to autonomic chaos

This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by ZOLL software and data solutions. Optimize EMS performance and outcomes at every stage of operations with interoperable solutions from dispatch, to patient care, QA/QI, billing and beyond. Visit zolldata.com to learn about the complete solution suite.

This week on Inside EMS, Chris Cebollero takes on one of the most anxiety-inducing topics in paramedic education: alpha and beta receptors. Sparked by a question from paramedic student April McKenzie, a.k.a., “April Anonymous,” this episode strips away rote memorization and replaces it with something far more useful in the field — understanding the why behind the medicine.

There’s no fluff here; no cheesy memory tricks that fall apart under stress. Just physiology, practical mental models and a challenge to start practicing medicine with intention. If pharmacology has ever felt random, this episode connects the dots in a way that finally clicks.

Quotable takeaways

• “Every medication you give in EMS is doing one of two things: It's either pushing the gas pedal or it's releasing the brake — that's it. If you don't understand which one you're doing, you're guessing, even if the protocol says you're right.”

• “We really have to become the ultimate detective of the body.”

• “Every patient is somewhere between gas and brake at all times. Those systems are constantly working, they're not off. It's just a dimmer switch. Every medication pushes one system or pulls the other system back into play.”

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Oh, baby: Birth, breakthroughs and the Broselow tape blunder

Dr. Peter Antevy returns to the Inside EMS co-host seat this week, filling in for Kelly Grayson and bringing some serious pediatric firepower to the conversation. Host Chris Cebollero dives right into the latest buzz around the Broselow tape recall — yes, again — as Dr. Antevy unpacks what went wrong, why it matters and what EMS agencies should be doing about it now.

He also shares exciting details on his brand-new, field-focused Newborn Resuscitation & Obstetrics course (NROC), built by EMS for EMS. Designed with two hours of online content (zero PowerPoints!) and a short, in-house skills lab, this course aims to tackle one of the most nerve-wracking call types. No more dragging medics to the hospital for NRP classes that don’t translate to street-level care.

Also on deck: OB deserts, delayed cord clamping, why you might need to Saran-wrap a newborn (seriously), and what AI can — and can’t — do for EMS. This one’s packed with practical pearls, myth-busting insights and a whole lot of passion for pediatric education.

Quotable takeaways from Dr. Peter Antevy

• “EMS is one specialty that AI will never take away, as far as like the human-to-human contact. We resuscitate people, we treat people who are seizing. AI will never do that. That's a good thing.”

• “Academics and the hospital folks don't recognize the value that EMS brings to the table. They think we're ambulance drivers. It's time for them to wake up and recognize that we are the people who deliver babies. We are the people who resuscitate grandma, grandpa and the little kid.”

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This isn’t your Facebook group’s EMS debate

In this episode of Inside EMS, host Chris Cebollero sits down with Mic Gunderson, CEO of the Center for Systems Improvement and EMS Quality Academy; and editor‑in‑chief of the new peer-reviewed International Journal of Paramedicine, which launched in January 2023. Gunderson explains how the publication provides a forum for thoughtful debate around complex topics to be examined and analyzed. A recent issue, for example, touched on degree requirements for entry-level medics using the Socratic method to frame and manage the debate — a far cry from the horrors of a social post’s comment section.

Sprinkled with wit, respect and real curiosity, this episode is a masterclass in how EMS can grow — not just louder, but smarter. Whether you drive an ambulance, manage a system, or just care about the future of prehospital care, this conversation is worth your seat time.

Additional resources:

• The International Journal of Paramedicine

• Degrees, debate and direction: Why this debate deserves our attention

Top quotes from Mic Gunderson

• “Allow us to have enough maturity in our dialogue to say, ‘what's your logic or reasoning behind your opinion?’ instead of just saying, ‘I think the sky is blue.’ Tell me why you think the sky is blue and why it isn't red.”
• “With the Socratic debate format, because we're not trying to pick a loser or a winner, it allows us to really focus on the issues and the merits of the different perspectives.”

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The buffer system decoded: Mastering CO2, pH and patient care

In this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, Chris and Kelly are joined by paramedic student April McKenzie — aka “April Anonymous” — for a deep dive into the buffer system and CO2 mapping.

April’s in the thick of paramedic school and like every good learner, she’s asking “why?” — so the guys break down the physiology behind capnography, acid-base balance and the lungs-vs.-kidneys showdown that keeps our patients alive. Plus, they throw in old-school war stories, rant about naloxone misuse and admit that bicarb is no longer the go-to cardiac arrest drug.

If you've ever tried to explain respiratory vs. metabolic acidosis in under 10 minutes, this episode is your cheat sheet. April will be back throughout the year with more student questions, so buckle up for the ongoing EMS education you didn’t know you needed.

Quotable takeaways

• “Just because you see somebody with signs and symptoms and the protocol says, do this; that's OK, but that just makes you a protocol paramedic.”
• “My friend Romy Duckworth calls [capnography] the MVP of vital signs, and that's a good way to remember it — MVP: Metabolism, Ventilation and Profusion. And it will tell you derangement about all three of those things very well once you're proficient at interpreting the waveforms.”
• “Basically, the buffer system is the body's way of keeping the pH stable. So, if we're blowing out, if we're having problems with respiratory acidosis — and let's talk about CDKA, where they're trying to blow off — it's the respiratory systems’ way of making sure that we have homeostasis.”

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The National EMS Memorial Bike Ride: Because they mattered — and still do

This week on Inside EMS, Chris Cebollero kicks off 2026 with a heartfelt conversation featuring Eric Morrison, vice president of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride and EMS director for Iredell County, North Carolina.

The ride, founded 26 years ago, exists to honor the memory of EMS providers who died in the line of duty, from illness or mental health struggles. Each rider wears a dog tag bearing the name of a fallen provider, often connecting with their families along the journey.

Eric shares his personal journey from lifeguard to leader and how his rekindled love for cycling — along with the loss of friend and EMS wellness advocate Brian Fass — led him to the ride. He breaks down what it takes to join (hint: it’s more doable than you think), the logistics of the ride, and how EMS agencies and individuals can support the cause, even off the bike.

Quotable takeaways from Eric Morrison

• “All of us are focused on the idea that our providers matter. They matter to their families, they matter to their communities, and they should matter to all of us.”

• “People that didn't even know that person are recognizing their service. They're recognizing their commitment to the community, and they're honoring them and remembering them.”

• “Once you come out and see what the ride is really about, you understand the mission and you see the impact it has on these families that we're able to meet with.”

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From venomous bites to venomous behavior: A second helping of the top EMS stories of 2025

In this end-of-year special, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson wrap 2025 with their trademark mix of humor, insight and zero sugarcoating. From venomous bites to venomous behavior, the Inside EMS duo continue counting down the top EMS stories that had the industry buzzing this year — and occasionally cringing.

As always, the guys don’t shy away from the tough stuff, but they make sure to end on a note of gratitude for the everyday EMS pros out there doing the job with compassion, competence and quiet heroism.

Quotable takeaways

• “Every day, EMS providers go out there, do their jobs and bring some kindness and some comfort to a really bad day for their patients. And I think we need to look forward to more of that in 2026.”

• “Sometimes we've done things that maybe we shouldn't have, because it isn't in our scope of protocols, but I think we make a difference. Where's the line?”

• “Most of the advantages of mechanical CPR are not advantages at all.”

The top EMS1 stories of 2025

• Representatives Glenn Thompson and John Mannion introduced the EMS Counts Act

• Social Security Fairness Act signed into law, boosting retirement benefits for first responders

• Kentucky EMTs face KBEMS hearing for administering antivenom after mamba bite

• Elkhart firefighter appeals loss of paramedic duties after nurse’s harassment complaint

• American Heart Association's 2025 CPR guidelines: Choking, opioids & survival chain

• Ill. city council makes $500 lift assist fee permanent

• Warren-Wentworth Ambulance shuts down after entire staff quits

• 'Shut the f**k up!': North Babylon Fire Chief Peter Alt on leave after video shows him cursing at patient

• Orange County fire chiefs demand removal of EMS director for halting blood transfusions, ketamine use

• Colo. paramedic charged with manslaughter after sedating, restraining man

• National EMS Advisory Council board members terminated

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Callouts, chaos and career killers: The biggest EMS stories of the year

In this special Christmas edition of the Inside EMS podcast, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson unwrap five of the biggest EMS stories of 2025 — and it’s not all eggnog and cheer. This year delivered more than its fair share of gut punches to the profession, from a paramedic who was charged with manslaughter, to footage of a fire chief yelling at a 10-year-old patient (yeah, that happened).

Next week’s show will break down the final five EMS stories of the year, but in 2026, we’re flipping the spotlight. Chris and Kelly are calling on you to step up and share your real EMS stories — the funny, the frustrating, the calls that changed you. Got a moment that shaped your career? Our cohosts want to hear it, and you might even get an invite to appear on the podcast. ‘Tis the season to be heard; email theshow@ems1.com to share your story!

Quotable takeaways

• “You're the grownup. You can't pitch a fit. You gotta be the grownup in the situation and diffuse it.”

• “If your only incentive for doing the right thing is that somebody might catch you being a jerk on video, then it's time for you to get out of the profession.”

• “The cost of readiness is hugely expensive.”

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