Keeping you on the pulse of what’s happening inside the EMS community. Catch up with Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson weekly as they discuss EMS life through good-natured banter and expert perspectives. Their vehicle for delivering the news and know how is that of two medics sitting on the truck between calls. Their mission is to make all listeners, EMS insiders.
Episodes
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
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.
Cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the "hidden curriculum" in EMS education on this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, differentiating the fine line between a discussion of the educational components, the potentiality for bad habits and "lore" of EMS – and all three have a place. The duo makes the case for balance when teaching about the good, the bad and the ugly of an EMS career.
The discussion also touches on valuing experience over evidence-based medicine, how to take the ego out of the educational process, and instructor tips for teaching flexibility and the importance of doing the right thing as a matter of principle to students.
Additional EMS education resources:
- Passion: Is it required to teach EMS?
- Addressing toxic heroism in the EMS education system
- How to recognize lazy students, bad instructors
Friday Oct 28, 2022
Friday Oct 28, 2022
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.
By request, this episode of Inside EMS tackles the topic of resiliency, based on a conversation cohost Chris Cebollero had with listener Benoit Rudolphe at EMS World Expo. Cebollero and fellow cohost Kelly Grayson take the idea and run with it, detailing the top six elements of achieving personal or professional resilience.
Additional resiliency resources:
- How to build mental health resilience in EMS
- Quick Take: Building first responder resilience
- Fit for duty: How to be a resilient responder
- Enhancing first responder resilience through mindfulness
- EMT 360: Teach emotional resilience during training
Friday Oct 21, 2022
Friday Oct 21, 2022
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.
Fresh off their appearance at EMS World Expo, Inside EMS cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson break down what it takes to become a successful conference speaker. The duo discuss the process for getting engaged in events at both the state and national level, how to develop a professional presentation, the agonizing-but-cathartic process of crafting a catchy title and the critical need for to fully prepare before the event.
To cap off the episode, Chris gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at his personal preparation process ahead of a speaking engagement.
Learn more about attending and speaking at EMS conferences:
Friday Oct 07, 2022
Friday Oct 07, 2022
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.
This week, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the murder of FDNY EMS Capt. Alison Russo, who was violently stabbed to death by a man just a half mile from her home EMS station. The conversation touches on personal safety, how to prepare the EMS workforce with additional safety equipment and self defense training.
The duo also revisit the fraught discussion about arming EMS providers in the field and how thoughts on the topic have evolved over the years.
Notable quotes from the episode
"Some people say, 'We're not combatants, we're compassionate.' I was a combat medic; we can do both." — Chris Cebollero
"Are we becoming so inured to the violence we face every day that we look at it as part of the job?" — Kelly Grayson
"I think we need to learn hand-to-hand combat, I think we need to worry about wearing Kevlar vests, and we need to think about arming our paramedics with some kind of weapon." — Chris Cebollero
More about fallen FDNY EMS Capt. Alison Russo
- An outpouring of support, outrage over FDNY EMS provider's murder
- Rapid response: Risk of senseless violence is constantly looming
- EMS response is often considered safer than firefighting, but is it?
- Former partner of slain FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo reflects on her love of EMS
- Slain FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo devoted herself to volunteer agency for 30 years
- Fallen 25-year FDNY veteran was months from retirement
- FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo to be posthumously promoted to captain
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Friday Sep 30, 2022
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.
In this episode, host Chris Cebollero is joined by guest co-host Mike Touchstone, who previously served as president of the National EMS Management Association and recently retired as the deputy paramedic chief of the Philadelphia Fire Department. Touchstone outlines the foundations of professionalism in your career, including the integration of your personal values, how to develop a personal strategic plan and how to advance to the next level of your EMS career. For good measure, Touchstone also offers a few tips on developing a national presence through professional writing and speaking on EMS issues at conferences.
Friday Sep 23, 2022
Friday Sep 23, 2022
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.
In this episode, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the drug Ketamine and its use in EMS. Providers may utilize the drug to assist with many different conditions they encounter in the field. The discussion references a recent article regarding ketamine's possible use in treating anxiety and depression, and the conversation turns to other drugs that are being used to treat similar maladies, such as MDMA, which has been touted as helpful when treating terminal patients.
Additional resources for ketamine use in EMS:
6 ways to avoid ketamine pitfalls
Article Bites: Pain management options
Understanding prehospital ketamine: Dosing to drawbacks
Excited delirium: The Long Beach integrated medical response
Tuesday Sep 06, 2022
Tuesday Sep 06, 2022
This episode of the Inside EMS podcast is sponsored by Verizon Frontline, the advanced network and technology for first responders on the front lines. Learn more at verizon.com/frontline.
In this special crossover episode, public safety leaders come together to reflect on the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and the legacy of 9/11 in the emergency services.
Inside EMS host Chris Cebollero is joined by Policing Matters host Jim Dudley, deputy chief (ret.), of the San Francisco Police Department; and Gary Ludwig, of the Champaign (Illinois) Fire Department, the 2022 IAFC Career Fire Chief of the Year.
Together, they discuss how first responders have continued to move forward for over 20 years now and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11 as recruits enter public safety who were not even born yet at the time.
The focus is on honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice and lived up to their oath to help others in their time of need, the legacy of lessons learned about responding in a hazardous situation, ongoing vigilance against threats and why “never forget” should not be a cavalier statement, but one made with meaning, purpose and with emphasis.
Read more recollections, as well as how lessons learned are impacting the way first responders of today train and respond to incidents in our 9/11 coverage, sponsored by Verizon.
Friday Sep 02, 2022
Friday Sep 02, 2022
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.
In this episode, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson are joined by guests Lisa Giruzzi and Robbie MacCue, founders of the EMS Leadership Academy in New York. The robust conversation emphasizes the most important attributes of a leader, and the group discusses what future EMS leaders should know about the current state of the industry and where it's headed. Giruzzi and MacCue also share the philosophy of the EMS Leadership Academy and discuss the upcoming Fourth Annual EMS Leadership Summit.
Learn more about the summit here.
Friday Aug 26, 2022
Friday Aug 26, 2022
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.
From monkeypox to state licensure, to certification requirements and funding recruitment programs, it’s been a busy few weeks in EMS news. In this episode of Inside EMS, our cohosts run down the biggest news stories of the day, and what they mean for the future of EMS.
Together, they discuss:
- Monkeypox. With cases now identified in all 50 states, including a handful of pediatric cases, is it time to be anticipatory in preparing for a monkeypox emergency? Chris and Kelly discuss how transmission method, decontamination practices and COVID fatigue all come into play.
- State licensure. After the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced that it has established an EMS task force to evaluate medical services, systems and a state licensing system, Chris and Kelly applaud their efforts and encourage others to look to other states for programs and solutions to EMS staffing issues.
- A state-funded EMT class. Pennsylvania is using state dollars to fund an EMT class for underemployed residents, supported by the Johnstown Fire Department, with training provided by Conemaugh School of Emergency Medical Services Program Director Mike Rodgers. Kelly notes this creative solution will hopefully help to grow the EMS talent pool, but cautions, “we don’t have a paramedic shortage; we have a shortage of paramedics who are willing to work in toxic environments.” As long as the graduates are placed in positive environments, he can’t see a downside. “Hopefully this seed corn that Pennsylvania is developing here isn’t spoiled and is allowed to take root in a positive environment with a good agency and help relieve some of the staffing woes there in Pennsylvania,” he comments.
- NREMT certification proposal. Finally, our cohosts discuss the EMS story that had everyone up in arms. After a lively comment period, the National Registry rescinded a resolution that would have changed EMS certification eligibility criteria. Kelly noted in his opinion, and according to the majority of comments received, this was a potential step backward for EMS. Our cohosts discuss how the comment period worked exactly as it should, and the National Registry listened to the stakeholders, while also putting education standards front and center.
Friday Aug 12, 2022
Friday Aug 12, 2022
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.
This week, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson tackle the topic of TXA, including its uses and how to administer it. In a recent article, "Understanding TXA," columnist Jonathan Lee offers an overview on how TXA is becoming a mainstay in the field and makes a case for it to be considered for shock and trauma patients. Grayson, who carries TXA on his ambulance, shares the protocols for the drug's administration and management.