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 17, 2023
Friday Nov 17, 2023
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 of the Inside EMS podcast, the discussion centered on the practical application of leadership in EMS. The conversation highlighted the gap between commonly used leadership buzzwords and their real-world implementation.
Key points
- Employee engagement and empowerment. The need for genuine engagement and empowerment in the workplace was stressed. Kelly Grayson shares an example of providing discounted meals for employees during hectic schedules as a concrete example of servant leadership.
- Leadership by buzzwords. Our cohosts raise concerns about leaders in EMS who rely on buzzwords without understanding their practical implications. They suggest many EMS leaders are caught up in an "ego vortex," focusing more on authority and titles rather than service and care.
- Personal leadership journey. Chris Cebollero shares his personal journey from being a "horrible leader" to understanding the essence of effective leadership. He emphasizes the importance of emotional control and viewing challenges as solutions.
- Systemic issue in EMS leadership. The discussion highlights a systemic problem in EMS leadership, pointing out the lack of formal training and understanding of the art and science of leadership. Our cohosts stress that success in leadership should be measured by the engagement, satisfaction and productivity of the workforce.
- The Peter Principle. The conversation touches on the Peter Principle, where individuals are promoted to their level of incompetence. They note often, leaders are not equipped with the necessary tools and training for their roles.
- Difference between managers and leaders. A distinction is made between managers and leaders. Managers are described as those who enforce policies and procedures, whereas leaders are seen as doing the right thing and then justifying it officially.
Learn more: Visit the EMS Leader Playbook
Memorable quotes:
- "The true measurement of leadership success is how engaged, satisfied and productive the workforce is. Nothing else matters." — Chris Cebollero
- "Leadership is both an art and a science. You've got to know and understand the science before you can paint the portrait of organizational success." — Chris Cebollero
This episode underscores the need for a paradigm shift in EMS leadership, moving away from traditional authoritative styles to a more engaged, empathetic and service-oriented approach.
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EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
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 of Inside EMS, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss an incident that sparked fierce debate within the EMS community. The incident in question occurred on October 27, 2023, when a Washington, D.C., firefighter/EMT was dismissed for stopping at a Chick-fil-A before responding to an ALS call. The hosts discuss the ethical implications of this decision, emphasizing the duty to act in emergency services.
Cebollero and Grayson, while acknowledging the challenging landscape of working in EMS, stressed that personal needs and comfort should never compromise the responsibility to respond to emergencies. They shared personal experiences of missing meals due to service calls. The hosts stress how the duty to act commitment to help others should always outweigh personal needs in emergency services.
The discussion also centered on the commendable actions of D.C. Fire and EMS in addressing the incident. Grayson was firm in his belief that the action taken by the D.C. firefighter/EMT was unequivocally unethical and damaging to the public trust. The hosts underscored the importance of upholding the greatest standards of ethics and responsibility, even when not in the public eye.
Memorable quotes
- "Ethics are how you behave when no one is looking. There's not a whole lot of gray area in ethical situations." — Kelly Grayson
- "The whole point of 911 and the honor of what we do is, you call, we come: no question." — Kelly Grayson
- "I can’t count the number of times I have been waiting in line for food and I've been dispatched to a call. I've had to get out of line. I've had to lose my money. I didn't get a chance to eat that day." — Chris Cebollero
- "We have a duty to act. We have to be able to respond as we need to respond, regardless of our own personal needs." — Chris Cebollero
Read next: Duty to act, assess, treat and transport. A legal refresher for EMS providers
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EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
Friday Nov 03, 2023
Friday Nov 03, 2023
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 of Inside EMS, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss innovative approaches in EMS with guests Chief David Lewis and Kyle Gaines from the St. Charles County Ambulance District in Missouri. The district's unique approach to paramedicine, specifically in terms of substance use disorders, opioid use disorders and behavioral health, forms the crux of the conversation.
Lewis shares how the escalating number of overdose cases necessitated a novel approach to community paramedicine. Starting as a passion project to save lives, the St. Charles County Mobile Integrated Healthcare Network was born from a need to tackle the overdose epidemic more effectively.
Initially adopting a model from Ohio that involved paramedics, social workers and law enforcement officers responding to overdoses, they soon realized patients were reticent to engage when law enforcement was present. This led to the evolution of the program, with paramedics being specially trained to handle sensitive conversations, helping patients access treatment.
Gaines discusses how educating their team members about addiction was instrumental in overcoming initial resistance to the program and ensuring its success. In the years since its inception, the program has grown and has proven to be effective, with about one in four patients they encounter eventually sitting in front of a treatment counselor.
Read more: $1.5M grant allows SCCAD’s expansion of substance abuse program
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Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.
EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
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 of Inside EMS, hosts Chris Cebollero Kelly Grayson delve into the intricacies of patient assessments in emergency medical situations. They dissect the value of thorough assessments versus focused evaluations, highlighting the critical role of differential diagnosis and the dire need for feedback in honing EMS skills.
The duo debate whether a detailed head-to-toe assessment is always necessary or if a focused assessment based on the chief complaint suffices. Chris opines that a thorough examination provides a fuller picture, vital in cases where patients may not have seen a healthcare professional in years. Kelly, on the other hand, advocates for a focused approach, emphasizing efficiency and relevancy to the primary complaint, especially in high-pressure emergency scenarios.
The dialogue unveils a significant challenge in EMS education and practice – the delineation between a medical and trauma assessment, and the traditional versus a more systems-based approach to patient evaluations. They both acknowledge that the nature and depth of assessments could vary based on the patient's ability to participate in the examination.
One eye-opening anecdote from Chris revealed a situation where a misdiagnosis by a doctor led to a critical oversight in patient care, underscoring the importance of independent assessments and differential diagnosis in EMS practice. Chris shares a valuable lesson from this experience, emphasizing the need to "talk oneself into the diagnosis" rather than accepting a preliminary diagnosis at face value.
Kelly also addressed a fundamental challenge in EMS – the lack of feedback, which stifles the opportunity for professionals to refine their assessment skills and knowledge base. He asks, "how difficult it is to improve the art of assessment and your skills if you don't get feedback?"
The hosts encourage EMS professionals to share their insights and best practices, acknowledging the collective effort required to enhance patient assessment methodologies and ultimately, patient care. They wrap up the discussion with an invitation for listener feedback, fostering an ongoing dialogue to advance EMS practice.
The episode serves as a catalyst for a broader conversation on patient assessment best practices, urging EMS practitioners to continually evaluate and refine their approach towards patient care, thereby enhancing the overall quality and efficacy of emergency medical services.
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Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.
EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
Thursday Oct 12, 2023
Thursday Oct 12, 2023
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 of Inside EMS, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the importance of integrity, documentation and tracking errors in the field.
Chris spent the past week in jury duty, listening to prosecutors unsuccessfully try a murder case that resulted in a hung jury.
He shares details that tripped up law enforcement officers testifying in the case, and the jury’s perspective on errors made, lies told and how integrity doubts derailed the case.
Memorable quotes
“One of the things that you need to be able to remember is you should not talk about anything that is not written in your report, because they will tear it apart, and I watched that happen ... when we talk about documentation, why documentation is very, very important is because it's the little nuances that you leave out that now you're going to discuss that are going to get you into trouble.” — Chris Cebollero
“In working with Gene Gandy back in the day … he used to say that the plaintiff's attorney – in a malpractice case – his job is to make you look like a sloppy idiot, and your attorney's job is to make you look like Johnny Gage. And the weapon that each one of them will use is your report. And it's up to you to determine who it's more valuable to: the plaintiff's attorney or your attorney.” — Kelly Grayson
“We, in civil cases in EMS, we don't really get a jury of our peers. You know, we may have people who are demographically very similar to us, but as far as judging our actions, what they know is Hollywood, which is about as realistic a portrayal of EMS and medicine in general as your average Disney movie.” — Kelly Grayson
“The briefer your remarks, the better your case is going to be received, and that's true, you know, it's probably just like an EMS lecture. If you go on forever and ever, you lose people. You want to capture their interest, say what you need to say, and set the stage for what's going to come.” — Kelly Grayson
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Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
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 of Inside EMS, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson welcome Chief Gary Ludwig to the podcast. The group discuss imparting knowledge to new medics and Ludwig’s latest book, “385 Things Veteran EMTs and Paramedics Can Teach You: Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic Tips and Tricks of the Trade.”
The book contains information on patient assessment, managing airways, starting IVs, penetrating trauma, crimes scenes and more.
Chief Ludwig shares his experience with terrible PCRs, and why we should be teaching medics to write reports like our law enforcement partners.
He shares tips like:
- Why you should always stay in the left lane
- How to avoid tipping stretchers
- Why to avoid abbreviations in PCRs
For a signed copy, visit www.garyludwigbooks.com.
About our guest
Gary Ludwig is a well-known author, educator, speaker, and consultant who has served in three fire departments over his career. His fire, EMS, rescue, 911 and emergency management career spans a total of 46 years, including 35 years in two metropolitan cities, St. Louis and Memphis. He has been a paramedic for over 44 years.
He served as the president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) during the 2019-20 term, and was selected as the International Career Fire Chief of the Year in 2022.
He has a master’s degree in business and management. He has written over 500 articles for professional fire and EMS publications and is the author of four books. He has also been invited to speak at over 400 professional EMS or fire conferences or seminars.
He has won numerous awards including the International Career Fire Chief of the Year in 2022, the James O. Page EMS Leadership Award in 2014 and the IAFC EMS Section’s James O Page Achievement Award in 2018.
He has managed two award-winning metropolitan EMS systems (Memphis and St. Louis) and was fire chief of an ISO Class 1 fire department (Champaign). In 2022, he was appointed by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to the National Advisory Council for FEMA.
Thursday Sep 28, 2023
Thursday Sep 28, 2023
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.
Suicide is always preventable. If you are having thoughts of suicide or feeling suicidal, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline immediately at 988. Counselors are also available to chat at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Remember: You deserve to be supported, and it is never too late to seek help. Speak with someone today.
In this episode of Inside EMS, our cohosts, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson, are joined by Willie Doan, a paramedic and academy coordinator from Newcastle, Delaware, to discuss the rampant issues of stress, depression, burnout, substance abuse and suicide among first responders.
A recovering alcoholic, Doan shares his story of addiction, beginning with his first drink at 14, acknowledging that he often drank more than his peers, but never recognized it as a problem. As he joined EMS and began witnessing distressing scenes as part of his job, he continued to drink, sometimes using his work as an excuse, whether it was to celebrate a successful resuscitation or to numb the pain of a bad call.
Despite his dedication to his duty, Doan admits that his addiction worsened. He didn't acknowledge his alcohol problem until he was in rehab and was educated about how substance abuse affects the brain. His turning point came about 604 days ago, when he was arrested on suspicion of DUI, his second in 6 years. Waking up with no recollection of the event, he asked his mother, "What's wrong with me?" This moment marked the beginning of his journey to recovery.
Throughout the discussion, Willie underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing addiction in high-stress professions like first responders. His story serves as a reminder that recovery is possible, and that seeking help is the first step towards overcoming addiction.
EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
Additional resources
- Addiction in EMS providers: Always see the human side
- Gordon Graham: First responders are not immune from the opioid crisis; here's what to know
- Self-care tips to recover from a traumatic EMS incident
- Healthy coping mechanisms: The most effective ways to combat stress
- The Code Green Campaign: Mental health resources for first responders
Monday Sep 18, 2023
Monday Sep 18, 2023
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, our cohosts, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the dire straights for rural EMS as Kelly settles into his new region in upstate New York. Tune in as they discuss:
- Why EMS isn’t deemed essential. Though more states are making moves to designate EMS an “essential” service, it’s not universal. What will the designation mean for EMS – and will it be a tax base?
- The volunteer shortage. With volunteers aging out of EMS, how do we bring new volunteers in? The diminishing numbers are not due to generational differences, Kelly says. “I used to be one of those people who said, ‘aw, kids these days,’ … it’s not the kids that are bad, it’s that EMS has failed to adapt to the times,” he noted.
- Getting over ego and grudges. Mergers and consolidation are a path to stem EMS closures, but require getting over old conflicts and for someone to step aside and make way for growth.
They ask for your input: What will save rural EMS? Chat with our hosts at theshow@ems1.com.
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Catch a new episode every Friday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, PodBean, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed.
Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.
Thursday Sep 14, 2023
Thursday Sep 14, 2023
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.
Inside EMS has been serving up industry news and hot topics for 10 years, with over 600 shows and about 2 million listens!
In this episode, our cohosts, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the importance of getting outside your rig, your agency and your silo to learn from others.
Our dynamic duo break down an article from rural EMS expert Nancy Magee on the top 10 reasons to attend EMS conferences.
Memorable quotes
“If you’ve seen one EMS squad, you’ve seen one EMS squad, and way too many agencies only know their way of doing things, and they kind of stagnate – or they run the risk of stagnating – if they don’t get outside their own little bubble and see the ways that other agencies are doing things.” — Kelly Grayson
“If you feel like you’re the smartest person in the room; you’re in the wrong room.” — Kelly Grayson
“There are people who are doing the work in organizations who are far more advanced than you are.” — Chris Cebollero
“There are very few new problems under the sun.” — Kelly Grayson
Listen in as they discuss:
- Getting out of your comfort zone/tearing down your silos
- The benefit of networking – seeing what’s working for other agencies
- How enthusiasm is infectious
Additional resources
- 10 reasons to attend EMS conferences
- EMS World Expo 2023: Welcome to New Orleans
- Can’t make it to EMS World Expo?
Rate and review
Catch a new episode every Friday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, PodBean, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed.
Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest. LIST
Thursday Sep 07, 2023
Thursday Sep 07, 2023
This episode of the Inside EMS podcast is sponsored by Verizon Frontline. The advanced network for first responders on the front lines. Learn more at verizon.com/frontline.
“To remember those who have sacrificed, and who ran up the stairs and escorted people in the eyes of danger, you owe it to them to try to be your best every day.” — Aaron Zamzow
In this special crossover episode of the Policing Matters, Better Every Shift and Inside EMS podcasts, Cohosts Jim Dudley, Aaron Zamzow and Chris Cebollero come together to discuss preserving the legacy of 9/11 responders and to assess our readiness to respond to a large-scale MCI in our communities.
Together, they dive into technology trends that we could (and should!) use to improve the security of citizens and first responders, from license plate readers to crime mapping, facial recognition, drone surveillance and AI analysis.
Watch in as our panel discusses:
- Keeping the 9/11 legacy alive with new generations
- How awareness of occupational cancer and mental health concerns is more prevalent today
- Community preparedness and incident command
- 9/11-related illness and its continued impact and devastation today
- How AI can contribute to the security of citizens and first responders
- The importance of information sharing and security
Memorable quotes
Our cohosts shared poignant reflections of the infamous September day and offered their analysis on how best to prepare first responders for large-scale mass casualty events, with several notable takeaways:
“It’s up to all of us to try to get better, try to improve, try to do something to hone our profession to provide the best service we can when we’re called to do that. And that doesn’t require a chief, that doesn’t require leadership; that requires a mirror, and that requires you and some dedication.” — Aaron Zamzow
“After 9/11, we had PPE in the trunk of every radio car, and training every year, and little-by-little, the suits expired, the training stopped, the funds ran out; and we may be at a situation worse than before, so we need that impetus to take another run at preparedness, training, exercises, PPE, equipment, and a best practices manual, and that’s got to come from above so that we’re all doing it the same.” — Jim Dudley
“The economic factor should not be a factor. FEMA puts out 100, 200, 700, 800 for free to law enforcement agencies and many more subsets beyond that. So if you are an agency – if you’re listening to this podcast – if you’re not practicing ICS, find out why and explain to your chief sheriff, ‘it’s free, we’ve got to do it; we should start doing it now.” — Jim Dudley
“We’re not working for today – we’re working for the next 5 and 10 and 15 years now – and how do we need to prepare for this?” — Chris Cebollero
“We saw firefighters run into that building – there were police officers there too – that were in harm’s way, trying to get people out of there, and that’s what we do, and now we’re seeing ‘hey, even though we do that, there are harms beyond just that physical incident.’” — Aaron Zamzow
“We’re in protective service and we need to be proactive in the way that we look at these things … we looked and said this could never happen; well it did, and we did a heck of a job responding after the fact, and we were very proactive after a period of time, and I think that’s gotten a little bit lax and we need to stay on our toes, stay vigilant, and I think that’s one of the best ways to remember all those people sacrificed in these events, is to grow from them.” — Aaron Zamzow
Additional resources
Read more reflections, tips for processing and lessons for training to respond to MCIs in our 9/11 coverage, sponsored by Verizon.
Learn more with these resources mentioned in this episode, as well as additional articles from Police1, FireRescue1 and EMS1:
- The Raytom Group – training law enforcement officers in EMS
- Policing Matters: BRINC's Blake Resnick and Don Redmond on evolving drone technology
- Policing Matters: Jamie Hudson on how Elk Grove’s Real-Time Information Center gathers and shares information AI in action: Enhancing school security with ZeroEyes' gun detection system
- FEMA’s free ICS training
- Why all law enforcement officers should read the 9/11 Commission Report
- POV: ‘It is time to demand adherence to NIMS/ICS and accountability for failure to implement’
- On-Demand Webinar: What Firefighters Want from Incident Commanders
- Are we communicating better after 9/11?
- Responding to an MCI of 9/11’s proportions, with today’s limitations
Rate and review
Catch a new episode of Inside EMS every Friday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, PodBean, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed.
Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you’d like to join us as a guest.