EMS World Podcasts

Mike McCabe sits down with Brian MacLean, Assistant Chief of Cooper County (Missouri) Ambulance, to explore the realities of rural EMS. Serving 569 square miles in central Missouri, MacLean’s team manages thousands of calls each year—with transport times stretching up to 90 minutes since their local hospital closed. MacLean shares why rural EMS demands sharp clinical skills, resilience, and total confidence in your equipment. He offers candid insight into fleet decisions, explaining why his agency chose Crestline ambulances for their cost-effectiveness, faster delivery, smart layout, and safety-focused design. Drawing on personal experience from an ambulance-involved crash, he underscores how vehicle design and properly secured equipment can make all the difference. Sponsored by Crestline Ambulances

Rob Lawrence hosts this special episode of the EMS World Podcast. The Injury Prevention Alliance of Phoenix (Arizona) is the winner of the 2025 Nicholas Rosecrans Award, which recognizes individuals, teams, or organizations who make a significant impact in preventing injury and illness before they even happen. The award is named for Nicholas Rosecrans, a young boy who tragically drowned in 1996, spurring local paramedics to commit to increasing injury and illness prevention. The Injury Prevention Alliance of Phoenix won the award for their teen driver safety program. In addition to members of the Alliance, Nicholas's mother, Lynn Artz, and brother, Noah Rosecrans, join the episode.

Sophie Fuller, Jaime Wesley, and Aubrey Lukis, hosts of the Life and Sirens podcast, join Managing Editor Kristin Carroll on the floor of EMS World Expo 2025 in Indianapolis. They discuss their roles as EMS influencers, being women in EMS, and more.

Simulation training has become a critical pillar of modern EMS education, bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world field performance. In this episode of the EMS World Podcast, host Mike McCabe sits down with Nathan Harrison, Vice President of Operations at Simulator Solutions, to explore how high-fidelity simulation is transforming the way EMS providers train, prepare, and stay safe. Harrison shares the unique origin story of Simulator Solutions, a family-founded company born from the need for realistic ambulance training environments. Drawing on engineering expertise rather than clinical backgrounds, the team has focused on recreating the physical realities of EMS work — from confined spaces to constant motion — so providers can train under conditions that closely mirror the field. These simulators allow learners to experience challenges such as claustrophobia, equipment placement, and vehicle movement long before they encounter them on the job. The conversation highlights the safety benefits of simulation, including reducing preventable injuries and improving situational awareness. Harrison explains how Simulator Solutions works closely with EMS professionals to refine products, ensuring they reflect real operational needs. Innovations like ambulance simulators with pneumatic movement systems, rollover simulators for extraction training, and an upcoming helicopter simulator demonstrate the company’s commitment to realism and continuous improvement. As EMS agencies face increasing demands and risks, this episode underscores how immersive simulation training helps providers build confidence, sharpen skills, and ultimately deliver safer patient care — before lives are on the line.

Mike Grzyb, Senior Director of Field Support for ZOLL’s EMS business unit joins EMS World Managing Editor Kristin Carroll live at EMS World Expo 2025 in Indianapolis to discuss the new Zenix monitor defibrillator. The device has premarket approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In this second part, Grzyb shares how the Zenix is uniquely suited for the EMS ambulance environment.

Mike Grzyb, Senior Director of Field Support for ZOLL’s EMS business unit joins EMS World Managing Editor Kristin Carroll live at EMS World Expo 2025 in Indianapolis to discuss the new Zenix monitor defibrillator. The device has premarket approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This episode goes into how customer feedback on previous ZOLL devices shaped the Zenix's unique, user friendly design.

EMS World Content Director Jonathan Bassett sits down with HMP Global Senior Vice President Josh Hartman and FlightBridge ED CEO Eric Bauer to discuss FAST 2026 and EMS World Live | Austin, which will co-locate in the Texas capital May 27-29, 2026. Listen to learn about course offerings and how to make the most of your time at both shows. Interested in attending? Register here.

In this episode of the EMS World Podcast, host Mike McCabe talks with Sherry Twitty, Director of Corporate Outreach at Columbia Southern University, about how flexible, online education is helping fire, EMS, and nursing professionals advance their careers without disrupting their demanding schedules. Twitty shares how CSU’s life-paced learning model, affordable tuition, multiple start dates, and transfer credit options are designed specifically for first responders balancing shift work and multiple jobs. She also highlights CSU’s wide range of EMS, fire, nursing, and public service degree programs—and how industry feedback helps shape them.

An EMS medic, an MVA, a STEMI, a stroke—and everyone’s still playing “telephone” with the hospital. In this episode of EMS World Podcasts, host Mike McCabe sits down with Mitch Scott, Solutions Architect at General Devices, to tackle one of EMS’s biggest headaches: communication and coordination with the emergency department and specialty teams. Scott breaks down how GD’s e-Bridge platform lets crews securely send photos, EKGs, videos, and patient data straight from the field to the ED, cath lab, stroke team, transfer centers, and more—all in one HIPAA-compliant app that never stores images on personal devices. They dig into real-world pain points: long wall times, “we never got your call,” lack of accountability, rural agencies with hour-long transports, and busy EDs juggling multiple priorities. You’ll hear how features like GPS tracking, acknowledgement alerts, and detailed timestamps create a defensible QA/QI trail and give everyone—from medics to cardiologists—a shared, real-time view of the patient before they hit the door. If you’ve ever felt unheard on the radio or wished you could “show, not tell” your next handoff, this episode is for you.

The National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC) was abruptly disbanded earlier this year. Former chair Brenden Hayden, COO of Estella Health, a mobile Integrated healthcare company, and former vice chair, Tom Arkins, chief of IT and informatics with Indianapolis EMS, join us to discuss their time on the committee and look into the future for EMS.

Las Vegas EMS Captain Jeremy Sonenschein is the winner of the 2025 First Responder Caring Award, sponsored by Dynarex Corporation. He sits down with host Kristin Carroll to discuss his career, the award, and his personal motto, "training tomorrow's heroes today." Dyanarex Respiratory Category Manager & Respiratory Therapist, Shauna Winston, also joins the show to share the award's background and about Dynarex's Resp-O2 product portfolio.

Tom Arkins, Chief of IT and Informatics and Steven Norman a Paramedic with Indianapolis EMS discuss what it took to bring the show to the "Crossroads of America" for EMS World Expo 2025.

Running an EMS operation on a large scale demands great responsibilities—for both the community you serve as well as the personnel that deliver that service. Mike McCabe sits down with David Basnak, president and executive director of EmergyCare, the largest EMS and medical transport provider in northwest Pennsylvania, to learn more about his priorities in the areas of career development, quality improvement, staff safety and state-of-the-art equipment. Sponsored by Medix Specialty Vehicles.

During EMS Week, it’s important to recognize dedicated EMS providers as well as spotlight ways they can move forward in their careers. To that end, the fire and EMS degree programs offered by Columbia Southern University were designed with busy professionals in mind. Keith Padgett, MS, EFO, a 45-year veteran of the fire service, serves as academic program director for the fire and emergency medical services programs at CSU. In our latest EMS World podcast, host Mike McCabe sits down with Padgett to learn more about the career-expanding options available to today’s hardworking first responders. Sponsored by Columbia Southern University. Follow EMS World on social media at EMSWorldOFCL

What began as a routine patient call in 2023 reshaped Ohio paramedic Jesse Sopko’s perspective on life and duty. Despite enduring severe injuries—including multiple fractures, brain bleeds, and a traumatic brain injury—Sopko’s spirit has remained unbroken. Sopko’s journey of recovery, marked by weeks in the ICU and extensive rehabilitation, is a testament to human resilience and the relentless will to survive. Reflecting on his experience, he advises, “Don’t ever take a day for granted. Always kiss your loved ones goodbye.” This candid conversation between Sopko and host Mike McCabe offers an inspiring look at recovery and a heartfelt reminder for EMS professionals to cherish every moment. Sponsored by Braun Ambulances. Follow EMS World on social media at EMSWorldOFCL

Plasma for TBI, dual sequential defibrillation, a new cardiac arrest “bundle,” distal femur IO, and comparable innovations will make EMS care in 10 years look much different than it does today. Back by popular demand, McCabe sits down with two of our most popular guests—Peter Antevy, MD, CEO and founder of Pediatric Emergency Standards and EMS medical director for several Florida agencies, and Charlie Coyle, division chief at Palm Beach County Fire Rescue—to look at what innovations are set to revolutionize prehospital care in the coming years. Follow EMS World on Facebook, X, and Instagram at @EMSWorldOFCL

Artificial intelligence is permeating all niches of public and private life. Can it enhance decision making and situational awareness in EMS? What does that look like? Azhar Khan, an associate director who leads the Solutions Specialist and Public Safety Outreach Program Teams for Verizon Frontline, speaks with our host Mike McCabe on the present and future applications of AI in EMS. Follow EMS World on Facebook, X, and Instagram at @EMSWorldOFCL

The National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA) was honored as this year’s prestigious Nicholas Rosecrans Award winner for their exceptional work on the Lights and Sirens Collaborative. NEMSQA’s initiative has been pivotal in reducing the risks associated with the use of lights and sirens in emergency medical services, improving safety for EMS providers and the public while maintaining high standards of patient care. Live from the EMS World Expo 2024 exhibit hall floor in Las Vegas, Mike McCabe hosts a roundtable with Mike Taigman, Brooke Burton, Jeff Jarvis, Lynn Artz and Rob Lawrence to learn more about the Nicholas Rosecrans Award and this year’s winner.

Navigating the complex landscape of ambulance fleet management can be challenging, especially in the face of rising costs and supply chain disruptions. How can EMS agencies optimize their fleet performance while maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness? On this episode of EMS World Podcasts, host Mike McCabe sits down with Kyle Wells, assistant chief of EMS for AtlantiCare, to delve into these critical issues. Together, they explore key obstacles and discuss strategies for implementing a standardized approach to improve fleet performance.

The field of hemorrhage control is experiencing rapid advancements, particularly in the area of abdominal bleeding. And on this episode of the EMS World Podcasts, we'll be taking a look at one product in particular—the AAJT-S tourniquet. Live from the exhibit floor at EMS World Expo 2024, host Mike McCabe is joined by Dr. John Croushorn, an emergency medicine physician in Birmingham, Alabama, to explore this innovative abdominal tourniquet.