In this high-impact edition of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence sits down with EMS influencer and educator Jimmy Apple, known widely across platforms as The EMS Avenger. With nearly 70,000 followers on TikTok and a growing presence on Instagram and Facebook, Jimmy has mastered the art of compressing complex clinical topics into digestible, engaging content. | More: What the EMS Counts Act means for dual-role EMS providers In this conversation, Rob pulls back the curtain on the man beh...
Jul 03, 2025•30 min•Ep. 78
In this special crossover edition of EMS One-Stop and The Bridge Podcast from the Kentucky Office of Rural Health , host Amelia Holliday leads the conversation, joined by Scott Helle, rural project manager at KORH; and Rob Lawrence, host of EMS One-Stop and EMS leader. Recorded live at the 2025 Kentucky EMS Leadership Academy, this episode explores the evolution, design and impact of the Leadership Academy on Kentucky’s rural EMS landscape. The discussion dives into the Academy’s origins, struct...
Jul 01, 2025•48 min•Ep. 77
In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence sits down with Danielle Thomas, chief operating officer, Lifeline EMS of Los Angeles, to explore how her team is harnessing “actual intelligence” — through a proprietary, closed-source AI platform called InCheck — to solve a perennial EMS headache: information overload. Thomas explains how embedding agency-specific protocols, an 800-page policy manual and multi-language translation into a single voice-activated app gives every crew m...
Jun 30, 2025•43 min•Ep. 76
In this international edition of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence welcomes Lewis Andrews, the chief operating officer of the United Kingdom’s College of Paramedics, for an insightful discussion on two major topics shaping global paramedicine. First up is International Paramedic Day, taking place on July 8, 2025. Now in its third year, the day honors the contribution of paramedics across the world and draws its inspiration from the birthday of Dominique-Jean Larrey, the father of battl...
Jun 12, 2025•34 min•Ep. 75
In this vital episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence is joined by Matt Zavadsky and attorney Doug Wolfberg of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth for a deep-dive into three financial flashpoints currently impacting EMS. First, the trio unpack the launch of the new PWW|AG/EMS|MC EMS Financial Index , a quarterly report leveraging billing and revenue cycle data from over 1,500 agencies nationwide. This unprecedented benchmarking tool allows EMS leaders to measure performance against regional and nation...
Jun 05, 2025•53 min•Ep. 74
In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence sits down with returning guest Chief Robbie MacCue of Colonie EMS (New York) to explore the transformative potential of the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) federal grant program . Funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, SS4A aims to prevent roadway fatalities and enhance post-crash care. With $5 billion available nationwide and $900 million still on the table for FY25, this conversation is a call to action for EMS...
May 27, 2025•43 min•Ep. 73
In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence kicks off a special series spotlighting national EMS associations, beginning with a deep dive into the EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate CompAct (REPLICA). His guest, Donnie Woodyard Jr., executive director, Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice, brings decades of EMS experience and leadership to the table to demystify what the EMS Compact is, how it operates, and why it matters to the profession today. From improving wor...
May 13, 2025•42 min•Ep. 72
In this special data-driven edition of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence is joined by Dr. Brent Myers, chief medical officer, ESO , and Dr. Remle Crowe, ESO’s director of clinical and operational research, to unpack the newly released 2025 ESO EMS Index . This annual report provides a powerful, real-world snapshot of national EMS trends — drawing on more than 14 million anonymized records to surface opportunities for clinical and operational improvement. The conversation dives into key...
May 07, 2025•56 min•Ep. 71
In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence is joined by Dr. Christine Carico and Dr. Matt Levy to discuss the peer-reviewed paper, “Nationwide Trends in Prehospital Blood Product Use After Injury.” The paper, published in “Transfusion” in April 2025, explores the use of blood products in prehospital trauma care. Despite the proven benefits of blood transfusion in the field, their research uncovers the alarming reality that less than 1% of eligible patients receive prehospital blood produ...
May 01, 2025•41 min•Ep. 70
In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence is joined by Deputy Director Tracey Loscar from Mat-Su Borough EMS in Alaska. Together, they discuss the looming threat of Mount Spurr, a volcano located 75 miles west of Anchorage, which is currently showing signs of potential eruption. Loscar provides insights into disaster management and preparedness in a region where EMS operations are stretched across vast, remote territories. The conversation also touches on how to plan for the...
Apr 22, 2025•23 min•Ep. 69
In this episode of EMS One-Stop, recorded live from the ABC 360 and XI Conference, host Rob Lawrence chats with keynote speaker Catherine Kuhlmann, a firefighter-paramedic with over 26 years of experience. Kuhlmann discusses the importance of understanding both internal and external customer service in EMS, emphasizing the need for a healthy organizational culture to ensure the best patient care. She reflects on the profound impact that first responders can have on individuals, drawing from her ...
Apr 03, 2025•31 min•Ep. 68
NOTE: Be sure to check out the Inside EMS podcast this month where Rob Lawrence will be joining Kelly Grayson as a guest cohost for Chris Cebollero. In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, Dr. Dave Williams discusses an exciting new master's-level course designed for EMS and fire leaders , focused on advanced improvement science. Along with Mike Taigman , Dr. Williams is leading this program, which aims to equip leaders with the tools and methods necessary to achieve results-driven improvem...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 67
In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence is joined by Dr. Dan Patterson, a clinician-scientist specializing in safety in emergency care settings. Dr. Patterson’s work centers around critical factors in EMS safety, such as sleep health, shift work, fatigue and their combined effects on clinician well-being. Timeline of key discussion points 00:00 – Introduction to Dr. Dan Patterson Dr. Patterson’s background and how his clinical experience as a paramedic informs his research on EMS safe...
Mar 27, 2025•38 min•Ep. 66
In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence welcomes back Dr. Alex Isakov , a leading expert in infectious diseases from NETEC and Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Isakov provides valuable updates on current and emerging infectious diseases; their global impact; and the critical role EMS professionals play in identifying, isolating and protecting themselves and their patients. This discussion highlights key infectious diseases, including H5N1 (avian flu/bird flu), Mpox (previously known a...
Mar 06, 2025•33 min•Ep. 65
Recruiting and retaining EMS professionals has been an ongoing challenge across the U.S., made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode of the EMS One–Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence sits down with Joe Schmider, Texas State EMS director, to discuss the $21M Texas EMS Workforce Initiative — a data-driven approach to recruiting and retaining EMS providers statewide. Schmider details how Texas identified a 40% non-utilization rate among certified EMS professionals, successfully secured state...
Mar 03, 2025•30 min•Ep. 64
In this special episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence welcomes General Robert B. Neller, the 37th commandant of the United States Marine Corps, to discuss leadership, decision-making, team building and the evolving challenges facing public safety professionals. General Neller shares his perspective on leading under pressure, making critical decisions, and fostering an ethical and resilient organizational culture. With decades of military leadership experience, he provides actionable insight...
Feb 21, 2025•55 min•Ep. 63
In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence is joined by Shana Beggan, Esq.; and Mike Pellow, Esq., defense attorneys representing one of the firefighters involved in the tragic Elijah McClain case. Beggan and Pellow discuss the complex legal and systemic issues surrounding the incident, including communication breakdowns, inadequate training, and the challenges faced by EMS and fire personnel when operating in chaotic environments. They also address the broader implications f...
Feb 03, 2025•54 min•Ep. 62
In this sobering episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence sits down with Chief Bill Salmeron of New Orleans EMS to discuss the tragic events that unfolded on New Year’s Day 2025, when a vehicle plowed through crowds in the French Quarter , resulting in 15 fatalities and 57 injuries, including two police officers. Chief Salmeron provides a detailed account of the incident, the immediate EMS response, and the coordinated efforts with law enforcement and hospitals to manage the mass casualty inci...
Jan 30, 2025•52 min•Ep. 61
Join Rob Lawrence on EMS One-Stop as he welcomes Sunny Wescott, chief meteorologist at the Department of Homeland Security, for an eye-opening discussion about the impact of extreme weather on emergency services and critical infrastructure. Sunny shares her expertise on meteorological trends, the challenges of preparing for severe weather events, and the evolving role of EMS in managing climate-induced emergencies. From hurricanes and polar vortices, to the implications of electric vehicle adopt...
Jan 29, 2025•38 min•Ep. 60
In this insightful episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence revisits New Orleans EMS to explore their pioneering use of body-worn cameras , joined by Chris Keller, chief of operations at New Orleans EMS. The discussion dives into the motivations, challenges and successes of implementing this technology. From its initial deployment on tactical medic teams in 2018, to its current broader rollout, Chris shares the journey of navigating legal frameworks, staff buy-in and operational logistics. The...
Nov 21, 2024•38 min•Ep. 59
Dr Jeff Jarvis joins Rob Lawrence to discuss the recently released National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA) Measures Report – “Enhancing airway management one measure at a time.” The report begins with the following robust Foreword: “NEMSQA is not satisfied with the state of airway management safety in EMS. As you will see, the data clearly shows that we can do much better across our industry! Partnering with experts and EMS agencies around the country, NEMSQA is leading the second national EMS Qu...
Oct 30, 2024•31 min•Ep. 58
In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence dives into the trending topic of pre-hospital blood administration with guests from New Orleans EMS: Tom Dransfield, the quality assurance and safety officer, and Dr. David Rayburn, deputy medical director. This in-depth discussion explores the development and execution of the New Orleans EMS blood program, focusing on packed red blood cells (PRBC) and the challenges, successes and ongoing research surrounding cold blood administration in trauma...
Oct 29, 2024•35 min•Ep. 57
In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence is joined by quality improvement expert, Dr. Dave Williams, recent co-author of the book, “Quality as an Organizational Strategy,” and Dr. Jonathan Studnek, executive director of Wake County EMS. Together they discuss the five activities for organization’s leaders to provide the structure to begin working on making quality their strategy. These activities are centered on: Purpose Viewing the organization as a system Obtaining information Plannin...
Oct 07, 2024•41 min•Ep. 56
In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence welcomes back data and EMS expert Mike Taigman for a deep dive into the evolving role of performance metrics in EMS systems. Together, they discuss two key publications – “Joint Position Statement on EMS Performance Measures Beyond Response Times” by Kupas and Zavadsky, et al., and the White Paper from the National EMS Quality Alliance in Collaboration with FirstWatch, titled, “Taking the Pulse of your System – Performance Measuremen...
Sep 19, 2024•38 min•Ep. 55
In this special edition of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence discusses the Joint Position Statement on EMS Performance Measures – Beyond Response Times published yesterday by the leading EMS and public policy associations with Matt Zavadsky, MS-HSA, EMT, vice president of PWW|AG, and one of the primary authors of the position statement. Rob and Matt discuss the statement in detail, examining all of the recommended metrics, the reasons for placing them in the paper and why response times are not re...
Aug 05, 2024•41 min•Ep. 54
In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence welcomes back infectious disease expert Dr. Alexander P. Isakov, MD, MPH, founding executive director of the Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR), and professor of emergency medicine at Emory University. Rob begins by discussing his real-life experience with an H5N1 outbreak in the UK as an ambulance service leader, and Dr. Isakov discusses the current H5N1 emergence in the U.S. The discussion covers the current U.S. H5N1 o...
Aug 01, 2024•25 min•Ep. 53
In this edition of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob lawrence welcomes Todd Stout and Mike Taigman of FirstWatch as they introduce the 2024 Jack Stout Fellow, Mary Meeks, district chief of night shift at Chatham Emergency Services. The Jack Stout EMS Fellowship, endowed by FirstWatch, aims to empower emerging EMS leaders by equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to guide EMS systems effectively in the future. Developed by FirstWatch in cooperation with the Fitch EMS Foundation, ...
Jul 11, 2024•44 min•Ep. 52
In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence sits down with Fayetteville, North Carolina’s Cumberland County EMS Chief David Grovdahl and Behavioral Health Community Paramedic Tara Tucker to discuss the Cape Fear Valley Mobile Integrated Health Behavioral Health Community Paramedicine programs. The Cape Fear MIH Team is composed of four community paramedics, one social worker and a peer support specialist. The team focusses in particular on overdoses/request for substance use t...
Jun 03, 2024•31 min•Ep. 51
In this special, on-site episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence takes us to the 2024 North Carolina EMS Expo in Greensboro, North Carolina, a well-attended conference with over 1,200 attendees. Rob spent time with several conference faculty. EMS lawyer Matt Streger joins Rob to discuss just culture , HR issue spotting, leadership communication and employee engagement. Kevin Collopy joins Rob to discuss the outstanding prehospital training being delivered to medics in Ukraine and also discuss...
May 14, 2024•30 min•Ep. 50
Editor’s note: This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence 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 EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence welcomes back Matt Zavadsky to discuss the latest development in the move to fund treatment in place and the recent disclosure from CMS about the potential savings to Medicare identified in the ...
May 13, 2024•27 min•Ep. 49
