EMS Today

Friday Night Lights: Shift 2 – Leaky Hose

It’s a warm Friday evening in July. You’ve just wrapped up a transport and cleared the hospital. As your partner turns out of the hospital parking lot, your ambulance is dispatched to a local distribution warehouse for a worker complaining of shortness of breath.

On arrival, you load your stretcher with all your gear and prepare to get some steps in while traversing the expanse of the warehouse. As you know, warehouses are never built small, and there is always a possibility that the scene awaiting you at the patient is not what you expect.

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Friday Night Lights: Shift 1 – Balloons Under Water

It’s a cold Friday night in January. You just finished an uninterrupted meal at the local Chinese restaurant with your partner when you’re dispatched to a house in town for an 88-year-old male with trouble breathing. You pull up to a one-story house, sitting slightly up on a grade. The lights are on and the front door is open. As you enter a musty smell catches you as you lock your eyes on an older male. He’s tri-poding in an old, worn, puffy rocking chair. It’s clear from his fast, shallow, pursed-lip breathing he’s in distress. You introduce yourself and accept his outstretched hand for a shake.

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The Decline of Rural Ambulance Services

In this episode, we interview Paramedic Jessica Thompson to talk about ambulance services closing in rural areas. The financial struggles faced by EMS providers, coupled with outdated reimbursement rates, have led many to economic collapse, forcing them to reduce staff or halt services altogether.

This reduction in services not only impacts the immediate area but also places additional strain on neighboring services, creating a domino effect that worsens response times and stretches resources thin across wider regions.  

‘Right in the Middle of Everything’: What It’s Like to Work for Sunstar Paramedics

JEMS Editor-in-Chief Dr. Ted Lee finds out what it’s like to work for Sunstar Paramedics in Pinellas County, Florida. Joining him is Malachi White, director of recruiting, and Capt. Shelby Papa, clinical services coordinator.

An Increase in Survival with Dr. Peter Antevy

Dr. Peter Antevy sits down with EMS P.O.D. host Douglas Randell to discuss whole blood administration and sepsis treatment in the field.

A Review of Norovirus

Infection Control Consultant Katherine West discusses the role of EMS in combating norovirus.

Mental Health Resources

JEMS Editor-in-Chief Dr. Ted Lee speaks with Melissa Taylor, RN, about mental health issues affecting all emergency responders.

A Spotlight on National CPR and AED Awareness Week

In honor of National CPR and AED Awareness Week, JEMS Editor-in-Chief Dr. Ted Lee speaks to Courtney Schwerin O'Reilly, the executive director of Illinois Heart Rescue. You can reach out to Courtney at courtney.ilhr@gmail.com.

Navigating the Current EMS Landscape

Bram Duffee, PhD, interviews Sarah E. Fabiano, MD, the medical director for JEMS, about the current EMS landscape in research and practice.

Surviving Sudden Cardiac Arrest: A Conversation with Rob Hoadley

In this powerful episode, Bradley Dean and David Blevins sit down with Rob Hoadley, a cardiac arrest survivor, to discuss his life-changing encounter with sudden cardiac arrest. Rob shares his personal story of survival, his journey since the event, and his mission to improve community response to cardiac emergencies. From the chain of survival to implementing community-wide education programs and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) availability, this episode emphasizes the importance of preparedness and education in saving lives.