In this episode of the EMS World Podcast, host Mike McCabe sits down with Antoine Schreier, a mechanical engineer whose work has helped shape the evolution of modern ambulance design. Their conversation explores how listening to frontline providers, challenging long-held assumptions, and closely observing real-world EMS operations can uncover opportunities for meaningful innovation.

The discussion offers a behind-the-scenes look at how ambulance manufacturers approach problem-solving, what drives innovation in the industry, and why rethinking traditional practices may be key to the future of EMS.

Sponsored by Demers Ambulances.

In this episode of the EMS World Podcast, Managing Editor Kristin Carroll chats with Director Tom Putnam and Producer Dr. Baxter Larmon for Into the Unknown: The Paramedic’s Journey. The long-awaited documentary follows several EMS agencies and providers through tough calls, highlighting the work they do as well as the toll it takes.

Putnam and Larmon discuss some of the surprises of filming first responders and share an exciting update on when the film will be available for rent and purchase on streaming. Listeners can also learn how to support the film's distribution via Kickstarter.

Ambulance safety has come a long way, but what happens to medical devices during a crash or sudden stop is still a critical concern for patients and providers. Host Mike McCabe speaks with Nancy Morest and Eric Hamel of Technimount EMS about the safety challenges and operational impacts associated with unsecured equipment in EMS and critical care transport.

From monitors and oxygen tanks to IV pumps and ventilators, medical devices that are not properly secured can become dangerous projectiles in a crash. Morest and Hamel explain how crash-tested mounting solutions designed to meet standards such as SAE J3043, help protect providers and patients while improving workflow.

For EMS clinicians, fleet leaders, and anyone involved in patient transport, this episode is a must-listen dive into how innovation is helping make ambulances safer, more efficient, and better prepared for the realities of modern care on the move.

Sponsored by Technimount System

Mike McCabe sits down with Dr. Jeannie Riner, EMS Lead Faculty at Columbia Southern University (CSU), to discuss some of the myths around EMS education.

Dr. Riner traces the profession's education evolution, from department-led training to degrees being strongly encouraged. She notes that with many accrediting organizations, EMS leaders need to have a degree.

Riner and McCabe also discuss the education options at CSU, which are geared toward working professionals who want to grow their skills and career.

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.