The Opening Keynote will begin with a procession from the Wisconsin EMS Honor Guard, followed by a quick introduction to the Conference from our Executive Director, Alan DeYoung. He will give some important updates and notes regarding the schedule, events, and the expo hall. Then, we will hear from our opening keynote speaker, Cody Spaulding - The Salty Paramedic. Read the description of the keynote below:

First responders spend their careers taking care of everyone else—but somewhere between the missed holidays, sleepless nights, traumatic calls, dark humor, overtime, and constant pressure of the job, it can become easy to forget to take care of themselves.

Don’t Lose Yourself is an honest, relatable, and often humorous look at mental health and identity in the fire and EMS professions. Drawing from nearly two decades of experience as a firefighter/paramedic, Cody Spaulding—better known as The Salty Paramedic—explores how the job can slowly change the way first responders think, feel, communicate, and connect with the people around them.

Rather than approaching mental health solely from a clinical perspective, Cody speaks from the perspective of someone who has lived the culture, sat at the kitchen table, worked the long shifts, and experienced difficult calls. 

Obstetrics strikes fear the hearts and minds of many skilled prehospital providers, with even a mention of it causing perspiration to increase.  However, this need not be the case.  With improved education, understanding, and clinical practice, these cases can be handled with skill and compassion.  Through a combination of real-world insight, current evidence, and practical experiences, this presentation will aim to provide an overview of obstetrical emergencies, with recommendations for best practices and clinical pearls.

Temperature-related emergencies are often subtle, easily missed, and rapidly fatal without early recognition and intervention. This session delivers a high-yield, field focused approach to identifying and managing both hypothermia and hyperthermia in prehospital and austere environments. Participants will learn to recognize early warning signs, differentiate severity, and apply targeted management strategies using available resources. Key concepts—including cardiac instability in hypothermia, heat stroke pathophysiology, and critical complications such as rhabdomyolysis—are reinforced through practical, scenario-based decision-making. Designed for EMS and wilderness providers, this talk emphasizes real-world strategies to stabilize patients and prevent deterioration when time, environment, and resources are working against you.

Description EMS documentation should support the work of clinicians and administrators—not create unnecessary barriers. Yet many ambulance run report forms remain cluttered, rigid, and misaligned with real-world workflow. This session is designed for EMS agency administrators seeking practical solutions to improve the usability, accuracy, and effectiveness of their charting systems. Participants will explore how dynamic visibility and validation rules can be used to simplify form design, reduce unnecessary data entry, and guide users through more accurate documentation. Through a focused discussion on form logic and user interface strategy, attendees will gain actionable ideas for transforming frustrating run forms into smarter documentation tools. Abstract High-quality EMS documentation depends not only on what agencies collect, but also on how charting systems are designed to collect it. Many ambulance run report forms are burdened by static layouts, unnecessary fields, and inefficient workflows that increase user frustration and compromise documentation quality. As reporting requirements grow more complex, agencies must find ways to improve both usability and data integrity. This presentation examines how EMS administrators can leverage dynamic visibility and validation rules within their charting platforms to create smarter, more responsive run report forms. By aligning form behavior with clinical workflow, agencies can reduce documentation burden, improve accuracy, and strengthen compliance without sacrificing usability. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for evaluating current forms and applying design strategies that result in stronger documentation and a better user experience.

The body’s blood buffer system is essential for maintaining proper pH and overall homeostasis. Imbalances can lead to serious health consequences. This lecture includes case presentations, pathophysiology, assessment, and treatment strategies for conditions related to buffer system emergencies, as well as the “how and why” of the buffer system and its chemistry. The continuum of care will be explored, with practical considerations for EMS providers. Strategies for recognizing and managing buffer system issues in the field will be discussed. Attendee/Presenter interaction is encouraged.

Pediatric emergencies are high-stakes, low-frequency events that can challenge even experienced EMS providers. This interactive, hands-on workshop is designed specifically for BLS providers to build confidence and competence in essential pediatric skills. Participants will rotate through five small-group stations (maximum of 10 learners per station), each focused on high-yield, practical interventions: airway management, respiratory support, anaphylaxis recognition and treatment, safe pediatric transport, and cervical spine/spinal motion restriction. Each station emphasizes simple, effective techniques that can be immediately applied in the field, using case-based scenarios and skill repetition to reinforce learning. This session prioritizes hands-on practice, team-based learning, and practical decision-making to help providers manage pediatric patients safely and efficiently.

Understanding how law enforcement can and cannot assist EMS in situations where adult patients are refusing further care or transport. Explain the limitations of state laws placed on law enforcements ability to place adults in protective custody and compel persons to obtain medical care, specifically WI SS Chapter 51 and 55. Review cases and case law that pertain to this issue. Discuss best practice documentation for calls that end in a no transport, specifically when the provider feels a transport should have occurred.

This session provides a practical, evidence-informed approach to trauma assessment and stabilization in remote or resource-limited environments. Participants will learn to rapidly identify life-threatening injuries, manage common traumatic presentations with limited equipment, and adapt standard trauma principles to wilderness and austere settings. The session emphasizes improvisation, environmental considerations, and decision-making when definitive care may be hours away. Realistic field scenarios and case-based discussion will help learners build confidence in managing fractures, dislocations, soft-tissue injuries, and multi-system trauma when “you are the only help for miles.”

Description Coming Soon!

Though anaphylaxis and asthma are distinct disease processes, they frequently intersect in ways that dramatically increase patient mortality. Recognizing the overlap and intervening early and aggressively can spell the difference between recovery and rapid deterioration. This lecture will look at the complex relationship between anaphylaxis and asthma and provide a structured approach to managing these patients. Through a case study, we will discuss the impact these cases have on our communities and discuss the efforts being made to increase Epi-Pen availability.

Lunch is included for all Conference Session attendees and will be held in Hall C today! Additionally, WEMSA will be giving the 2027 State of the Association Meeting Updates once everyone has settled. During this annual update, WEMSA Executive Director Alan DeYoung and our Board will share organizational updates, current initiatives, and future goals for the Wisconsin EMS Association. This is also an open forum for attendees to ask questions, provide feedback, and engage directly with WEMSA leadership about the issues that matter most to the EMS community.

Shock is more than hypotension and treatment is more than "give fluids." This presentation introduces a practical hemodynamic framework that helps paramedics identify whether a patient's instability is caused by a problem with the pump, the pipes, or the tank. Using real-world EMS scenarios, case studies, and interactive small-group learning, participants will learn how preload, afterload, contractility, and obstructive physiology influence patient presentation and how interventions such as fluids, vasopressors, and ventilation can help—or unintentionally harm—the patient. Attendees will leave with a simple bedside approach to understanding shock that can be immediately applied in the field.

The body’s cholinergic and anticholinergic systems play a critical role in regulating nervous system function and overall physiological balance. Dysfunctions or exposures can lead to serious health consequences, including altered mental status, cardiovascular instability, and life-threatening emergencies. This lecture includes case presentations, pathophysiology, assessment, and treatment strategies for conditions related to cholinergic and anticholinergic emergencies and their pharmacology. The continuum of care will be explored, with practical considerations for EMS providers. Strategies for recognizing and managing cholinergic and anticholinergic issues in the field will be discussed. Attendee/Presenter interaction is encouraged.

Description Coming Soon!

Vital signs are the cornerstone of patient assessment and provide valuable insight into a patient's physiologic status. While heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, temperature, and end-tidal carbon dioxide are routinely obtained, understanding what these measurements represent is essential for accurate clinical decision-making. This session explores the theory of vital signs by examining the physiologic principles behind each measurement and their role in identifying health and disease. Participants will review how normal vital sign values are established through population-based research and clinical evidence, while recognizing that "normal" varies based on factors such as age, baseline health, medications, and environmental influences. The presentation will emphasize moving beyond memorizing reference ranges to interpreting vital signs within the context of the patient's overall condition. Using a pathophysiology-based approach, attendees will learn how changes in vital signs reflect the body's compensatory mechanisms and underlying disease processes. Through practical case examples, participants will connect abnormal vital sign patterns with alterations in perfusion, oxygenation, metabolism, and homeostasis, allowing them to better recognize early patient deterioration and prioritize treatment decisions. Whether evaluating medical or traumatic emergencies, this presentation provides EMS clinicians with a practical framework for interpreting vital signs as dynamic indicators of physiology rather than isolated numbers. By understanding the "why" behind the values, providers will enhance patient assessment, strengthen clinical reasoning, and improve decision-making in the prehospital environment.

Simulation is one of the most powerful tools in EMS education - but only when done with intention. Too often it becomes a performance: providers run a scenario, someone says good job, and everyone moves on. Nothing changes. This workshop starts from a different premise: real learning happens in the debrief, and scenario design determines whether the debrief has anything worth talking about. The session opens with a didactic block on simulation design. Participants learn to build scenarios backward from learning objectives - starting with what providers need to be able to do, then constructing the patient presentation and decision points that surface those skills under pressure. We cover how physical, conceptual, and psychological fidelity shape the learner's experience, and how to calibrate each to your resources. From there, we focus on debriefing - specifically, the concept of the learner's frame. Drawing on Debriefing with Good Judgment, participants learn that every action a provider takes during a scenario makes sense to them in the moment, given their mental model and assumptions. The debriefer's job is not to tell learners what went wrong - it is to surface why they did what they did. Understand the frame, and you can help the learner reframe it. That is where lasting change happens. With that foundation in place, participants step into the sim room and rotate through two hands-on stations - pediatric airway and respiratory compromise, cardiac arrest, facilitated and debriefed using the techniques from the didactic block. The team will then take time to “debrief the debrief” to further discuss and gain insight into the process of providing high fidelity simulation. The experience is dual: they are working a real pediatric emergency while feeling what skilled facilitation and advocacy-inquiry debriefing look like from the learner's seat. Participants leave with sharpened pediatric clinical skills, a concrete simulation design framework, and the language to debrief in a way that actually changes practice.

Description Coming Soon!

Spinal cord injuries are high-stakes, time-sensitive emergencies where early recognition and management directly impact long-term function and survival. This session translates spinal cord anatomy into real-world clinical decision-making, allowing EMS providers to rapidly localize injuries based on physical exam findings—often before imaging is available. Through a focused, pattern-recognition approach, participants will learn to differentiate complete versus incomplete injuries, recognize key syndromes such as central cord, anterior cord, and Brown-Séquard syndrome, and anticipate associated complications including neurogenic shock and respiratory failure. Emphasis is placed on prehospital priorities including spinal motion restriction, airway considerations, and hemodynamic optimization to prevent secondary injury. Designed for the austere and prehospital environment, this talk equips providers to make high impact decisions when resources are limited and time is critical—because in spinal cord injury, time is cord.

We tend to think of 'small town' Wisconsin as simple. Easy going farmers who won't come in for care until they are nearing their death beds and don't expect the most life saving, expensive tools in our top-hat full of tricks. But on the far spectrum of this lay the Amish communities. This presentation will discuss religious beliefs and lifestyle that will challenge your ethical decision making and arm you with unique perspectives to help you navigate these conversations. We also will discuss common genetic illnesses present in the local Amish communities while debunking some common myths.

As a BLS provider, correctly identifying and managing acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in the field is critical for ensuring the best outcomes. In this case-based session, you'll learn the key differences between ACS presentations, how to quickly recognize each in your patient assessment, and the latest BLS treatment priorities for chest pain emergencies.

We'll walk through scenarios step by step, reinforcing the BLS skillset for acute MI management: from 12-lead fundamentals to high-performance CPR and defibrillation to destination decision-making and handoff at the ED. You'll come away confident in your ability to recognize and react to any ACS case, with a stronger grasp of how your BLS interventions fit into the larger system of care.

Whether you're a newer EMT looking to expand your cardiology knowledge, or a veteran provider brushing up on chest pain best practices, this interactive session will sharpen your clinical judgement and send you back to your truck with a new set of tools for managing ACS.

This interactive session examines the EMS–dispatch relationship and how communication directly impacts patient outcomes. Through real-world cases and discussion, attendees will learn practical strategies to improve radio reports, reduce delays, and enhance system performance. Designed for EMR and EMT providers, this session reframes communication as a critical clinical skill.

A case-based look at acute intracranial emergencies - ischemic stroke (anterior and posterior circulation), intracranial hemorrhage, and meningitis - open to all provider levels, with imaging shown for context.

A look at oxygenation, hypotension, preparation, and deterioration around airway placement and why resuscitating the patient before intubation matters.

Rural emergency medicine demands a different mindset—patients are just as sick, but resources, personnel, and access to definitive care are limited. This session explores the high-stakes reality of managing critically ill and injured patients in rural and critical access settings, where early decisions carry significant consequences. Drawing from real-world EMS and emergency department experience, participants will learn practical strategies for prioritization, airway and resuscitation management, and anticipating deterioration during prolonged transport. Through case-based discussion, this talk emphasizes operational decision-making and the critical role of EMS and emergency departments functioning as a unified system when help may be hours away.

Join us for the first night of the Expo Hall! Explore 90+ exhibitors across 80,000 sq. ft. of space, showcasing the latest EMS products, services, and innovations. Play Booth Bingo for a chance to win prizes, stop by the free headshot booth to update your professional photo, and take part in voting for the Best in Show and Best Engagement in Show exhibitor awards. The Expo Hall will be open from Wednesday evening, February 3, through Friday afternoon, February 5, and is included with all Main Conference Attendee Passes or Individual Day Passes. Passes for just access to the Expo Hall can be purchased for $30. 

EMS providers care for pediatric patients and families during high stress and emotionally charged situation where both medical and psychological needs are critical. Trauma Informed Care provides a practical framework for recognizing how prior trauma, developmental stages, and acute stress influence behavior and response to care. Despite its growing use in hospital settings, TIC remains underutilized in the prehospital environment. This presentation introduces the core principles of TIC and their application in pediatric EMS care. Using case based examples such as motor vehicle crash, behavioral emergencies, and children with chronic medical conditions, it will highlight how common EMS approach may unintentionally escalate distress and how small adjustments based on TIC awareness can improve cooperation and care. Participants will learn practical strategies to enhance psychological safety, communicate effectively with children, support caregivers, and preserve a sense of control during care. The session will also demonstrate how TIC can reduce scene conflict, improve efficiency, and decrease provider stress. By integrating trauma informed approaches into routine practice, EMS providers can improve patient and family experience while supporting their own resilience. TIC is not additional work, it is a fundamental component of high quality pediatric emergency care.

Trauma care is rarely one-size-fits-all, and bariatric patients present challenges that push standard approaches beyond their limits. As obesity rates continue to rise, EMS and air medical providers are increasingly faced with critically injured patients whose body habitus, comorbidities, and physiology complicate every phase of care, from assessment to transport. Airway management becomes more precarious, vascular access more difficult, and movement and extrication more hazardous for both patient and provider. This critical care level presentation examines how these factors influence trauma care in the prehospital and transport environment, where familiar techniques may need to be adapted in real time. This session focuses on the high-risk decisions and operational barriers that define bariatric trauma care. Participants will explore why these patients often experience worse outcomes, including the impact of respiratory compromise, cardiovascular strain, and challenges with accurate assessment and interventions. Practical field considerations are also explored, including equipment limitations, scene logistics, medication choices, and transport decisions, all of which require careful balance between patient care and crew safety. By combining current evidence with real-world insight, this course equips clinicians with practical, adaptable strategies to improve care and navigate one of the most complex patient populations in modern EMS.

EMS professionals are surrounded by information: dispatch notes, protocols, alerts, training updates, emails, dashboards, policies, quality improvement reports and constant digital communication. But more information does not automatically create better decisions. In fact, too much noise can reduce attention, delay action and make it harder for EMTs, paramedics, supervisors and chiefs to focus on what matters most. This session will help EMS leaders recognize what information overload looks like in daily operations, training and communication. Participants will learn practical ways to reduce unnecessary noise, improve message clarity, prioritize essential information and create communication habits that support better decision-making, safer care and stronger team performance.

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) storm is a life-threatening cardiac emergency characterized by recurrent episodes of sustained ventricular arrhythmias requiring repeated intervention. Successful management requires rapid recognition, coordinated multidisciplinary care, and a thorough understanding of antiarrhythmic therapy, device management, sedation strategies, and escalation to advanced therapies. Nurses and paramedics play a pivotal role in the early identification, stabilization, and ongoing management of these critically ill patients. This presentation reviews the management of a patient presenting with VT storm, from initial assessment through definitive treatment. Key clinical decision points include recognition of electrical storm, pharmacologic interventions, synchronized cardioversion and defibrillation, correction of reversible causes, and coordination with electrophysiology and critical care teams.

As the use of Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) continues to grow, EMS providers and emergency clinicians are increasingly likely to encounter these patients in both routine and high-acuity situations. Traditional assessment and resuscitation strategies often require modification due to the unique physiology of continuous-flow LVADs. This presentation will provide a practical overview of LVAD function, patient assessment, troubleshooting common device alarms, and evidence-based emergency management for scenarios including altered mental status, hypotension, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, bleeding, and device malfunction. Through real-world cases and interactive discussion, participants will gain the knowledge and confidence needed to recognize LVAD emergencies, initiate appropriate interventions, and coordinate care with specialized heart failure and mechanical circulatory support teams.

Explore 90+ exhibitors across 80,000 sq. ft. of space, showcasing the latest EMS products, services, and innovations. Play Booth Bingo for a chance to win prizes, stop by the free headshot booth to update your professional photo, and take part in voting for the Best in Show and Best Engagement in Show exhibitor awards. The Expo Hall will be open from Wednesday evening, February 4, through Friday afternoon, February 6, and is included with all Main Conference Attendee Passes & Pre-Con Workshop purchases. Passes for just access to the Expo Hall can be purchased for $30. 

Rapid Sequence Induction (RSI) is often viewed as a procedure only Paramedics need to worry about.  However, the success of this procedure begins long before the laryngoscope is picked up.  This presentation explores the critical role EMT’s play before, during, and after RSI.  From patient assessment, preoxygenation, equipment preparation, positioning, and monitoring, EMT’s are vital to optimizing first-pass success and reducing complications.  Through a combination of case examples, current evidence, and real-world experience, this session will highlight the vital role EMT’s play in the safety and efficiency of this procedure to directly influence airway outcomes.

Nonaccidental trauma in children can be easy to miss and difficult to act on in the prehospital setting. Anchored by a real clinical case, this session walks through the epidemiology of pediatric physical abuse, sentinel injuries, and bruising patterns, including use of the TEN-4-FACESp screening tool to help distinguish accidental from abusive injury in infants and toddlers. The session also covers common historical red flags that lead to missed cases, trauma-informed strategies for interacting with children and caregivers on scene, and Wisconsin's mandated reporting requirements - giving EMS providers practical tools to recognize, respond to, and appropriately report suspected abuse.

Emergent care of newly born baby in distress and an infant requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation are both high-risk, low-frequency events for EMS providers, yet they require fundamentally different approaches. Confusion between Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) principles can lead to delays, inappropriate interventions, and increased risk of error in the prehospital setting. This session provides a practical, case-based comparison of NRP and PALS, focusing on when and how to apply each approach in real-world EMS scenarios. Participants will review key physiologic differences, initial priorities, and critical interventions that distinguish newborn resuscitation from pediatric cardiac arrest resuscitation. Emphasis will be placed on simplifying decision-making, avoiding common pitfalls, and improving confidence in managing these high-stakes patients. This talk equips ALS providers with clear frameworks they can immediately apply in the field. In addition, in-depth consideration of each approach will be reviewed using the new 2025 AHA updates.

Every employee with a smartphone has the potential to influence public trust in your organization. Social media has become one of the most powerful, and misunderstood, communication tools facing EMS agencies today. From employee conduct and patient privacy to crisis response, recruitment, and community engagement, leaders must understand both the risks and opportunities. This session explores real-world examples and practical strategies for navigating today's social media landscape while protecting organizational reputation and strengthening public confidence.

As the use of Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) continues to grow, EMS providers and emergency clinicians are increasingly likely to encounter these patients in both routine and high-acuity situations. Traditional assessment and resuscitation strategies often require modification due to the unique physiology of continuous-flow LVADs. This presentation will provide a practical overview of LVAD function, patient assessment, troubleshooting common device alarms, and evidence-based emergency management for scenarios including altered mental status, hypotension, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, bleeding, and device malfunction. Through real-world cases and interactive discussion, participants will gain the knowledge and confidence needed to recognize LVAD emergencies, initiate appropriate interventions, and coordinate care with specialized heart failure and mechanical circulatory support teams.

Lunch is included for all Conference Session attendees and will be located in the back of the Expo Hall (Hall A & B) today!             

Prehospital Care Providers are faced with making split-second decisions daily, often with profound implications on the patient’s outcome.  However, as the adage goes, “the patient doesn’t read the protocols” often holds true, and providers are faced with making decisions for out of the ordinary situations.  These situations often will rely on a provider’s understanding of pathophysiology and critical thinking to manage complex situations.  This presentation will focus on four cases in which airway management was complicated by complex physiology and learning points attendees can take away for their practice.

Description Coming Soon!

Clear, effective communication during patient hand-offs plays a critical role in patient safety and continuity of care. This course focuses on strengthening collaboration between EMS providers and nurses during transitions of care in both routine and high-acuity situations. Through realistic scenarios and practical discussion, participants will explore proven strategies for delivering and receiving clear, concise, and structured reports. Emphasis is placed on using standardized communication tools, recognizing common pitfalls, and adapting communication styles to dynamic clinical environments. The session also examines frequent barriers such as interruptions, assumptions, and incomplete information, along with techniques to overcome them. Designed for providers at all levels, this course provides actionable skills that can be immediately applied in the field or at the bedside to improve teamwork, reduce errors, and support better patient outcomes.

EMS leaders are expected to solve problems quickly, give direction and keep operations moving. But the best leadership response is not always another answer, order or explanation. Often, the better move is a better question. This interactive and engaging session will help EMS supervisors, educators, field training officers and chiefs use questions to improve coaching, decision-making, accountability and team learning. Participants will examine how thoughtful questions can uncover assumptions, clarify priorities, reduce defensiveness and help others take ownership of solutions. The session will focus on practical question frameworks that can be used immediately in crew conversations, performance reviews, incident debriefs, training sessions and leadership meetings.

ACLS constitutes foundational knowledge for EMS clinicians and anyone else managing patients with life threatening cardiovascular emergencies.  That being said, its actual application is more limited than most people realize.  ACLS provides great guidance for managing cardiac complaints that have a purely cardiac etiology.  What if the bradycardia your patient is experiencing isn’t from a primary conduction system problem?  What do I do if the unstable tachycardia won’t respond to chemical and electrical cardioversion?  This presentation will provide various case scenarios for discussion where traditional ACLS won’t help (and could worsen) the patient’s outcomes.  After the presentation, learners will be able to think more critically about management of cardiac dysrhythmias when approaching them in the future.

This session looks at moral injury in EMS and emergency medicine as it shows up on shift after repeated high-acuity calls where resources are limited, outcomes are difficult, and providers are sometimes left carrying the weight of what they could not change. It defines moral injury and clarifies how it differs from, while often co-occurring with, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and posttraumatic stress. The presentation focuses on repeated exposure to difficult, resource-limited EMS and emergency department situations in which time-sensitive decisions may limit the ability to deliver the level of care providers were trained for. It also includes situations where outcomes do not match the effort or intent behind the care provided. Over time, these experiences build on each other and can lead to persistent stress that affects how providers think, respond on shift, and make sense of what they have experienced both during and after calls. The session will review practical, trauma-informed strategies for recognizing and addressing moral injury in clinical and peer support contexts, including the role of peer support in early recognition and response. Participants will learn to recognize common indicators of moral injury in EMS and emergency department clinicians, including changes in engagement, increased emotional distress, withdrawal, and shifts in meaning-making related to clinical work. Trauma-informed strategies for recognition and support will be discussed, with emphasis on practical application in EMS, peer support, and emergency care settings. A practicing emergency department nurse will co-present and provide firsthand clinical perspective to help translate these concepts into day-to-day practice.

This challenges one of the most common misconceptions in volunteer EMS agencies: that accountability and professionalism are optional. This engaging and thought‑provoking course explores the critical truth that wearing the patch—paid or volunteer—comes with real responsibilities, expectations, and a duty to serve at the highest standard. Designed specifically for volunteer EMS providers, officers, and emerging leaders, this course examines how leadership styles directly impact crew performance, morale, and patient outcomes. Participants will explore proven management principles and learn how to apply them in a setting where motivation, commitment, and culture often matter more than compensation. By the end of the course, participants will walk away with actionable tools to lead more effectively, hold their teams accountable, and reinforce the idea that volunteer status is not a limitation—it’s a commitment to serve with excellence.

Every EMS provider has encountered documentation that raises more questions than answers. Some errors are obvious, while others remain hidden until they create confusion, complicate patient care, or draw unwanted attention during quality review. Like investigators reconstructing a scene, EMS professionals often rely on the patient care record to understand exactly what occurred during an incident. When key details are missing, inconsistent, or inaccurate, the resulting picture can be difficult to interpret. Using lessons drawn from real-world examples, this course examines common documentation pitfalls through the lens of an EMS investigation. Participants will evaluate patient care reports for missing information, conflicting findings, documentation discrepancies, and other charting errors that can undermine an otherwise well-managed call. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for creating accurate, complete, and defensible documentation that clearly tells the story of the patient encounter and stands up to scrutiny long after the call is over.

It's 3AM, you've just worked a difficult code that felt like an ACLS final examination when suddenly you obtain ROSC. You're in a crammed hallway and the focus of the crew shifts to how we're going to navigate out of this space. You find a way out, but the patient re-arrests upon arrival to the ambulance and you're unable to get a pulse back. This scenario is extremely common. While we need to celebrate a win with ROSC, the call is fall from over. Traditionally, ROSC management includes starting some fluids and hoping for the best but how can EMS do better to support hemodynamic instability during the challenging moments of patient movement and transport to the hospital? We'll deep dive into this topic and cover how a ROSC guideline/checklist can work to prevent re-arrest in your EMS system.

Mobile Integrated Health programs across Wisconsin have proven for years how beneficial it is to be able to provide compassionate, accessible care that empowers people to be safe, healthy, and supported in the environments where they feel most comfortable. Milwaukee County Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) is a community focused program designed to meet people where they are, both physically and in their healthcare journey. This county-wide program includes a team of four certified Community Paramedics and a licensed social worker. Since historically, adding a social worker to MIH teams hasn't typically been the standard, this interactive session will focus on our team's experience with building this role and what it looks like in action through the use of case studies.

Every EMS provider has experienced it: the call that did not go as planned, the diagnosis that was missed, the medication error that was caught at the last second, or the patient who looked routine until the outcome proved otherwise. While it is easy to attribute these events to individual mistakes, research consistently demonstrates that most errors result from predictable human factors rather than a lack of competence. Operating in unpredictable environments, EMS clinicians make hundreds of decisions during every shift while managing fatigue, distractions, stress, interruptions, and limited information. These conditions create opportunities for cognitive biases and system vulnerabilities that can lead even highly skilled providers toward error. Understanding these influences is essential for improving patient safety and clinical performance. Through compelling case studies, audience interaction, and evidence-based discussion, this session examines the "mistake before the mistake"—the hidden human factors that often precede near misses and adverse events. Participants will explore common cognitive traps such as anchoring bias, confirmation bias, tunnel vision, and premature closure while learning practical strategies to improve situational awareness, communication, and decision-making under pressure. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of why errors occur, how to recognize vulnerabilities in themselves and their teams, and how to apply human factors principles to improve patient safety. More importantly, they will gain tools to transform near misses into learning opportunities and strengthen a culture of safety throughout their organizations. In a profession where perfection is impossible but improvement is essential, understanding human factors may be one of the most powerful patient safety interventions available.

EMS agencies generate enormous amounts of operational and clinical data every day, yet many organizations struggle to move beyond compliance tracking and truly understand what their data is revealing about leadership, communication, culture, staffing, accountability, and organizational health. This session explores how trends involving refusals, overtime, employee engagement, PCR completion, QA findings, operational reliability, and response behaviors often reflect deeper leadership and system performance issues long before they become major organizational problems. Using real-world EMS examples, operational case studies, and practical leadership applications, attendees will learn how to interpret data through a leadership lens rather than simply a regulatory or compliance lens. This presentation focuses on transforming operational metrics into meaningful conversations, early intervention opportunities, workforce development strategies, and stronger organizational culture. Attendees will leave with actionable tools that can immediately improve leadership awareness, operational consistency, employee engagement, and system resilience within agencies of all sizes.

Status asthmaticus represents one of the most dangerous respiratory emergencies encountered in the prehospital environment, characterized by progressive airway obstruction, ventilation–perfusion mismatch, and the potential for rapid respiratory failure. Unlike routine asthma exacerbations, these patients often deteriorate despite standard therapy and require early recognition, aggressive intervention, and decisive transport and airway management decisions. This session provides a practical, evidence-based review of the challenges EMS providers face when caring for patients with status asthmaticus. Emphasis is placed on pathophysiology, early versus late clinical findings, and the use of advanced assessment tools such as capnography to identify impending respiratory failure. Participants will examine pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment strategies, including bronchodilators, corticosteroids, magnesium sulfate, and epinephrine, as well as the risks and benefits of noninvasive ventilation versus endotracheal intubation. Through case-based discussion and real-world examples, this presentation highlights common pitfalls, decision-making errors, and strategies to improve patient outcomes. Designed for EMTs, paramedics, and critical care providers, this session reinforces the importance of early escalation, continuous reassessment, and effective communication with receiving facilities when managing this high-risk patient population.

Mass casualty incident (MCI) education has long been a cornerstone of EMS preparedness. Across the United States, agencies dedicate significant time and resources to tabletop exercises, functional drills, and large-scale training events designed to prepare responders for low-frequency, high-consequence incidents. Yet many real-world MCIs unfold very differently than the scenarios responders routinely train for. While traditional exercises often focus on organized scenes with clearly defined command structures, patient counts, and resource requests, actual incidents are frequently characterized by incomplete information, communication failures, resource limitations, evolving hazards, and operational uncertainty. This presentation will examine the gap between traditional MCI training and the realities of prehospital mass casualty response through the combined perspectives of an EMS medical director and an EMS operations officer. Using lessons learned from real-world Wisconsin incidents such as the Millers Coors shooting, Milwaukee Mother’s Day Fire, and Bucks Championship shooting, attendees will explore common themes observed during actual MCIs, including challenges with scene size-up, patient distribution, hospital coordination, communications, triage consistency, resource allocation, responder accountability, and incident command integration. Attention will be paid to how operational realities, human factors, and system limitations often influence outcomes more than the triage algorithms or command structures emphasized during training. The session will critically evaluate how current MCI training models may inadvertently create unrealistic expectations for responders and leadership. Examples will highlight situations where agencies successfully adapted despite deviations from established plans, as well as opportunities where preparedness efforts failed to address the challenges encountered during actual events. Attendees will learn how after-action reviews, operational data, and lessons learned from previous incidents can be used to refine preparedness efforts and improve resilience. Finally, the presentation will provide practical recommendations for EMS systems seeking to enhance MCI readiness. Topics will include designing more realistic exercises, incorporating communication and resource limitations into training, strengthening interagency coordination, improving hospital integration, and developing system-level approaches that better reflect the realities of contemporary mass casualty response. Presented by an EMS medical director and EMS operations officer with extensive experience in disaster preparedness, response, and system leadership, this session will challenge attendees to rethink traditional MCI training and provide actionable strategies to improve operational readiness for the incidents that are most likely to occur, not just the ones that are easiest to simulate.

Explore 90+ exhibitors across 80,000 sq. ft. of space, showcasing the latest EMS products, services, and innovations. Play Booth Bingo for a chance to win prizes, stop by the free headshot booth to update your professional photo, and take part in voting for the Best in Show and Best Engagement in Show exhibitor awards. The Expo Hall will be open from Wednesday evening, February 4, through Friday afternoon, February 6, and is included with all Main Conference Attendee Passes & Pre-Con Workshop purchases. Passes for just access to the Expo Hall can be purchased for $30. 

Whether it's addressing performance concerns, coaching a new employee, resolving conflict between coworkers, or having a difficult conversation after a critical incident, EMS leaders face conversations that can shape culture, trust, and patient care. Yet few leaders receive formal training on how to navigate them effectively. This interactive session provides practical tools for preparing for, leading, and following up on difficult conversations. Participants will learn a simple framework that reduces anxiety, improves accountability, and strengthens relationships while avoiding the common communication pitfalls that often make challenging situations worse.

Description Coming Soon!

When it comes to firefighter rehabilitation, is what we’re doing good enough? Realistically speaking, does your organization have the resources to perform this vital function properly? While many organizations have standard operating procedures for this function, many have not been updated or are not even enforced. The function of firefighter rehab is more than compliance with a standard: it’s ensuring that emergency responders are supported before, during, and after an incident. This presentation will give attendees actionable items to take back to their agencies for establishing goals for firefighter rehab operations and recognizing risks such as heat-related injuries, cold-related injuries, myocardial infarctions, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Does it make sense for some EMS systems to request a helicopter to fly a potential stroke patient to a comprehensive stroke center? Does it matter if a local community hospital is a stroke-ready or primary stroke center? Strokes are a true time-sensitive emergency, unfortunately not all stroke patients are eligible for emergent intervention. Come join Kevin in a review of the current literature to help review when transport directly to a comprehensive stroke center might benefit your patients. Stroke patients have the potential to benefit from air medical transport, and are at increased risk for over triage; is it possible to determine which patients to fly? Walk away from this presentation with best-practices to help advocate for the appropriate use of rapid transport for patients at increased risk for large-vessel occlusion, and the tools to help reduce the risk of over triage.

Pediatric emergencies remain among the most challenging and anxiety-provoking calls in EMS. While providers often focus on assessment findings, vital signs, and treatment algorithms, another critical factor influences patient outcomes: how we think. Children frequently compensate for serious illness and injury until they suddenly decompensate. Their ability to appear well despite significant physiologic compromise can create a false sense of reassurance, delaying recognition and intervention. Compounding this challenge are common cognitive biases, including anchoring, confirmation bias, premature closure, and normalization of abnormal findings, that can unintentionally influence clinical judgment during pediatric encounters. Through emotionally impactful case reviews, audience interaction, and evidence-based discussion, this session examines both the clinical and cognitive factors that contribute to missed pediatric deterioration. Participants will learn to identify subtle indicators of respiratory failure, shock, sepsis, and critical illness, and develop strategies to recognize and overcome common decision-making traps. Attendees will leave with practical tools that improve pediatric assessment, strengthen clinical reasoning, and increase confidence in identifying the child who appears stable but is quietly moving toward crisis. More importantly, they will gain a deeper understanding of how human factors influence patient care and how awareness of those factors can prevent the next near miss. This presentation is designed for EMTs, AEMTs, paramedics, nurses, educators, and EMS leaders seeking to improve pediatric readiness, patient safety, and clinical decision-making in the prehospital environment.

Cervical collars and spinal immobilization have been core elements of EMS trauma care for decades, but the evidence supporting routine immobilization has become increasingly controversial. For years, the conversation shifted from "should we place a cervical collar or use a backboard" to the broader concept of spinal motion restriction, but the focus in the literature has remained centered on "should we place a cervical collar or not," when it should instead be centered on the patient and on spinal cord protection. This is problematic because most clinicians are still at the bedside, and their train of thought often ends at "I should probably just put a cervical collar on the patient."

Recent literature, including the NAEMSP comprehensive review on prehospital spinal cord injury management, challenges long-standing assumptions that post-injury movement is a major driver of delayed neurologic injury, and highlights potential harms associated with rigid collars and backboards. While the evidence on best treatment practices for spinal cord injury is less robust than for traumatic brain injury, there are likely both management and hemodynamic considerations that should guide how we care for potential spinal cord injury patients.

This presentation will review the evolution of prehospital spinal immobilization, summarize the current evidence surrounding immobilization practices, discuss the hemodynamic factors we should be aggressively managing in these patients, such as hypotension and hypoxia, and consider how systems-level changes might best be approached. The talk will use case reports, current evidence, and best-practice models for guideline and system-level change to reframe the internal discussion from "I need a cervical collar" to "protect the spine," and to encourage patient-centered interventions rather than a focus on whether a piece of plastic makes a difference.

Outline:

1. Patient Care Practices
   A. Minimizing Movement
   • The historical basis for immobilization
   • What the current evidence suggests
   • Potential harms of routine immobilization, including special populations
   • Where the controversy remains
     B. Optimizing Hemodynamics in the Patient with Neurological Deficit
   • Hypotension
   • Hypoxia
2. Guideline Application
   • Reimagining the spinal motion restriction guideline to one that provides comprehensive care, addressing both spinal motion restriction and treatment of the potential spinal cord injury
3. System-Level Implementation
   • Updating protocols without creating confusion
   • Training EMS clinicians to move from "always collar" to risk-based decision-making
   • QA metrics to monitor
   • Aligning EMS, ED, trauma surgery, and radiology expectations
4. Take-Home Points
   • Routine cervical collar placement is no longer an automatic requirement
   • Spinal motion restriction should be selective, patient-centered, and risk-based
   • The goal is not simply to prevent movement, but to protect neurologic function by optimizing movement and hemodynamics while avoiding unnecessary harm
   • EMS clinicians need clear protocols, strong education, and trauma system alignment to apply modern spine care safely

Performance evaluations are one of the most underused leadership tools in EMS. Too often, they become rushed paperwork, vague feedback, or annual compliance exercises that do little to improve performance, strengthen culture, or support employee development. When done well, evaluations can become meaningful conversations that clarify expectations, reinforce accountability, improve communication, and help employees understand how their daily performance connects to the mission of the organization. This session explores how EMS supervisors, managers, educators, and organizational leaders can move beyond checkbox evaluations and create practical, consistent, and growth-focused feedback conversations. Attendees will examine common evaluation pitfalls, rating inflation, avoidance behaviors, inconsistent documentation, unclear expectations, and missed coaching opportunities. Using realistic EMS examples and supervisor-level scenarios, this presentation provides practical strategies for turning evaluations into tools for employee engagement, professional development, succession planning, and organizational accountability. Attendees will leave with usable approaches for preparing evaluations, structuring feedback, addressing difficult performance issues, documenting meaningful conversations, and building a culture where evaluation is not something employees fear, but something that helps them grow.

Sepsis on Scene: Early Diagnostics, Blood Cultures, and Antibiotic Therapy in EMS is designed to enhance the ability of EMS clinicians to recognize, assess, and initiate evidence-based treatment for patients with suspected sepsis in the prehospital setting. Participants will explore the evolving role of EMS in sepsis care, including early identification, laboratory specimen collection, blood culture acquisition, fluid resuscitation, sepsis alert activation, and emerging practices surrounding prehospital antibiotic administration. The course emphasizes timely intervention, improved continuity of care, and collaboration with receiving facilities to reduce treatment delays and improve patient outcomes.

Lunch is included for all Conference Session attendees and will be located in the back of the Expo Hall (Hall A & B) today!             

Rural EMS professionals practice medicine in an environment where time, distance, and resources create unique challenges. While many clinical education programs focus on rapid transport and readily available specialty care, rural providers often face a different reality: prolonged patient contact, limited personnel, delayed access to advanced interventions, and the responsibility of managing critically ill patients for extended periods. This session examines the realities of caring for trauma, respiratory, cardiac, and shock patients when help is not just minutes away. Using compelling case studies and lessons learned from rural EMS systems, participants will explore how to prioritize assessments, anticipate patient deterioration, maximize available resources, and adapt treatment plans during prolonged transports. The presentation will also address decision-making under uncertainty, communication with receiving facilities, and the importance of preparing for the unexpected when there is no immediate backup. Attendees will gain practical strategies for balancing "stay and play" versus "load and go" decisions, managing limited resources, and maintaining high-quality care throughout extended patient encounters. Whether serving in a volunteer agency, combination service, or career rural EMS system, participants will leave better prepared to meet the unique demands of rural prehospital medicine. Because in rural EMS, the challenge isn't just getting the patient to the hospital—it's everything that happens before you get there.

On average, many departments can cover one or two open positions on their roster. But what happens when a department faces the departure of 25% of its personnel? This can result in an unprecedented amount of overtime, most of it coming in the form of mandatory overtime. The burnout becomes real and evident. This is the story of how a department can face the challenge head-on and work to restore its ranks and recover from challenges associated with high turnover and attrition. In this presentation, I will share the recruitment and retention issues that fire and EMS departments have faced, the challenges they continue to face, and the adaptations that can be made by the membership and the administration. This is an issue that departments large and small are facing throughout the country. This session is appropriate for all levels of an organization, from the newest probationary member to the chief officers.

Out of hospital births are associated with a 2-11 fold increase in infant mortality. Meanwhile only about 16% of EMS providers express confidence in their ability to resuscitate a newborn, and provider's skills in this domain have been shown to be greatly lacking. Meanwhile, the expansion of maternal care deserts in the United States only increases the probability of EMS providers being called upon to provide care to freshly-born neonates. Despite these challenges, the skills of evaluation and resuscitation for most neonates are generally not complicated and are within the reach of most EMS providers. The goal of this presentation is to empower EMS providers with knowledge and confidence to handle the majority of neonatal resuscitation situations that they may come across within their careers. Most newborns do not require resuscitation, and among those that do, the overwhelming majority survive with happy outcomes with effective implementation of ventilation and temperature control. This presentation will blend lecture and a brief hands-on component (with a handful of volunteers, not with all attendees) to help drive core components home. As a result of participating in this lecture, participants will leave feeling better prepared to provide the standard-level of resuscitative care to neonates in pre-hospital settings.

Early use of pelvic binders have been included in the trauma patient care continuum for over a decade. But do they really reduce fractures, and do they control hemorrhage? Join Kevin as he discusses shares what is actually known about pelvic fracture stabilization and why it belongs in your patient care planning. This presentation will highlight why it is important to understand the various types of pelvic fractures, the limitations of physical exams, and what pelvic binding devices actually work! You will walk away understanding when pelvic binders are unnecessary, essential, and need to be exchanged for a superior alternative. Sure, pelvic binding may sound basic, but they are a critical, and often under-utilized, intervention in transport systems.

Session Description & AbstractThe Advanced EMT is one of the most underutilized provider levels in EMS today. Too often viewed solely as a bridge between EMT and Paramedic, the AEMT possesses skills that can significantly improve patient care, strengthen crew performance, and support the sustainability of EMS systems. This interactive, case-based presentation explores the role of the AEMT in both rural and ALS-based services while emphasizing the importance of utilizing every provider to the full extent of their education and certification. Participants will examine common medical emergencies, discuss team-based decision making between EMTs, AEMTs, and Paramedics, and evaluate how appropriate resource utilization can improve patient outcomes. Special emphasis will be placed on rural EMS decision-making, including when advanced interventions add value, when rapid transport to definitive care should remain the priority, and how agencies can better utilize AEMTs as valuable clinical providers rather than simply future paramedics. The session concludes with a discussion on recruitment, retention, and workforce development, exploring how the AEMT certification can strengthen rural EMS while continuing to support future paramedic education.

Every provider eventually faces the day the pager goes quiet — by retirement, injury, downsizing, or choice. For people whose identity has been fused to the role for decades, that silence can be disorienting and, for some, dangerous. This candid, peer-to-peer session names that experience plainly and grounds it in current evidence. For first responders, the uniform is rarely just a job; it is identity, community, and purpose bound together, and when the role ends the nervous system can register it as loss rather than transition — a strain researchers call "transition stress." The session examines what that loss does to us, the elevated rates of PTSD and behavioral-health challenges documented among EMS personnel, the specific risks that surface after a career ends, and the protective factors that buffer them. It then turns firmly toward recovery and reinvention: how to recognize warning signs in yourself and your peers, how to translate hard-won operational experience into competencies that civilian employers actively seek, and how to rebuild routine, community, and mission in a second career. Drawing on peer-reviewed scholarship alongside the presenter's own journey from three decades in emergency services into a new professional chapter, the session leaves every attendee with language for what they may be feeling, concrete next steps, and the central reframe that the pager turning off is not the end of the mission — it's the reassignment. Appropriate for providers at every stage, whether nearing transition, supporting a colleague through one, or quietly wondering who they'll be when the calls stop.

Few responsibilities in EMS carry more emotional weight than notifying a family that a loved one has died. Despite the significance of this moment, many EMS professionals receive little formal education on death notification, family communication, scene management, or provider support following emotionally difficult calls. Poor communication, avoidance behaviors, unclear language, and lack of preparation can significantly impact both families and responders during moments of crisis. This session provides practical, field-tested guidance for delivering death notifications with professionalism, compassion, clarity, and emotional intelligence in prehospital environments. Attendees will explore communication strategies, scene considerations, cultural awareness, provider wellness, leadership responsibilities, and approaches for supporting crews following emotionally difficult incidents. Using real-world examples and practical application, this presentation equips EMS professionals with immediately usable tools to improve communication, reduce anxiety surrounding death notifications, and preserve dignity for patients, families, responders, and organizations alike.

Join us for an enlightening presentation that delves into the intricate world of pathophysiology. This session is designed to explain the abnormal physiological processes that underlie various diseases and disorders. Perfect for the new provider or seasoned veteran, this presentation will guide you through a comprehensive exploration of the mechanisms, causes, and consequences of pathological conditions.

Ambulance crashes remain one of the most significant occupational hazards facing EMS professionals. Each year, emergency vehicle collisions result in injuries and fatalities involving EMS personnel, patients, and members of the public. While emergency response and transport operations are essential components of patient care, they also present unique risks that require constant vigilance, sound judgment, and a strong culture of safety. This presentation examines a series of real-world EMS vehicle accidents and near-miss events to identify contributing factors, operational challenges, and opportunities for prevention. Participants will review case studies involving emergency responses, patient transports, intersection collisions, distracted driving, adverse weather conditions, and vehicle operation under high-stress circumstances. Human factors, decision-making, communication, fatigue, seatbelt utilization, and emergency vehicle operator practices will be discussed. Through analysis of these incidents, attendees will gain a greater understanding of common causes of ambulance crashes and evidence-based strategies to reduce risk. The presentation will also explore current trends in EMS vehicle safety, Kentucky and national ambulance crash data, and practical recommendations for creating a culture of accountability and safety within EMS organizations.

There are plenty of conference presentations and webinars focusing on how to develop an effective QA/QI program and analyze data from EMS documentation. Rarely does anyone talk about how to effectively teach EMT's and Paramedics how to effectively document. Good documentation is integral to good patient care, transfer of care, reducing liability, provide accurate data, and improve billing returns. This presentation will take a holistic approach to documentation training with recommendations following the path of a provider from initial training, to on-boarding/orientation, to field training. It further describes how supervisors and company officers can review and coach before reports even reach the QA/QI team and the data analysts. By focusing on adult learning styles, motivational techniques, development of field training programs, and officer training a department or agency can improve the documentation of their providers.

Many EMS professionals seek treatment for PTSD yet continue to struggle with memory problems, irritability, poor concentration, sleep disruption, emotional dysregulation, and hypervigilance. What if PTSD is only part of the story? This presentation explores the often-overlooked relationship between PTSD, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), chronic sleep disruption, and nervous system dysfunction. Attendees will learn why these conditions frequently overlap, how symptoms can be mistaken for one another, and why some providers continue to struggle despite seeking treatment. Through real-world examples and current evidence, participants will gain a new understanding of the invisible injuries that can accumulate throughout a career in EMS.

Early recognition of neurological emergencies is critical to improving patient outcomes and reducing treatment delays. This presentation provides a practical framework for performing a rapid, focused neurological examination to identify patients requiring urgent intervention. Participants will learn to recognize key clinical signs associated with large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke, enhancing early stroke detection and timely activation of stroke systems of care. In addition, the session will review common stroke risk factors and evidence-based prevention strategies, empowering attendees to better understand their own stroke risk while promoting overall brain health. Through a concise, clinically relevant approach, participants will gain skills applicable to both emergency response and everyday practice.

Rather than a traditional Q&A, this Friday keynote panel brings together a group of Wisconsin EMS Medical Directors for a live, moderated debate on the real-world variation in medical direction across the state and why it exists.

Attendees will be polled in advance for the topics and questions they most want to see addressed, with the WEMSA Education Committee reviewing submissions and selecting the strongest ones for discussion. Panelists will receive these questions ahead of time to prepare, with a handful of surprise questions introduced live to keep the conversation genuine and unpredictable.

Expect candid, sometimes divergent perspectives on the protocol decisions EMS providers encounter every day. Why one system allows something while another does not, and the reasoning behind the variation. The goal isn't consensus. It's giving attendees a genuine look at how different Medical Directors think through the same clinical questions, and why good medicine doesn't always look the same from system to system.

The panel will be followed by the 2026 Excellence in Service Awards Ceremony, recognizing outstanding achievement across Wisconsin's EMS community.