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.