EMS1 Article – Order from chaos, meaning from numbers: The EMS data reset
Dr. Ed Racht calls for healthcare-first framing, action-oriented dashboards and the courage to celebrate wins — and be horrified by failures
FirstWatch Chooses Experienced Leader as Next COO
Christopher Cunningham says he’s ready to tackle the profession’s enduring, and emerging, challenges “Public safety has been under tremendous pressure for a long time,” says Christopher Cunningham, 45, who was recently announced as FirstWatch’s new chief operating officer. These are challenges Cunningham knows first-hand. He comes to FirstWatch from the highly respected MedStar, where he served for more than 20 years and which provided EMS to the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Beginning as a field paramedic with the organization, Cunningham was promoted...
Nicholas Wagner Selected as the 2025 – 2026 Recipient of the Jack Stout EMS Fellowship for Leadership Development
PLATTE CITY, MO — Nicholas Wagner, Captain at Montgomery County (Md.) Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS), has been named the 2025 - 2026 Jack Stout EMS Fellow. Endowed by FirstWatch, the fellowship was created in collaboration with the Fitch EMS Foundation. “Being selected for this opportunity is both an honor and a call to action,” says Wagner. “It represents a meaningful step forward in my leadership journey and also a chance to bring back innovative ideas that will strengthen...
Whole Blood in EMS Promises a Revolution in Resuscitation
How one county agency is saving lives with prehospital transfusions “It has been said that the three most regulated things in medicine are nuclear medicine radioisotopes, chemotherapy drugs and blood products,” says Assistant Chief Tim Burns, Chief Training Officer at Montgomery County (Md.) Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS). That’s because whole blood, along with its component parts, is almost always in short supply and require complex storage mechanisms and tight storage controls. But recent medical experience has established that...
Stockton Fire Dept. Delivers Customer Service through Data
How this busy agency supports its neighbors and keeps up with demand with FirstWatch “The real advantage of FirstWatch,” says Michele Godina Machado, Administrative Analyst II at Stockton (Calif.) Fire Department, “is that I know the numbers are right. We say in this business that if it’s garbage in, then it’s garbage out. FirstWatch allows us to verify the accuracy of our data. So I know with a high level of confidence that when there’s a discrepancy in...
Mary Meeks Reflects on a Year as the 2024 Jack Stout EMS Fellow
Serving the People Behind the Data How do we add value to our community? “That has been stuck in my head as a huge and fundamental question,” says Mary E. Meeks, the 2024 Jack Stout EMS Fellow. As district chief at Chatham Emergency Services (CES), headquartered in Savannah, Ga., she saw the relevance of this question daily in her work. “What do we as an EMS agency do to add value to the community of Savannah? How do we...
NEMSQA Wins Nicholas Rosecrans Award for Reducing Ambulance Crashes with Lights and Siren Initiative
LAS VEGAS, NV (September 18, 2024) – The National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA) was honored as this year’s prestigious Nicholas Rosecrans Award winner for their exceptional work on the Lights and Siren Collaborative. NEMSQA’s initiative has been pivotal in reducing the risks associated with the use of lights and siren in emergency medical services, improving safety for EMS providers and the public while maintaining high standards of patient care.
Mary E. Meeks Selected as the 2024 – 25 Recipient of the Jack Stout EMS Fellowship for Leadership Development
PLATTE CITY, MO — Mary E. Meeks, EMS District Chief for Chatham Emergency Services (CES), headquartered in Savannah, Ga., has been named the 2024 - 25 recipient of the Jack Stout EMS Fellowship. Endowed by FirstWatch, the Fellowship was created in collaboration with the Fitch EMS Foundation. The Fellowship is named in honor of the late Jack Stout, widely regarded as the father of high-performance EMS systems. It aims to provide a platform for chosen individuals...
Celebrating Pride Month at FirstWatch: Honoring Our LGBTQ+ Team Members
As we step into June, FirstWatch is proud to celebrate Pride Month, a time dedicated to honoring the vibrant and diverse LGBTQ+ community. This month serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of inclusion, acceptance, and the ongoing struggle for equality. At FirstWatch, we believe that our strength lies in our diversity. Our LGBTQ+ team members are integral to our success, bringing unique perspectives, creativity, and passion to our workplace. We are committed to fostering an environment where everyone...
EMS Visionary Award – Mike Taigman
Mike Taigman, FirstWatch Improvement Guide, has been awarded the prestigious Keith Neely Outstanding Contribution to EMS Award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the field of Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Jems – Mike Taigman Honored with the Keith Neely Outstanding Contribution to EMS Award
Mike Taigman, FirstWatch Improvement Guide, has been awarded the prestigious Keith Neely Outstanding Contribution to EMS Award in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the field of Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Orange County Fire Authority: Leading with Data
Transparency is good. But data without context can mislead. How OCFA leverages data to tell a more complete story. “A critical component of our work is accurately identifying and describing the problems we face as a fire department and as a community,” says Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy. “Once we’ve identified a problem, then we can address it.” The bigger and more complex those challenges, the more important it is to convey them accurately. For Fennessy and OCFA, this begins...
JEMS – Kayla Welwood Selected as the 2023-24 Recipient of the Jack Stout EMS Fellowship for Leadership Development
Kayla Welwood, manager of Low Acuity and Integrated Care with the Clinical Hub, at the British Columbia (Canada) Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), has been named the 2023-24 recipient of the Jack Stout EMS Fellowship.
Keeping Ahead of the Crowd
How Lake Stevens (Wash.) PD continues to innovate, despite staffing challenges Chief Jeffrey Beazizo of the Lake Stevens, Wash., Police Department needs to keep informed in order to keep his community and officers safe. “If something big happens,” he says, “I want to know immediately. With FirstWatch, I get alerted through CAD triggers on my phone as soon as that call comes through. “It’s obviously not every call I need to be alerted to,” he says. “But major crimes and Priority...
EMS1 – 2023-24 recipient of the Jack Stout EMS Fellowship for Leadership Development announced
Kayla Welwood is currently pursuing a master’s degree in organizational leadership
Mike Taigman Receives Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award for 2023 at UCSF
All Clear Foundation (ACF), a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving the wellbeing and longevity of Emergency Responders, including Healthcare Workers, and their families, has appointed Mike Taigman Chairman of the Board.
All Clear Foundation Names Mike Taigman Chairman of the Board
All Clear Foundation (ACF), a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving the wellbeing and longevity of Emergency Responders, including Healthcare Workers, and their families, has appointed Mike Taigman Chairman of the Board.
Voices of EMS Podcast #12 – Todd Stout and Jon Washko
Voices of EMS #12. The limited series of Voices of EMS (VOEMS) continues this week with Todd Stout and Jon Washko. You will hear how all three of us intertwine in this crazy world of EMS. VOEMS lets me revisit some of the Medic2Medic Podcast guests for them to tell one more story.
EMS World – Nominations Open for 2023-2024 Jack Stout EMS Fellowship
PLATTE CITY, MO—The Jack Stout EMS Fellowship, endowed by FirstWatch, announced March 1 that it is accepting nominations now through May 1, 2023. Established in August 2021, the fellowship is open to emerging EMS leaders interested in acquiring the knowledge and skills to lead EMS systems now and in the future.
JEMS – Nominations Open for the 2023-24 Jack Stout EMS Fellowship
The Jack Stout EMS Fellowship, endowed by FirstWatch, is accepting nominations now through May 1, 2023. Established in August 2021, the Fellowship is open to emerging EMS leaders interested in acquiring the knowledge and skills to lead EMS systems now and in the future.
