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 to logistics and operations manager and then to director of operations at MedStar.

“The challenges can be daunting,” he says. “What I love about FirstWatch is that we are able to provide, not just data, but clarity about what’s happening within the agency and community. FirstWatch goes beyond the data and gets to why it matters.”

Cunningham ended his career at MedStar as its chief operating officer (COO), overseeing more than 450 employees and an annual budget of nearly $60 million. In his new role as FirstWatch COO, he will provide strategic guidance and oversee daily operations of the 28-year-old public safety software company as it evolves to meet the challenges  of the market – growing demand for services, limited resources, staffing shortages, complexities of billing and interoperability, the mental health toll on employees, and a fast-paced technology environment.

FirstWatch provides data analysis, visualization, and coaching to address these challenges.

Helping the Helpers, Into the Future

“Having known Chris for years, he’s everything I would have wanted in an operations boss as a medic,” says Todd Stout, FirstWatch founder and president. “When the opportunity arose to bring him to FIrstWatch it was obvious. He exemplifies our ‘helping’ ethos.”

Cunningham will be stepping in for Randy Skomsvold, who is set to retire at the end of this year. Skomsvold, whose background includes operations across EMS and healthcare, has served as FirstWatch chief operating officer, chief financial officer, and vice president. His 12 years at the company saw unprecedented growth. Under his leadership the company grew from 33 to nearly 80 employees.

“FirstWatch is in a very strong position right now,” says Skomsvold. “Between our trust in the industry and the technology and people we have driving our products and services, it felt like the right time to step away and get back to my family after giving so much to FirstWatch. Chris is absolutely the right person to navigate our next chapter.”

Cunningham sees a clear role in the organization for himself and direction for the company.

“After spending so many years in the field and in operations, I’ve seen firsthand how much technology and data can empower frontline providers and system leaders,” he says. “Joining FirstWatch felt like the natural next step, a way to keep serving the people who serve others, just on a larger scale. And just as important, it’s a chance to help unleash the full potential of this amazing team so they can continue to grow and thrive.”

For Cunningham, public safety is more than a job. “This is a huge part of my life and my family’s life,” he says. Working as a volunteer firefighter in college taught him an essential lesson: “I love problem-solving, helping others, and being part of a team.”

A New Era for Public Safety and Public Health

It’s no exaggeration to say that public safety and public health are entering a new era. Data is at the forefront of these changes: “We want to ensure that our actions as public safety professionals are justified on the evidence. Data analysis and visualization is a big part of that,” says Stout.

“Data, collaboration, and human compassion all come together and that’s where real transformation happens,” says Cunningham, “and the FirstWatch team can absolutely help in this. It can be exciting and it can be scary. But we’re going to rise to the level of our challenge and usher in this new era with people – the people we serve as customers and as the public we serve – are at the forefront of all that we do.”