Inside EMS

Editor’s Note: Suicide is always preventable. If you are having thoughts of suicide or feeling suicidal, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline immediately at 988. Remember: You deserve to be supported, and it is never too late to seek help. Speak with someone today.

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This week on Inside EMS, host Kelly Grayson is joined by Texas educator John Puryear as they process the loss of a colleague to suicide — and to confront the uncomfortable truth: the mental health crisis in EMS is years in the making, and awareness alone isn’t cutting it.

From peer support to fatigue policies, Chris and Jon lay out what actually helps: real conversations in the rig, leadership that prioritizes mental health and seeking professional help. The message is clear: taking care of your mind is operational readiness. And if you’re not checking on your partner, you’re missing the fight that matters most.

Quotable takeaways

“I don't think the public understands how much this profession can break you.”

“It’s not about what’s wrong with you, it’s what’s happened to you.”

“Help is a professional strength, not a weakness.”

Additional resources:

What’s your department’s suicide prevention plan?

How to recognize, help a struggling team member

Mental wellness check-ins: What they are and how they help

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This week on the Inside EMS podcast, host Kelly Grayson tags in Texas educator John Puryear for a deep dive into the ever-evolving world of EMS education. What starts with a little sweet tea and Southern storytelling quickly turns into a masterclass on how to actually make distance learning work.

Puryear breaks down the difference between synchronous and asynchronous learning, and why simply dumping recorded lectures on students isn’t enough. The real magic? Engagement. Whether it’s live interaction, strategic questioning or just being a “bit of an entertainer,” effective online education demands more than a webcam and a PowerPoint.

Bottom line: online education isn’t going anywhere. But if you’re going to do it, you better do it right. The future isn’t just virtual — it’s hybrid, interactive and built by educators who actually care.

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Things get intense on this episode of Inside EMS as hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson tackle an age-old industry debate: should EMTs spend time on a truck before going to paramedic school or is that “experience” overrated?

Kelly kicks things off with a spicy take, arguing that poor field training and inconsistent preceptorship often do more harm than good. From his perspective, bad habits, weak mentorship and burnout culture are the norm, not the exception.

But Chris isn’t buying it. He counters that experience builds what classrooms can’t: clinical judgment, scene management and the ability to function in chaos. For him, skipping that step means stacking advanced skills on a shaky foundation.

What follows is a back-and-forth that hits on everything from “microwave medics” and outdated curricula to high-fidelity simulation and whether modern education can truly replicate the street.

Both sides agree the system is flawed — but disagree on where to fix it.

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In this episode of Inside EMS, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson are once again joined by paramedic student April McKenzie, a.k.a., “April Anonymous,” for a deep dive on measuring arterial blood gas.

Chris and Kelly walk April (and anyone else grinding through class) through the core idea that everything hinges on knowing “normal.” Once you lock in pH, CO₂ and bicarb ranges, the rest becomes pattern recognition, not panic.

The big takeaway? Master normal, stay curious and treat every patient like a learning opportunity. Because the more normals you encounter, the faster you’ll catch what’s not.

Quotable takeaways

“Our whole job in a nutshell is maintaining homeostasis and knowing when the body is going to restore homeostasis.”

“Voltaire said that the art of medicine is entertaining the patient until nature cures the disease. But, we know that nature doesn't always cure the disease. We have to know when to step in, when nature's not gonna do it.”

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This week on Inside EMS, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson take a practical look at how leadership — both formal and informal — shapes the culture of an EMS organization.

The hosts break down three things crews notice immediately: consistency, presence and composure. They emphasize that good leadership isn’t about controlling people or enforcing policies — it’s about developing crews, communicating clearly and earning trust over time.

This episode breaks down how leadership credibility is built slowly through consistent behavior — and it only takes one misstep to damage it.

Quotable takeaways

“The culture of an EMS organization is shaped far more by leadership behavior than by policy manuals.”

“You don't build strong organizations by controlling people. You build them by developing people.”

“Leadership starts the moment people are watching.”

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