Program
Read below to see how our multi-day conference is set up.Attention:
All current agenda information including sessions, descriptions, times, speakers and more pertaining to the 2026 conference can only be found here on the website. Final agenda will be available on the conference app at the time of the conference.
Click the link to view the Sneak Peek. It automatically updates as we add more speakers and sessions.
Day 1
Nov 18 2026
Day 2
Nov 19 2026
Day 3
Nov 20 2026
Day 4
Nov 21 2026
PRE-CON – Confined Space Entry Rescue – Hands On #1
Join Joe for this hands-on preconference workshop focused on confined space entry rescue. Participants will work through realistic vertical and horizontal rescue scenarios, using mechanical advantage systems to safely remove... Read More
Joseph Trujillo
PRE-CON – Sick / Not Sick – Train the Trainer #1
The sick/Not Sick train-the-trainer program will help educators share with their home agency or program the benefits and skills of Sick/Not Sick. Sharing templates for case development, teaching techniques, guidance,... Read More
Nick Lewis
PRE-CON – The Last Pulse – Managing Traumatic Cardiac Arrest
In medical cardiac arrest, we restart the heart. In traumatic cardiac arrest, we first have to ask why the heart stopped. If we don’t correct the underlying cause, CPR alone... Read More
Holden Wagstaff
Nate Roll
PRE-CON – Confined Space Entry Rescue – Hands On #2
Join Joe for this hands-on preconference workshop focused on confined space entry rescue. Participants will work through realistic vertical and horizontal rescue scenarios, using mechanical advantage systems to safely remove... Read More
Joseph Trujillo
PRE-CON – Sick / Not Sick – Train the Trainer #2
The sick/Not Sick train-the-trainer program will help educators share with their home agency or program the benefits and skills of Sick/Not Sick. Sharing templates for case development, teaching techniques, guidance,... Read More
Nick Lewis
PRE-CON – The Last Pulse – Managing Traumatic Cardiac Arrest
In medical cardiac arrest, we restart the heart. In traumatic cardiac arrest, we first have to ask why the heart stopped. If we don’t correct the underlying cause, CPR alone... Read More
Holden Wagstaff
Nate Roll
07:00 - 07:45
Exhibit Hall Opens
07:45 - 08:00
Grand Salon
Welcome and Introductions
Featuring the Honor Guard and playing of the national anthem.
Medical Mayhem: The Calls Every EMT Must Get Right
Medical Emergencies Every EMT Should Master. Objectives: Differentiate common respiratory, neurologic, and endocrine emergencies. Recognize early signs of shock. Explain treatment priorities for altered mental status. Review medication administration within... Read More
Shawn Salter
The Gift Of Failure
One of the most powerful teachers is failing as long as your ego and mindset allow you to learn the lesson. It fosters resilience and helps develop perspectives and vantage... Read More
Jon Politis
10:00 - 10:30
Break – Visit The Exhibit Hall
Hot Car Deaths
This session will help EMS & Fire Departments better understand that Hot Car Death Incidents happen, on average, once every nine days in the United States during summer months, and... Read More
Ken Bouvier
Are You The Widow Jones?
Have you ever found yourself dealing with a family member of a patient who died in the pre-hospital setting? Did you feel like you had a good plan of what... Read More
Jess Fulkerson
Underground Storage Tank Response
Underground storage tanks (USTs) may be less common today, but they still exist and pose serious hazards during maintenance, repair, and emergencies. Any entry into these tanks is considered a... Read More
Joseph Trujillo
What Do You Mean He’s Dead?
The patient is dead, and the family members are now filled with a wide range of reactions and emotions. The death scene is perhaps one of the most difficult calls... Read More
Steve Berry
AmberDawn Martin
Rick Howard
“Yikes! What Were You Thinking?”
What a trip it would be if we could climb inside the mind of any EMS worker. This celestial, demented, intelligent group of individuals can solve the world’s problems and... Read More
Rick Howard
11:45 - 13:00
Lunch Break – Thursday
Heroin, Fentanyl, Opioid Overdose
This session is designed to help Prehospital Care Practitioners, Emergency Nurses & Physicians, and Respiratory, X-ray, and Lab Technicians better understand and manage patients who have fallen victim to Heroin... Read More
Ken Bouvier
See…I Told You Newton Was Right
As EMS providers, we have a ton of stuff to remember when treating our patients. Here are some more things to think about when treating trauma patients. Understanding kinetics of... Read More
Rick Howard
What is Beyond the Dust? Asbestos Hazards for EMS and First Responders
Asbestos may be out of sight, but it remains a serious hazard during demolition, renovation, and abatement projects. First responders can be exposed to dangerous airborne particles while working in... Read More
Joseph Trujillo
Adult Sick / Not Sick
The SICK/NOT SICK approach to rapid assessment identifies two categories for all patients: SICK or NOT SICK. It helps you decide how to initially treat a patient, a decision that... Read More
Nick Lewis
What CISM is… What CISM is Not!
CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) is something we hear a lot about, especially lately. In the past few years there has been a great emphasis on the mental health of... Read More
Tammy Barton
Service With A Smile – Dealing With The Hostile Patient
Many psychiatric calls are purely behavioral in nature. They are often the result of overwhelming and cumulative stressful events. Most require little more than reassurance and comfort by the health... Read More
Steve Berry
Sexy VENTILATION Secrets – Is Your BVM a Lethal Weapon
We used to think the basic skill of ventilation was simple and uncomplicated… or just “bag ’em”. Come to find out, successful ventilation and oxygenation are deceptively complicated in how... Read More
Jon Politis
In Your Mind’s Eye
This course focuses on how to mentally prepare for calls through the use of imagery (visualization). During a call, the effects of stress can decrease our effectiveness and even paralyze... Read More
Jess Fulkerson
Every Second Counts: Winning the Race Against Time
Recognition and Management of Time-Critical Emergencies. Objectives: Identify signs and symptoms of stroke, STEMI, sepsis, and major trauma. Differentiate time-sensitive emergencies from less urgent conditions. Describe prehospital interventions that improve... Read More
Shawn Salter
15:45 - 16:15
Break – Visit The Exhibit Hall
Professional Athlete EMS Providers
Are EMS and professional athletics the same thing? With my background in professional sports and now as a firefighter/paramedic, I have noticed a connection between what is required to be... Read More
Nick Lewis
07:00 - 08:00
Exhibit Hall Opens – Friday
Vampires, Mummies, and Above all… Snakes
Falls and Traumatic Injuries, Respiratory Emergencies, Chest Pain and Cardiac Complaints, Altered Mental Status, Behavioral and Psychiatric Emergencies This course reviews the five most frequently encountered EMS calls, providing participants... Read More
Rick Howard
09:00 - 15:00
Blood Drive
10:00 - 10:30
Break – Visit The Exhibit Hall
Geriatric Depression and Suicide
The elderly are more at risk for depression and suicide due to the losses they experience, including retirement, the death of a spouse and/or close friends, cognitive impairment, decreased mobility,... Read More
Steve Berry
CHF – “Are They Drowning?”
Patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) often experience severe shortness of breath that can feel like they are drowning. Recognizing the signs and symptoms early is critical to providing effective... Read More
Nick Lewis
The Things We Believe From The “Old Wives”
If you have been in EMS for a while, or are just learning, we hear things that are “gospel truth’ because it has been passed from one EMT “expert” to... Read More
Rick Howard
Responding to Anhydrous Ammonia Emergencies
82% of the United States’ anhydrous ammonia is used in agriculture, while 8% is used for refrigeration and 2% in utility facilities such as water treatment plants. The other 8%... Read More
Ken Bouvier
Read Between the Lines: ECG Recognition for the Street Clinician
ECG Recognition for the AEMT. Objectives: Recognize common lethal dysrhythmias. Identify STEMI patterns requiring rapid transport. Differentiate wide- and narrow-complex tachycardias. Explain the role of serial ECG acquisition.
Shawn Salter
11:45 - 13:00
Lunch Break – Friday
Lunch on your own.
Sweet and Low – A Pancreatic Dilemma of Systemic Proportions
It has become part of the routine call for most EMS providers—the diabetic patient. Many of our patients become regulars…so much so that we know them not only by name,... Read More
Steve Berry
Pediatric Sick / Not Sick
Rapid assessment and appropriate treatment of the “Sick” pediatric patient can mean the difference between a child who survives and one who does not. Pediatric assessment doesn’t need to be... Read More
Nick Lewis
Bleeding Like A – Current Concepts in Hemorrhage Control
From every armed conflict has come advancements in emergency medicine, and the war in the Middle East is no different. From hemostatic agents to wound packing and modern tourniquets, how... Read More
Jon Politis
A Long Way To Go, And A Short Time To Get There
In rural EMS, the “platinum ten” and “golden hour” are concepts that can seem like fantasies. As a rural EMS provider, you always know you’ve got a long way to... Read More
Jess Fulkerson
Medical Response To Chemical Exposure
Chemical exposures remain a significant hazard for emergency responders and can occur in industrial settings, transportation incidents, agricultural operations, and other emergencies. This session focuses on three of the most... Read More
Joseph Trujillo
Shock Talk
It’s the body’s early-warning system that signals serious trouble. But it’s one of the most poorly understood compensatory mechanisms that EMTs see. Understanding this physiological mechanism will allow a field... Read More
Jon Politis
I Arrived At An MCI… Now What?
This presentation takes you past how to do S.T.A.R.T. Triage. It teaches the responder how to establish the supervisory positions of Incident Command, Medical Command, Triage, Treatment, Transport, and Safety... Read More
Jess Fulkerson
Lead Abatement – Understanding the Risks to First Responders
Lead hazards continue to exist at older industrial sites, former mining operations, fuel storage facilities, gun ranges, and other locations where abatement work is performed. Emergency responders may encounter workers... Read More
Joseph Trujillo
Shock Waves: Early Recognition, Better Outcomes
Shock: Recognition and Treatment Objectives: Differentiate types of shock. Recognize compensated versus decompensated shock. Select appropriate treatment strategies. Evaluate patient response to interventions.
Shawn Salter
Aging Gracefully in EMS
A humorous journey through life’s ups and downs as we grow older in EMS. Not only is the field of medicine changing rapidly, but so is our ability to continuously... Read More
Steve Berry
15:45 - 16:15
Break – Visit The Exhibit Hall
The Problem Child
This session addresses something that prevails in our profession, but few delve into beyond complaining about it. Every EMS system has a person who is difficult to work with. It... Read More
Jess Fulkerson
19:00 - 20:30
EMS Recognition and BINGO Night
Progressive Failure
This presentation examines the benefits of failure for both individuals and the teams that they work with. Failure is often avoided when instead it should actually be pursued as a... Read More
Dave Weber
Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) – A Hidden Danger For EMS And First Responders
Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is one of the most dangerous toxic gases encountered in industry and presents a significant risk to EMS providers and other first responders. Exposure can occur during... Read More
Joseph Trujillo
10:00 - 10:30
Break – Visit The Exhibit Hall
Service With A Smile – Dealing With The Hostile Patient
Many psychiatric calls are purely behavioral in nature. They are often the result of overwhelming and cumulative stressful events. Most require little more than reassurance and comfort by the health... Read More
Steve Berry
It Only Takes Eight Seconds
What happens to your head as a 2500-pound bull steps on it, or you slam into a brick wall at 75 miles per hour? How can that brain box take... Read More
Rick Howard
The Hole Story – The Implication of Body Piercing
Body piercing has become a common phenomenon in all areas of the country. Why do people do it and what are the health risks? Mr. Berry will review some of... Read More
Steve Berry
Beyond the Pain Scale: Modern Pain Management in EMS
Advanced pain management. Objectives: Assess acute pain using validated scales. Review pharmacologic pain management options. Identify contraindications to analgesics. Evaluate effectiveness of pain interventions.
Shawn Salter
Recognizing Child Abuse
Learn to recognize the patterns and tactics used to conceal abuse, including the Deny-Attack-Reverse pattern, isolation, surveillance, and financial control. This session also examines how mandatory reporting, DCFS screening, and... Read More
Ligia Taylor
Mastering Mountain Medicine
The pearls of modern mountain medicine are distilled in this engaging presentation. The audience will leave with practical, simple treatment algorithms for the most common mountain medical and trauma conditions.... Read More
Dave Weber
11:45 - 13:00
Lunch Break – Saturday
Mastering Triage
All EMTs are supposed to know how to triage people, but most are very rusty at actually doing it. The new national standard is evidence-based SALT triage. This session covers... Read More
Jon Politis
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
What does that title have to do with this class? Nothing… but I couldn’t find anything to rhyme with pig guts and pieces parts. We take pig plucks and deep... Read More
Rick Howard
Pediatric Emergencies Without Panic
Pediatric emergencies can be challenging because children often compensate well until they suddenly deteriorate. This lecture will provide practical strategies for age-appropriate assessment, with particular emphasis on recognizing the critical... Read More
Shawn Salter
Good Samaritans: Unintended Consequences of Civil Service
Serving in the community presents many blessings, but can also be a cautionary tale. Many people say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Until you have... Read More
Craig Johnson
Pull The Trigger – Decision Making In Airway Management
Airway management is a skill even the newest EMT needs to master. But even to the most seasoned EMS professionals, HOW to best accomplish airway management can be difficult. This... Read More
Jess Fulkerson
Care In The Austere – Secret of Care Where The Ambulance Won’t Go
Off-road or backcountry EMS is a different “ball game” and requires an EMT to think differently about response, rationing of care, the method, speed, and relative risks of transportation. Trying... Read More
Jon Politis
The Art of the Assessment: Seeing What Others Miss
Improving Patient Assessment Skills. Objectives: Develop efficient patient interviewing techniques. Recognize abnormal assessment findings. Reduce cognitive bias during patient evaluation. Improve documentation supporting clinical decision-making.
Shawn Salter
Everything is on Fire
This presentation provides a prehospital-focused overview of sepsis and septic shock, emphasizing the importance of recognizing sepsis early—even when a patient does not initially appear critically ill. The significant mortality... Read More
Rebecca Ethington
When a First Responder Dies
This presentation examines multiple accidents that have occurred during rescue operations. Many find it striking how these lessons learned are transferable across a multitude of industries. Incidents are selected based... Read More
Dave Weber
If Life Is Worth Saving, It Must Be Worth Living
Humor is a gift we are born with and, used positively, is a source of major stress reduction, but it must be nurtured and, oftentimes, relearned for those working in... Read More
Steve Berry