We know your most important resource is your people, so we've dedicated an entire track at this year’s SUMMIT to topics that will help you keep your staff happy, healthy and thriving. Below are just a few of the sessions you can expect to see in our new People and Culture track.

Tuesday, May 8

• Physical Education in EMS Certification

Learn the advantages and "common sense" aspect of including knowledge and practice in physical education during the EMT certification process. Learn how self-care, exercise, ergonomics and diet can ensure a long and injury-free career in EMS.

Speaker: Ted Milano, Guardian Elite Medical Services

• First Responder Mental Health & Well-Being

First responder suicide rates and mental health have become a hot topic of discussion on social media and discussion boards. But what about our own services? How do we start the conversation about such an emotionally-charged subject? How do managers and employees initiate a difficult culture change? Get ideas on where to start on the local level, and learn from Butler County EMS’ experience.

Speaker: Justin Smith, Butler County EMS

• Rescuing Our Responders-Reducing Risk in Public Safety Employees

Traditional wellness programs fail to meet the needs of first responders. What shift work, stress and circadian rhythm disruption do to responders hormonally and physiologically isn’t tested for by traditional medical physicals. Learn how we can we can reduce risk in public safety employees.

Speaker: Bryan Fass, Fit Responder

• Health & Wellness in Fire & EMS

As emergency service providers, we constantly train to better our skill sets to aid others. Our overall health and wellness statistics nationwide show alarming facts. This class aims to point out these statistics and provide simple, yet effective, solutions that can be implemented both on a provider and organization level. 

Speaker: Rob “Pip” Piparo, 555 Fitness & New Brunswick Fire Department

Wednesday, May 9

• Keeping the Cup Full: A Guide to Practitioner Resilience

With critical and time-sensitive interventions, challenging situations and unique patient cases, EMS can be susceptible to mental, physical, emotional and psychological wear and tear. Building a toolbox of resilience techniques and stress management is the best buffer against industry strain. Learn how to target stressors with appropriate strategies for goal setting, visualization, tactical breathing and positive self-talk.

Speaker: Veronica Ryl, Alberta Health Services

• The Power of Recognition

Frequent meaningful recognition sustains a culture that inspires people to be engaged in the work they do. Engaged employees call in sick less, report less injuries and obtain higher patient satisfaction scores. Unfortunately, most EMS agencies are not good at recognition. This session will discuss best practices and real-life success stories in recognition.

Speaker: Sally McCabe, Compassion2Compliance

• Better Together: Positive Impacts from Collaborating with Other Ambulance Services

This presentation will look at the benefits gained when ten ambulance services serving thirty million people across ten states collaborated on key initiatives including out of hospital cardiac arrest survival rates and paramedic mental health.

Speaker: David Waters, Council of Ambulance Authorities (Australia & New Zealand)

• Leading the Multi-Generational Workforce

The millennial generation is increasingly becoming a larger part of the EMS workforce. By better understanding, millennials as important stakeholders in our future, and critically reviewing the way our organizations and leadership interact with our newest providers, new levels of collaboration can be achieved and engagement can be fostered through mutual goals and novel approaches to education, compensation and motivation. This presentation will provide real examples of successful and failed strategies to accomplish these aims

Speakers: James "Jamie" Chebra & Mark Bober, JFK Medical Center

Thursday, May 10

• Road Safety to Real Safety: Establishing & Sustaining a Proactive Culture of Safety

One of the key elements of Road Safety's success in reducing accidents is its real-time feedback to the driver. In an industry largely built around the function of reacting to calls for help after something has gone wrong, Road Safety is a shining beacon of proactivity that can guide us toward improved safety in other areas of our practice. In this session we will look at the risk management concepts that make Road Safety so successful and apply them to other areas of what we do.

Speaker: John Brophy, Mobile Medical Response

•  Whistleblower: Hero or Traitor?

Studies have shown that a high percentage of those that take the whistleblower route reported the fraudulent activity internally first. Most reported that their organizations had official compliance policies in place encouraging reporting. Some even offered anonymity and guaranteed freedom from retaliation to those reporting fraud or misconduct. So why did they ultimately go outside the organization. Was it for the money? Usually no. This session will discuss the reasons why whistleblowing occurs and how you can avoid this situation in your organization.

Speaker: Sally McCabe, Compassion2Compliance

• A PTSD Survivor: An Encounter With Too Many "Ghosts" In Your Closet

Coping with traumatic stress is not a part of the job that we teach in emergency services. Sometimes it's one big ugly incident, but many times it's just too many "ghosts" in our closet. Personal stress, professional stress, bad calls, mistakes and so many other things just add up. In this real-life account we discuss how to recognize the warning signs in yourself and colleagues. We also discuss how to reach out for and/or to extend a hand out for support.

Speaker: Con Olson, TECHS EMS: Jackson, Nemaha, Osage County

• 10 Easy-to-Get News Stories that Can Inoculate Your Agency From a Bad Reputation

Your agency is already doing great things to help the community, so why aren't you promoting it in a way the community will remember it and the media will want to cover it? It takes 10 good things to be said about you to equal one bad. So you better build up that goodwill bank, because it's inevitable that a negative story (legit or false) will occur. This session will teach 10 usable techniques to create unique, visually appealing media stories and will share some tips on how to put processes in place for bad-news scenarios.

 Speaker: Josh Weiss, 10 to 1 Public Relations