EMTS Academy Podcast

Join host Matt Nealand, Paramedic and Program Director of EMTS Academy, as he sits down with leading voices in emergency medical services, public safety, and healthcare education. In each short, high-impact episode, you'll hear insights from EMS innovators, field medics, educators, and thought leaders shaping the future of prehospital care.Whether you're an EMT student, a veteran paramedic, or a leader looking to strengthen your team, this podcast delivers practical takeaways and inspiring stories from those answering the call every day.

EMTS Academy Podcast is a education podcast hosted by Matt Nealand, with 16 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Matt Nealand hosts EMTS Academy Podcast, a education show with 16 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #14

  Flash Flood Alley: Disaster Medicine Lessons from the Kerrville Floods with Dr. Stephen Harper

  Aug 6, 202658 minS1

  "You don't rise to the occasion — you sink to your level of training." When the Guadalupe River rose on July 4th, 2025, Dr. Stephen Harper drove straight toward one of the deadliest flood disasters in Texas history. Dr. Harper is an emergency medicine physician, EMS medical director for the Kerrville Fire Department, and a former Army brigade surgeon. In this conversation with host Matt Nealand, he gives a firsthand account of the Camp Mystic flood response — from the first alerts at dawn to triaging evacuated children at a helicopter flight line, tracking patients with Pulsara, and turning an ambulance bus into a makeshift warming shelter. He also shares the lessons that outlast the headlines: why preparation and resiliency start today, how to know a physician's real role in disaster command, the "disaster after the disaster" of unvetted volunteers, and how peer support helps responders process the things no one should have to see. A grounded, deeply human episode for EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, and physicians alike. Listener note: This episode discusses the Kerrville floods, Camp Mystic, loss of life, survivor experiences, and responder stress. Our thoughts and prayers remain with everyone affected. If you need support related to a disaster, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. If you are in crisis or thinking about self-harm, call or text 988. Watch: https://youtu.be/9r4neO7lPAA Listen: https://pod.link/1810050200 Sign up today to become an EMT or Paramedic: https://emtsacademy.com/

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  Episode #14

  Texas EMS Director on Whole Blood, AI, and Why We Have to Stop Eating Our Young

  Jul 6, 202648 minS1

  Texas is putting whole blood in the field, and medics say patients on the verge of death are waking up and talking. In this episode, Texas EMS Director Joe Schmider joins Matt Nealand to explain how it's happening and what's coming next. Joe started in 1974 as a volunteer firefighter and now oversees more than 84,000 EMS providers across Texas. He shares the inside story of the state's $10 million whole blood program and the goal of reaching every county, why whole blood matters for medical calls and not just trauma, and how Texas is beating the EMS workforce crisis through Senate Bill 8 funding and a renewed focus on retention. The conversation goes deeper than policy: why we have to stop "eating our young," the shift from "emergency" to pre-hospital healthcare and community paramedicine, how AI is poised to transform documentation and clinical decision support, and the hard-won wisdom of a 50-year career that includes 9/11 and studying Israel's EMS system. Joe's bottom line: it was never about the lights and sirens — it's about the people. When it stops being fun, find another job.

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  Episode #13

  Why Ambulances Make Better Firefighters (And Better Leaders)

  Jun 29, 202644 minS1

  Should you get your paramedic certification before being hired at a fire department? It's one of the most common questions aspiring firefighters wrestle with — and Battalion Chief Chris Nored of New Braunfels (TX) Fire Department doesn't dodge it. With 18 years in the fire service, Chief Nored makes a case you don't hear often: the time you spend running calls on the ambulance is exactly what makes you a better firefighter and a stronger leader. In this episode he answers the paramedic-before-hire question head-on, explains why nearly every department is hungry for paramedics, and walks through how the civil service hiring process really works — from the eligibility list to "paramedic preference." He also covers the quiet mistakes that knock good candidates out of the running, including old social media posts, and how to prepare for the entrance exam, background, and interview. Beyond hiring, Chief Nored talks about how leadership starts on the ambulance, how to handle difficult conversations, why you should only promote for the right reasons, and the one thing every long, respected fire service career has in common: attitude. Whether you're about to test for your first department or you're an officer trying to stay sharp, this conversation is packed with practical, been-there advice. You'll learn: • Whether to get your paramedic certification before being hired • Why time on the ambulance makes better firefighters and better leaders • How the civil service hiring and eligibility list works • How to prepare for the entrance exam, background, and interview • How your social media can cost you the job • Leadership, tough conversations, and promoting for the right reasons • The #1 thing you must get right to build a lasting career YouTube: https://youtu.be/-CkzhDyKAh8 Interested in EMT or Paramedic training: www.EMTSacademy.com Special thanks to the New Braunfels (TX) Fire Department: https://www.newbraunfels.gov/fire

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  Episode #12

  What if EMS prevented the call? With Dr. David Miramontes

  Jun 22, 202651 minS1

  What if EMS could prevent the call before it ever happens? Dr. Miramontes, EMS Medical Director in San Antonio, has built one of the most innovative Mobile Integrated Healthcare programs in the country — and it's saving $2 million a year by keeping people out of the ER, off the 911 queue, and healthier at home. In this episode, Matt Nealand sits down with Dr. Miramontes to unpack how a fire department paramedic became the bridge between a lonely patient and their doctor, a hospice family and a pain-free death at home, and a psychiatric patient and the medication they stopped taking. You'll learn: What Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) actually is — and why it's illegal in some states How San Antonio knocks off 20 calls a day (a full ambulance's worth of runs) The hospice program that keeps dying patients comfortable at home and out of the ER Why three of four MIH paramedics were also pastors — and why that makes perfect sense The psychiatric program that saves $7 for every $1 invested How a 14-acre homeless shelter became a model for out-of-hospital care Why Texas delegated practice is a game-changer for EMS medical directors Whether you're a paramedic, EMS chief, medical director, or just someone who thinks the healthcare system is broken — this one will change how you see the ambulance. 🎥 Watch: https://youtu.be/vwLL0VYan8M 🎧 Listen: https://pod.link/1810050200

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  Episode #10

  Core Values in EMS: Transforming Lives with Garnet Morris

  Mar 10, 202650 minS1

  <p>What does it take to build a lasting career in EMS and a life you're proud of? Garnet Morris, author of "17 Runs," shares the four core values that became the foundation of everything he's accomplished — and how he broke free from the generational limiting beliefs he calls "bricks."</p> <p>In this episode, Garnet and Matt Nealand talk about what integrity actually looks like on the truck, how to identify the beliefs that are holding you back, and why four simple habits can change everything: show up on time, do what you say, finish what you start, and say pl...

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