International Association of Emergency Medical Services Chiefs
Advancing the leadership of EMS response organizations
and advocating for the EMS profession.
New Board of Directors Elected
Congratulations to our new Board of Directors, who will be taking their seats on June 10, 2024. We wish to thank all who ran for open positions, and those that have served on our boards in the past.
Immediate Past President: Daniel Gerard, MS, RN, NRP EMS Coordinator, Alameda Fire (Alameda, CA)
President Elect: Wren Nealy, EMT-P, Senior Manager, Medical Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety (Austin, TX)
Vice President: Ben Podsiadlo, EMT-P, Grants Division Chief, Homeland Security (Massachusetts)
Treasurer: Chris Callsen, Jr Assistant Chief (Retired) of Operations at Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (Austin, TX)
Secretary: James (Jamie) McConnell, EMT-P, Deputy Chief for Gaston County EMS (Gastonia, NC)
At Large: James Mazza, MA, EMT, Chief of EMS, Montclair Ambulance Unit (Montclair, NJ)
At Large: Mark Lamphier, MBA, EMT-P, Chief for Gaston County EMS (Gastonia, NC)
At Large: Tom Edminson, MBA, EMT-P, Chief, M Health Fairview EMS (St. Paul, MN)
We will be providing biographies and updated photos of our board in the near future
New Synthetic Opioid Threat: Cychlorphine
UPCOMING EVENTS
Blood on Board: The New Standard of Care Panel
Real-world lessons and national progress in prehospital blood transfusion
Join us on Save A Life Day, Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 11 a.m. ET, during EMS Week for a special EMS Focus session moderated by Jonathan Morrison, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This session will feature a panel discussion on prehospital blood transfusion hosted by NHTSA in partnership with Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS).
Learn how EMS systems are implementing prehospital blood transfusion programs, the partnerships making it possible and progress underway to expand access and improve patient outcomes.
Panelists Include:
- Jonathan Morrison, NHTSA Administrator, Moderator
- Emily Coberly, MD, Divisional Chief Medical Officer, American Red Cross
- Matthew Levy, DO, MSc, FACEP, FEMS, NRP, Professor of Emergency Medicine, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Chief Medical Officer, Howard County Fire and Rescue
- David Long, MA, Executive Director, Tidewater EMS Council
About EMS Focus
EMS Focus provides a venue to discuss crucial initiatives, issues and challenges for EMS stakeholders and leaders nationwide. Be sure to visit ems.gov for information about upcoming webinars and to view past recordings.
We are committed to providing equal access to this webinar for all participants. Persons with disabilities in need of an accommodation should contact nhtsa.ems@dot.gov to request an accommodation no later than Tuesday, May 19th.
SS4A Grant Applications Due May 26
Membership
We are made up of leaders from both volunteer and career EMS organizations.
If you would like to know more, please check out our Member Info page.