We Are EMS Educators is a monthly podcast for EMS educators by EMS educators. Hosts Dan Limmer and Chuck Allias interview leading national EMS experts on topics that matter. Using a conversational format, each episode will provide information to improve your classroom and your skills as an EMS Educator.
Putting Your EMS Skills to the Test: Inside the EMS World Clinical Challenge with Chris Kroboth
What happens when EMS simulation stops being a checklist and starts feeling like a real call?
In this episode of We Are EMS Educators, Dan Limmer and Chuck Allias sit down with Chris Kroboth and Todd Vreeland for an inside look at the EMS World Clinical Challenge. They explore how realistic scenarios put BLS and ALS providers to the test with real equipment, real-time decision-making, live role players, environmental distractions, and one simple expectation: don’t just say what you would do. Do it.
But the Clinical Challenge is about much more than competition. The group discusses what these scenarios reveal about communication, clinical priorities, time on task, and the difference between knowing a protocol and caring for a patient. They also share practical ideas educators can take back to their classrooms without an expensive simulation lab.
Whether you’re competing, teaching, or simply want to sharpen your clinical thinking, this episode may change the way you think about simulation.
28 Jul 2026
The Saved Effect: A Conversation with Kiera and Brad Newbury
What does it really mean to save a life? In this episode of We Are EMS Educators, Dan Limmer and Chuck Allias talk with Brad and Kiera Newbury about their new book, The Saved Effect. Through powerful stories from survivors, families, and EMS providers, they explore the lasting impact of a single call, why those moments matter, and how they shape our purpose as educators and clinicians. The conversation also covers bystander CPR, the emotional side of EMS, mental health, and ways educators can help students prepare for both the successes and the losses they'll face in the field.
7 May 2026
Preparing Students for the Modern NREMT: A Conversation with Terrie Goode
What does it really take to prepare EMS students for success on the National Registry exam and in the field? In this episode of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians focused We Are EMS Educators podcast, Dan Limmer, Chuck Elias, and Todd Vreeland sit down with Terry Agadi, Education Stakeholder Relations Program Manager at the National Registry, for a candid conversation about modern EMS education, exam readiness, and clinical judgment.
Terry shares insights from decades in EMS as a provider, instructor, state education leader, and now national educator advocate. The discussion covers the biggest challenges facing EMS students today, including study habits, confidence, time management, technology-enhanced exam items, and the growing importance of clinical reasoning over memorization.
You’ll also hear practical strategies educators can use immediately:
Building stronger study habits and retention techniques
Preparing students for technology-enhanced and clinical judgment questions
Teaching beyond memorization toward patient-centered decision making
Supporting students through stress, burnout, and real-world barriers
Understanding recent National Registry exam and website changes
Whether you teach EMTs, paramedics, or are preparing students for certification, this episode offers a clear look at where EMS education is headed and how educators can better prepare the next generation of clinicians
2 Apr 2026
Building Pathways in EMS: A Conversation with David Page
David Page breaks down how EMS Corps is reshaping EMS education—opening doors for underserved students, rethinking how we teach, and building a workforce that truly reflects the communities we serve.
9 Oct 2025
Writing Better NREMT-Style Questions with Todd Vreeland [Part 2]
Build NREMT-style items that work. Dan Limmer and Chuck Allias sit down again with Todd Vreeland—former NREMT exam coordinator and Philly Fire medic—to turn blueprinting into crisp, Registry-style questions. They break down stems, keyed answers, and the art of writing plausible (not random) distractors; show how to keep choices equal in length and tense; and strip out “dark and stormy night” fluff so the stem follows the flow of a call. You’ll hear when negatives are fair game, how to fold repeated verbs into the stem, order numeric lists, and mine students' fill-ins for real-world distractors. They touch on timing (why MC items read in ~half a minute), updating items as guidelines evolve, and what’s different about clinical judgment/TEI items. Finish with a simple style sheet and a team review process that removes clues, raises difficulty correctly, and produces fair, focused items that separate knowing from guessing.
11 Sept 2025
Writing Better NREMT-Style Questions with Todd Vreeland [Part 1]
Stop guessing, start blueprinting. Dan Limmer and Chuck Allias sit down with Todd Vreeland, former NREMT exam coordinator and Philly Fire medic, to show how real Registry-style items get made. Learn what to test, how to map to the Education Standards and Scope of Practice, and why publisher banks miss the mark. Walk away with a simple plan to build fair, focused exams that improve pass rates. Part 2 tackles stems, distractors, and polish.
27 Jun 2025
Helping Every Student Succeed: A Conversation with Dr. Mike Miller
Dan Limmer interviews Dr. Mike Miller about strategies to improve EMS education by focusing on student support, connection, and effective teaching methods to reduce attrition and foster student success.
14 Mar 2025
Neurodiverse Students in the Classroom with Sarah Moore Gruver
How can EMS educators better support neurodiverse students in the classroom? In this episode of We Are EMS Educators, hosts Dan Limmer and Chuck Elias sit down with Sarah Moore Gruver, a seasoned EMS educator with personal and professional experience in neurodiversity. They explore the impact of autism, ADHD, and learning differences on EMS training and share practical strategies to create a more inclusive, effective learning environment. Whether you're an instructor, program director, or EMS professional, this episode is packed with insights to help every student succeed.
14 Feb 2025
Changes to the NREMT BLS Exam with Dan Limmer
Big changes are coming to the National Registry BLS Exam, and in this special episode of We Are EMS Educators, host Chuck Allias sits down with co-host and EMS education expert Dan Limmer to break it all down.
In this episode we discuss
Key exam changes taking effect April 7th – What educators need to know
Assessment-focused testing – Why thinking and decision-making matter more than memorization
Technology-Enhanced Items (TEIs) are no longer going to be pilot items. Know what to expect.
Scenario-based learning – Practical classroom strategies to better prepare students for the assessment focus of the new exam
Debunking the fear – Why this change is not a reason to panic
Dan shares insights from his conversations with the National Registry and provides practical tips for educators to adapt their teaching methods. This episode is packed with real-world strategies to help students succeed on the new exam—and in the field.
10 Jan 2025
Can’t We All Just Get Along with Ricky Battle
Los Angeles County Fire Paramedic Ricky Battle shares strategies for navigating challenging personalities, organizations, and personal lives while maintaining effective relationships on clinical shifts.
13 Dec 2024
Teaching Pathophysiology with Joe Mistovich
Joe Mistovich, Professor Emeritus, shares practical strategies to teach pathophysiology effectively and understandably in EMS education.
8 Nov 2024
Clinical Judgment in EMS Education with Jeff Anderson
Clinical judgment has been in the EMS vocabulary for some time. It is time to move it from buzzword to practice. Exactly what is clinical judgment? How do we instill it in our students? And how does this apply to the National Registry’s ALS test plan? Jeff is part of the team that has been teaching clinical judgment and explaining the NREMT’s test plan to educators around the country, and in this session, he shares that knowledge with us.
Jeff Anderson is a paramedic and EMS Educator from Bossier City, LA. He currently serves as the Program Director of the Paramedic program at Bossier Parish Community College. He also works as a paramedic for a local EMS Agency. He holds an AAS in Paramedic from Bossier Parish Community College, a BS in Management from Louisiana Tech University, and is currently pursuing a MA in Adult Education from Northwestern Louisiana University. He has been a paramedic for 23 years.
11 Oct 2024
Creating an environment of inclusion and belonging with Heather Davis
Can an environment of inclusion and belonging improve student performance? Heather Davis thinks so and talks about it in this episode. All too often, healthcare education uses a sink-or-swim approach. We eat our young. Heather proposes an educational community where students are welcome and given the tools they need to succeed. Listen to this episode to learn more about setting expectations, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, and involving all of your faculty members to further student success.
Heather Davis is the Director of Student Assessment at the David Geffen School of Medicine, and has been honored with the 2024 Rocco V. Morando Lifetime Achievement Award. She is responsible for managing a valid, reliable, and equitable assessment program used to enhance learning and verify the competency of undergraduate medical students at UCLA. She previously spent more than 20 years at the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care, in both the Associate Director and Program Director roles. As the Education Director for LA County Fire, she managed education programs for over 3000 firefighter EMTs and Paramedics. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California, teaches as an Adjunct Professor in the Rossier School of Education, and served 15 years on the NREMT Board of Directors. Dr. Davis is a published author and national speaker. Her scholarly interests lie in learning and motivation, transfer of learning, and how issues of equity and inclusion impact learning and performance.
13 Sept 2024
Books in my Library with Dan Batsie
Dan Batsie shares his top four favorite books in our first podcast that he believes can significantly improve teaching methods and support student learning. These selected books provide valuable insights and practical strategies for creating an engaging and effective learning environment. Educators have responded positively to Dan's recommendations, finding them valuable resources for professional development and classroom instruction. Dan shares his top four recommended books to enhance teaching and help students learn.
Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18770267-make-it-stick) – by Peter C. Brown
Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42450467-powerful-teaching?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=X7Wwo9S0Hh&rank=1) – by Pooja Agarwal
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40745.Mindset?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=xDB6oyXE6Q&rank=1) by Carol S. Dweck
Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4959061-why-don-t-students-like-school) – by Daniel T. Willingham
About our Guest: Dan Batsie is the Director of the Division of Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Injury Prevention for the State of Vermont. He has been a paramedic in New York, Maine, and now Vermont for more than 28 years. Prior to working in Vermont, he was a regional education coordinator for the State of Maine and administered the paramedic programs for Eastern Maine and Kennebec Valley Community Colleges. He has authored and contributed to numerous EMS textbooks and is an international conference speaker and educator
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