Life and Sirens: On and Behind the Scenes

If this year in EMS were a shift… what kind of shift was it?In this end-of-year reflection episode, we slow things down and take an honest look at what the year asked of us—as providers, leaders, and humans. From calls that changed how we practice medicine, to boundaries that finally held, to grief, growth, and quiet wins no one clapped for, this conversation is about taking inventory before moving forward.We talk about the lessons no class could teach, the parts of the job that felt heavier, how leadership and culture showed up (or didn’t), and what it really means to keep doing this work without losing yourself in it. We also check in on Life & Sirens—what surprised us, what resonated with listeners, and how having a platform has changed how we show up in EMS.This isn’t about resolutions. It’s about intention. What you’re carrying into the next year. What you’re finally setting down. And who you want to be when the tones drop again.

Leadership in EMS doesn’t start in an office—it starts in the truck.In this episode, we break down what real leadership looks like long before a title, badge, or admin role ever comes into play. From how you show up on shift and communicate with your partner, to how you handle stress, feedback, and ego, we explore the everyday behaviors that signal readiness for growth.We introduce the B.O.N.D. Method—Balance, Openness, Nurture, and Direction—as a practical framework for leadership at every level of EMS. We discuss why burnout isn’t a badge of honor, how openness builds culture, why nurturing others is a strength, and how clear direction creates trust instead of resentment.If you’re considering a supervisory or administrative role—or simply want to lead better where you are—this episode is about building credibility, influence, and professional maturity.Leadership isn’t something you’re promoted into. It’s something you practice long before anyone gives you a title.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

This Christmas special isn’t about miracles wrapped in bows—it’s about the quiet, complicated reality of working EMS on Christmas Eve.Told like a storybook and lived like real life, we walk through a night on the ambulance filled with familiar calls: a Santa who trusted a ladder too much, a lonely neighbor whose symptoms weren’t on a monitor, a peppermint candy cane gone rogue, and a call that silences a room and reminds us why this job never leaves you unchanged.This episode is for the medics working holidays, the families waiting at home, and anyone who’s ever wondered what Christmas looks like through the windshield of an ambulance.

CPAP and BiPAP often get lumped together in EMS—but they solve different problems. In Part 2 of this two-part series, we break down why these tools are siblings, not twins, and how choosing the right one starts with understanding what is actually failing in your patient.This episode focuses on the patients behind non-invasive ventilation. We address scenarios where your patient's condition may depend on your ability to choose appropriately between CPAP and BiPAP. By the end of Part 2, even a brand-new EMT will be able to explain why they chose CPAP or BiPAP—not just what they did.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

CPAP and BiPAP often get lumped together in EMS—but they solve different problems. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we break down why these tools are siblings, not twins, and how choosing the right one starts with understanding what is actually failing in your patient.This episode focuses on the physiology and fundamentals behind non-invasive ventilation. We strip it down to the basics: breathing has two jobs—getting oxygen in and getting carbon dioxide out—and CPAP and BiPAP help with those jobs in very different ways.By the end of Part 1, even a brand-new EMT will be able to explain why they chose CPAP or BiPAP—not just what they did.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

What if we told you there’s a number on your monitor that can predict ROSC, expose hidden shock, and even hint at metabolic acidosis before labs ever come back? In this high-energy deep dive, we break down ETCO₂ as the ultimate triad vital sign—reflecting ventilation, perfusion, and metabolism all at once—and show why it should guide your decision-making on nearly every call.Through real EMS scenarios, waveform breakdowns, case logic, and critical care pearls, we teach you how to read ETCO₂ like a story instead of just a number. You’ll walk away confident knowing exactly what rising, dropping, or oddly shaped waveforms really mean for your patient.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

Every EMS provider has their rituals — the interventions we do out of habit, comfort, or culture, not because the patient actually needs them. In this episode, we dig into the traditions we inherit, the habits we cling to, and the clinical judgment we should be using instead.From c-collars to “just in case” IVs to hanging O₂ like it’s emotional support therapy, we unpack where these rituals came from, why they persist, and when they quietly creep into patient care. Most importantly, we talk about how EMS can evolve past ritual-based practice and toward thoughtful, evidence-driven decision-making.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

Some people bring dessert to Thanksgiving — Lynne brings questions. In this episode, Aubrey and Jaime hand the mic to Jaime’s mom, who sits down with us armed with pure curiosity and zero EMS background… which somehow makes the conversation even better.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

Skills can be taught. Protocols can be memorized. But judgment? That only comes from the messy calls, the gray-area moments, and the split-second decisions that never look as clean as they do in the textbook.In this episode, Sophie, Aubrey, and Jaime walk through a series of high-stakes, real-world EMS scenarios — the kind that test your critical thinking, your communication, and your ability to stay calm when everything around you isn’t. From shocky trauma with unclear mechanisms, to airway decisions when team members disagree, to ethical chaos with intoxication and capacity, each scenario forces the question: What would you do?We break down how different providers think, what options are truly safe, and how judgment evolves through experience, mistakes, and the uncomfortable calls that stick with you.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

In this episode, Sophie breaks down the chaos behind pressors and blood pressure meds in EMS—what they do, when to use them, and how not to panic when that BP drops or spikes.From norepinephrine (the reliable one) to nitroglycerin (the smooth talker), Sophie introduces the “main characters” of blood pressure management in the field. You’ll learn how to think in terms of tank, pump, and pipes, avoid common mistakes, and bring physiology back into focus on every call.Whether you’re new to EMS or flying critical care, this episode gives you the practical knowledge—and confidence—to manage your next pressure call like a pro.🎧 Includes: • Simplified pathophysiology for hypotension & hypertension • When (and when not) to use pressors • Common antihypertensives in EMS explained • Real-world case logic & pitfalls • Rapid-fire EMS trivia segment

In this episode, Aubrey and Jaime sit down to talk about what it’s really like working as a double medic crew — how their partnership evolved, what changed when they both started carrying the medic patch, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. From honest conversations to on-scene communication, they share advice for new and seasoned paramedics alike about building trust, staying adaptable, and keeping your partnership strong when the calls get tough.Because in EMS, how well you work together can make all the difference.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

“Radio Reports”Listener Submissions: • AJ (Washington): A call that left more questions than answers — and a warning that may have followed into the next shift. • Riley (Louisiana): An eerie midnight dispatch to Hollow Creek Road, a house that won’t stay quiet, and a verse that keeps returning.Episode Highlights: • Real listener stories — unedited, true-to-voice, and chillingly real. • Discussion on the unspoken side of EMS: the calls we can’t chart and the moments that never leave us. • A special Halloween message from the Life and Sirens crew.🧡 Submit Your Own Radio Report:Got a story from the field that still gives you chills?Send it to us for a chance to be featured in a future episode.👉 www.lifeandsirens.com/listenertalesHappy Halloween!

Recorded Onsite at EMS World Expo 2025In this special episode of Life and Sirens: Behind and On the Scene, we sit down on the conference-center floor… no like literally the floor… at EMS World 2025 for a fireside-style chat with Shay Montgomery, CCRN, CFRN, NR-P (better known online as @FlightNurseShay (https://www.instagram.com/flightnurseshay)) and her brother Tyler Morris, a fellow EMS professional and educator.Together, this brother-sister EMS duo brings a unique blend of experience across ground EMS, flight medicine, and collegiate-level education. They share honest stories from their journeys, how they found their respective callings, and what it’s really like growing in the profession side-by-side—sometimes literally.From the challenges of finding balance between teaching and clinical practice to the humor that keeps providers sane in long shifts and hotel-conference chaos, this episode captures the heart of what makes EMS a family—both by blood and by bond.It’s candid. It’s real. It’s what happens when providers stop rushing between sessions and actually sit down to talk about life and EMS.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

They taught us how to line up the landmarks and pass a tube, but they didn’t tell us how humbling a bad view can feel at 3 a.m., or how much the little things like positioning, BVM technique, and teamwork really matter.In this Fireside Chat, we’re getting real about the airway: the basics that make or break you, the tools we love (and the ones that save you when nothing else works), the chaos vs calm of team dynamics, and the critical care lessons that remind us the tube is only the beginning. It’s honest, unfiltered airway talk, with a side of nerdy stats and a round of trivia to close it out.🎧 Go check out the full show notes at: https://lifeandsirens.com/episode-45-show-notes/💬 Got an airway story (the humbling, the messy, the unforgettable)? Share it with us:👉 Listener Tales (https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/)

They taught us how to line up the landmarks and pass a tube, but they didn’t tell us how humbling a bad view can feel at 3 a.m., or how much the little things like positioning, BVM technique, and teamwork really matter.In this Fireside Chat, we’re getting real about the airway: the basics that make or break you, the tools we love (and the ones that save you when nothing else works), the chaos vs calm of team dynamics, and the critical care lessons that remind us the tube is only the beginning. It’s honest, unfiltered airway talk, with a side of nerdy stats and a round of trivia to close it out.🎧 Go check out the full show notes at: https://lifeandsirens.com/episode-45-show-notes/💬 Got an airway story (the humbling, the messy, the unforgettable)? Share it with us:👉 Listener Tales (https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/)

They taught us about STEMIs and scene safety—but they didn’t mention crying in the ambulance bay, learning how to nap in a stairwell, or just how weird 3 a.m. really gets. In this episode, we get real about the things we didn’t know when we started in EMS. From the emotional weight to the unspoken culture, the moments that make you question everything, and the small victories no one teaches you to celebrate—this is the stuff that doesn’t always make it into the textbook. Whether you’re new to the field or 20 years deep, we’re talking about the raw, unexpected, and often overlooked parts of this job that shape who we become.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

In this episode, we’re busting some of the most common medical myths floating around EMS—and breaking down the why behind what we should be doing instead. From misunderstood medications to outdated practices that just won’t die, we’re digging into the evidence, the history, and the truth behind those things you’ve heard on shift a hundred times. Because good medicine means questioning what you think you know.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

Drownings don’t always look like the movies—and not all of them end at the scene. In this episode, we dive into the complexities of fatal and non-fatal drownings, including what actually happens physiologically, how presentations can vary, and why even a seemingly minor water rescue deserves a thorough assessment. We talk about key red flags, delayed complications, and the importance of early intervention and post-rescue care. Whether it’s a medical lake call or a toddler pulled from a pool, this episode covers what EMS providers need to know to recognize, treat, and document drowning calls with confidence.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

When does staying on scene help your patient—and when does it just waste precious minutes? In this episode, we tackle the art (and reality) of managing scene times. We dig into the tough calls about what interventions are actually worth it before transport, what can safely wait until you’re rolling, and how to keep your patient’s best interest at the center of every decision. From trauma to medical calls, we share real-world examples, common pitfalls, and how to balance patient care with scene efficiency. Because sometimes the best thing you can do… is get moving.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠

What really happens once your patient lifts off? In this episode, Aubrey and Jaime sit down with Sophie to pull back the curtain on the nuance—and sometimes chaos—of working in the sky. From handling combative patients at 2,000 feet to making tough calls about weather, weight, and safety, Sophie breaks down what flight teams really think when they decline a scene flight (hint: there’s always a reason). Whether you’ve ever wondered what it’s like behind the rotor blades or just want to appreciate the challenges your air medical crews face, this episode keeps it honest, practical, and full of respect for the job.As always, if you have a story to tell—funny, wild, heartbreaking, or unforgettable—you can share it through our website. We’d love to feature it on a future episode.Radio Reports – Listener Tales: ⁠https://lifeandsirens.com/listenertales/⁠