Dr. Michael Abernethy Madison, Wisconsin

Dr. Abernethy has spent the last 30 years as a prehospital care provider, starting out as an EMT, becoming a National Guard medic, and eventually a physician. He is currently a flight physician with UW Medflight, as well as an emergency department physician. With more than 3,000 patient transports, Dr. Abernethy is one of the most experienced flight physicians in the country. He is the current Medical Director/Advisor for the Wisconsin EMS Association.

Michael Brink Madison Heights, Michigan

Michael Brink has 17 years with the Madison Heights Fire Department and is the department’s Technical Rescue and Hazardous Materials coordinator. Michael has been instructing technical rescue for 16 years. He holds the position of Chief Operations Officer and Training Director for the Safety and Technical Rescue Association. He is also the Task Force Leader and Technical Rescue Specialist with the Michigan Technical Rescue Operations Team.

Edward Buchanan Hanover, Virginia

Eddie serves as the Division Chief of Operations for the Hanover Fire & EMS Department in Richmond, VA. He currently serves as a director at large for the International Society of Fire Service Instructors. He also serves on the Technical Committee for Fire Services Training for the National Fire Protection Association. Chief Buchanan provides advanced leadership training and coaching to organizations and departments across the country.

Dr. Charles Cady Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Dr. Charles Cady is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is the chair of the State of Wisconsin Physician Advisory Committee. He has been involved in EMS for 17 years. Dr. Cady is the Medical Director for the City of Kenosha Fire Department and Assistant Director of Medical Services for Milwaukee County. Dr. Cady is an active member of the National Association of EMS Physicians.

Dr. M. Riccardo Colella Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Dr. Colella is an academic emergency medicine physician. He has an extensive background as a career paramedic, firefighter, and technical rescue expert. During his tenure at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he served as Medical Director for the Hopkins Center for Transport Medicine. Joining the faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin, he serves as the Assistant Director of Medical Services for Milwaukee County EMS and Flight For Life.

Scott DeBoer Dyer, Indiana

Scott DeBoer is a dynamic seminar leader with more than 18 years of emergency, critical care, and flight nursing experience. He received his Masters Degree in critical care nursing from Purdue University and is currently a flight nurse for the University of Chicago Aeromedical Network. In addition, he is the founder of Peds-R-Us Medical Education, Med-Pierce, and serves as a medical consultant for the Association of Professional Piercers.

Brian Donaldson Omaha, Nebraska

Brian Donaldson began his EMS career in 1980 and has since served as a care provider at all levels of EMS. He currently works as an EMS educator for Omaha Fire & Rescue, and as a staff paramedic for Clarinda Regional Health Center’s mobile ICU. Brian is a published author, educator and has served on numerous local and state EMS boards and committees. Brian frequently presents topics at emergency medical conferences throughout the country.

James Downing Blacksburg, Virginia

Currently the President of the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad and a senior in Virginia Tech’s Mechanical Engineering program, James Downing joined VTRS in January of 2005 with no prior EMS experience. He became a driver with VTRS in August 2006 and was elected President of VTRS in April 2007. Downing was on scene at both Ambler Johnston and Norris Hall during the incident on April 16, 2006, and was able to drive three patients to nearby hospitals.

John Elder Burleson, Texas

John Elder currently serves as the Director of Clinical Services for Emergicon, L.L.C. He has been involved with EMS for over 16 years. John has had the opportunity to work in the rural, urban, and flight environments. He has served on state committees on the future and direction of EMS education, and has authored numerous articles on EMS-related topics. John has appeared as a guest lecturer at many venues.

James Gatteno Detroit, Michigan

James Gatteno has 12 years with the Detroit Fire Department EMS Division and is on the department’s Hazardous Materials Team. James has been instructing technical rescue for eight years, and holds the position of Rescue Training Coordinator for the Safety and Technical Rescue Association. He is also a member of the Michigan Technical Rescue Operations Team where he holds the position of Rescue Manager and Technical Rescue Specialist.

Dr. Seth Krosner San Diego, California

Seth is a past favorite in Wisconsin who is best known for his human cadaver dissections. After several years at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital, Seth is currently an attending trauma surgeon at Mercy Hospital in San Diego. He is a Board Certified trauma surgeon who has appeared on the Learning Channel’s Trauma Life In The ER, on Trauma Center, and other trauma documentaries.

Brian Litza Madison, Wisconsin

Brian Litza is currently the Section Chief for the State of Wisconsin EMS Section, Bureau of Local Health Support and Emergency Medical Services. He has performed in various capacities in both private and public sector EMS since 1983. Brian has served as a volunteer fire fighter, EMS educator, program coordinator, supervisor, and critical care paramedic during his 24-year career in emergency services.

Connie Mattera Chicago, Illinois

Connie Mattera has been involved in healthcare since 1972. She earned her Paramedic license through riding with the Chicago Fire Department in the 1970s. She is the EMS Administrative Director for the Northwest Community EMS System in Arlington Heights, Illinois. She serves on the editorial board for JEMS and is the EMS Section Editor for the Journal of Emergency Nursing. Connie has spoken at many national EMS conferences.

Deborah McCoy-Freeman Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Deborah McCoy-Freeman is the EMS education specialist for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Prehospital Care Program. Prior to moving to Pennsylvania, she served as regional emergency medical services coordinator for Altru Health System, and training officer for the Altru Ambulance Service in North Dakota. Deborah lectures nationally on a variety of EMS-related topics and is active in offering outreach EMS education.

Jon Politis Latham, New York

Jon is the chief of the Colonie EMS Department in upstate New York. He has been active in EMS since 1971, serving as a career firefighter, state EMS training coordinator and a paramedic training program coordinator. The author of numerous publications and training programs, he is also active in the field as a flight paramedic, ski patroller and EMS and rescue instructor.

Dwight Polk Baltimore, Maryland

Dwight is the Paramedic Program Director at the University of Maryland Baltimore County in Baltimore, MD, and is a member of the Mobile Crisis Team at the Grassroots Crisis Center in Columbia, MD. His perspective as a paramedic and social worker makes him a familiar face at conferences around the country. Dwight has a Master’s Degree in Occupational Social Work and is a mental health professional for two Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) teams in the Baltimore area.

Dr. Ed Racht Austin, Texas

Ed M. Racht, MD, is the Medical Director for the City of Austin/Travis County EMS System. He has been involved in EMS for 18 years, including as medical director for multiple career and volunteer EMS agencies. Dr. Racht is a reviewer for Academic Emergency Medicine and the Journal of Prehospital Care, and serves on the editorial board of Best Practices. His research interests include cardiac arrest and resuscitation, and EMS system development. Dr. Racht is sure to bring interest and insight as he makes his second appearance in Wisconsin.

Scott Rifleman Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Scott is a 31-year veteran of the Stevens Point Fire and Ambulance Department. He has served as Portage County Coroner since 1980, where he is Nationally board registered as Diplomat, American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators. Together he and Dr. Seth Krosner have performed Human Cadaver Dissections for EMS audiences in several areas of Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest. Scott’s candid and entertaining style, coupled with decades of EMS and death investigation experience, makes him and Dr. Krosner an unbeatable team.

Timothy Sendelbach Savannah, Georgia

Tim is a 21-year student and educator who holds degrees in Fire Administration, Arson, and in Emergency Medical Care from Eastern Kentucky University. Tim is a contributing editor to numerous publications, including The Voice, Firehouse.com Members Zone, and the Fire & Emergency Television Network (FETN). Tim is currently the President of the ISFSI and a student of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program. Most recently, Tim presented the keynote address for the 2007 Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Mike Smith Tacoma, Washington

Mike Smith, BS, MICP, is the Program Chair and Lead Instructor for the Emergency Medical & Health Services Program at Tacoma Community College. Mike is a 35-year EMS veteran, with 20 years as a Paramedic. He is one of the most popular EMS speakers in the country, speaking at dozens of state and national conferences each year. Mike has a total of 49 publications to his credit, including work on seven textbooks. Mike also writes the monthly column Beyond the Books for EMS Magazine.

Christopher Suprun Cedar Hill, Texas

Christopher Suprun is a veteran firefighter/paramedic and instructor with 15 years on the street and nearly a dozen years teaching fire, EMS, and emergency management topics. He has been affiliated as an Adjunct Instructor in Emergency Medicine for The George Washington University, and as a field instructor for New Mexico Tech’s Energetic Materials and Research Center (EMRTC).

Troy Webster Florence, Kentucky

Troy Webster is a Captain with the Florence Fire/EMS Department in Florence, Kentucky. Troy has presented at the Fire Department Instructors Conference and the FireHouse Expo, and currently serves on the Board of Directors as a Director-at-Large with the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI). Troy earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Protection Administration from Eastern Kentucky University. Troy has been active in the fire service for 17 years.

Paul Werfel Port Jefferson Station, New York

Paul Werfel brings two decades of EMS experience to the SUNY at Stony Brook Paramedic Program. In addition to 12 years as a NYC Paramedic, Paul has served as the program coordinator for Advanced Cardiac, Trauma and Pediatric life support at the Emergency Care Institute at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City, and as Emergency Care Programs Coordinator at Jamaica Hospital in Jamaica, NY. He is presently the Director of the Paramedic Program at the University. Paul is also affiliate faculty in ACLS and PALS for the New York City Heart Association.

Dr. Keith Wesley Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Dr. Wesley is the Wisconsin State EMS Medical Director and is a board certified emergency medicine physician. Dr. Wesley is the author of many EMS textbooks and articles, including Hey Doc in EMS Professionals, and is a frequent speaker at EMS conferences across the nation. He is an active EMS medical director currently providing medical oversight to the Chippewa Fire District in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin, to the EMT-Basic Services of Ashland and Bayfield counties, as well as the Apostle Islands Lake Shore National Park.

Colin Whitmore Fairfax, Virginia

Colin Whitmore served as the EMS Incident Commander for the April 16, 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech. At the time he held the rank of Lieutenant with the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad and was in charge of managing the squad’s training program. During his time there he also served as the President and Vice President of the organization, and became a Life Member in May 2007. Currently, Colin is an Emergency Management and Homeland Security Analyst with ICF International in Fairfax, Virginia.

Doug Wolfberg Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Doug Wolfberg is one of the most popular speakers at EMS conferences throughout the United States. Doug is a long-time member of the Journal of Emergency Medical Services Editorial Board, and is a regular columnist in The EMS Insider and JEMS. Doug is also the co-author of some of the industry’s leading publications, including The Ambulance Service Guide to HIPAA Compliance. Doug is a graduate of Penn State University and Widener University School of Law, where he received his law degree with high honors, graduating magna cum laude.