Board Member: Jamie Stephenson

Background & Inspiration

Career Path

What Jamie likes about EMS is that there are so many ways to utilize your skills. His journey started as a volunteer in a rural service. From there, hospital-based EMS, fire department EMS, and career EMS helped build his profile as a provider. In those roles he has served as a Lieutenant, Captain, and Chief, along with serving on multiple committees and other leadership positions, including EMS Instructor.

Most of the services he was involved with were WEMSA members, so he was able to see the benefits of membership firsthand. In 2018 he saw the flyer for becoming a board member, made a phone call to the Director at the time to learn more about what the duties would be, and decided to go for it. As a new board member he served on the membership committee, advocating for the benefits of WEMSA members and how the association could best serve those members along with EMS services across the state. "The experience of working with the WEMSA staff and the other board members has made me a better leader."

Upon re-election, Jamie served as Vice President. The association went through some changes, including navigating the COVID pandemic. A career change eventually required him to move out of state, which led to his resignation from the board — but he still maintained his WEMSA membership and attended the annual conference. A couple years later, his EMS journey brought him back to Wisconsin as a full-time EMS instructor. He was fortunate to be elected to the board again and currently serves on the advocacy committee.

Getting Involved with WEMSA

WEMSA has been instrumental in passing multiple bills improving EMS in the state of Wisconsin. Having experienced EMS on multiple levels, Jamie has an understanding of how services differ in their needs. "One common issue all services face is funding and support," he says. There has been legislation to help improve these issues — including increased Medicaid funding, education reimbursement, and the PTSD bill. "As we continue to move forward, EMS must continue to have a presence at the capital to ensure sustainability across the state."

But legislation is only part of it. "Not only is WEMSA a driving force in legislation, there are many other important issues that matter to the members. Education has always been a major reason members stay engaged." He points to the annual conference as always being an important part of the association — with the staff continuing to put together an outstanding opportunity for members and non-members to gain knowledge from the best in EMS across the country. The vendor hall continues to sell out and attendance has seen record numbers over the last couple of years.

Aside from the conference, monthly virtual classes offer more options for education. The recent railroad safety class was offered multiple times throughout the state. And the ability to call the WEMSA office with general questions relating to EMS and get an answer or a contact person to follow up with is also a benefit he values.