Feeling Behind the Curve? Understanding the EMS Power Curve Will Help You Stay Ahead

Feeling Behind the Curve? Understanding the EMS Power Curve Will Help You Stay Ahead

Author: Ross Orpet, Paramedic turned EMS Physician January 26, 2026 Duration: 1:16:59
Behind the curve. We've all heard it. Most of us have lived it. That sinking feeling when you're mentally three steps behind where the call actually is. The concept of the Power Curve comes from aviation—pilots need to understand the phases of flight and how the plane will react differently and require different inputs during each of these phases. The same principle applies to your 911 calls. This episode breaks down the exact framework to chunk calls into five critical phases. When you understand phases you understand what is needed during each point of the call and how to stay ahead. How to build if-then statements that eliminate decision fatigue. The psychological safety that lets you reset after screwing up in the apartment. And why 80% of medical errors tie back to the one phase—the hospital handoff. Stop reverting to chaos. Build the system that keeps you ahead. Guest/Cast/Crew information- Guest- Moose and Josh from Alert Medic 1 podcast Host- Ross Orpet, Will Berry  Catch up with us after the show - Instagram- @emsloudandclear  YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@EMSLoudandClear   Website- www.emspodcast.com   Books we recommend - The Dichotomy of Leadership - https://amzn.to/4fiCAjN - Extreme Ownership - https://amzn.to/3O1FWfa -  Managing the Unexpected: Sustained Performance in a Complex World -        https://amzn.to/3V7BwYf - Thinking Fast and Slow - https://amzn.to/4fiJG85 Gear We Like - Good Stethoscope - https://amzn.to/3YJJrf2 - Good Shears - https://amzn.to/40FROuF or https://amzn.to/3ChZ4Tn    - Notepad for taking notes on calls - https://amzn.to/3Z1X21J    Want to stay ahead of the top 1% in EMS and build real confidence in the field?👉 Book a call to get personalized guidance, improve decision-making under pressure, and grow your skills as a paramedic: emspodcast.com/free-coaching-call📰 Join our bi-weekly newsletter for exclusive EMS insights, leadership strategies, real-life scenarios, and tools designed to help you stay sharp, confident, and ahead of the curve: https://loudandclear.kit.com/d45b012fae American Burn Association / ABLS: Enter the ABLS giveaway by June 30, 2026; the winner will be selected July 1, 2026. Loud & Clear listeners also get 10% off ABLS Now through August 31, 2026. Details: https://bit.ly/aba-loud-clear

Stepping out of the classroom and into the rig is where the real learning begins, but that transition often leaves even seasoned providers with a lingering doubt. Loud & Clear: EMS Guiding Principles addresses that gap directly, moving past the basic protocols to explore the foundational reasoning that makes for excellent prehospital care. Hosted by Ross Orpet, a paramedic who now practices as an EMS physician, this podcast digs into the "why" behind the algorithms. It’s built on the understanding that no textbook can possibly cover every unique scenario you’ll encounter on the road. Instead of just listing steps, each episode examines the core principles that guide critical decisions when the situation doesn't fit a neat checklist. You’ll hear discussions that bridge the gap between field experience and medical rationale, focusing on the adaptive thinking required for complex emergencies. This is advanced continuing education designed for paramedics, EMTs, and all prehospital providers who feel that standard training was just the beginning. The conversations in this series aim to solidify your clinical judgment, helping you build confidence through comprehension. By tuning in, you gain access to a deeper level of professional development, where the objective is to think clearer and act more decisively, no matter how many days you have on the job. This podcast serves as a vital resource for those committed to mastering their craft beyond the basics.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Loud & Clear: EMS Guiding Principles - Advanced Continuing Education for Paramedics, EMTs & Prehospital Care Providers
Podcast Episodes
The First 60 Seconds After ROSC: How To Prevent Re-Arrest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:52
The First 60 Seconds After ROSC: How To Prevent Re-Arrest How do you improve your resuscitation systems beyond the ACLS algorithm? Will talks with Ian Blanchard, Senior Scientist for Alberta’s provincial EMS system about…
Post-ROSC Care and Pacing: Prove the Perfusion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:06
Getting a pulse back feels like a win. Seeing pacer spikes and something that resembles a pulse feels reassuring. But in both situations, the monitor can make you feel better before the patient actually is.Geoff Murphy o…
Burn Care in EMS: What Actually Matters in the First 15 Minutes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:04
Burn patients can create a disproportionate amount of anxiety. The calls are uncommon, the injuries can be visually overwhelming, and it is easy to get distracted by the burn itself.Ross and Will talk with Mark Johnston,…
Heat Stroke: Recognition, Cooling, and Transport Decisions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:32
What differentiates heat stroke from heat exhaustion? Once central nervous system dysfunction appears, every minute spent at an elevated core temperature increases the risk of permanent neurologic injury or death.Ross an…
The Three Building Blocks of Trust in EMS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:37
Trust is the architecture behind every patient interaction you run. Dr. Cory Scheer, author of Closing the Trust Gap, has identified three evidence-based building blocks of trust: competency, problem-solving, and care fo…
The Skill Is Not The Hard Part [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:33
The hardest part of a bad call is rarely the algorithm. In two different interviews I explore some human traps of running an EMS call. I talk with Danny and Rance from DNR Prehospital Education about a choking arrest, a…