Roundtable Talk - Crisis at the Crossroads: Addressing EMS Recruitment and Retention in Volunteer Departments

Joseph Mistovich, Professor Emeritus, retired after 35 years at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, where he served as Chairperson of the Department of Health Professions. He became a Nationally Registered Paramedic in 1981 and continues to maintain his certification after 45 years. He has authored fifteen EMS textbooks and more than fifty journal articles and is a frequent speaker at EMS conferences. He served on the CoAEMSP Board of Directors for more than nineteen years and remains active as a Reader and Program Action Team Member. He continues to teach at the EMT and Paramedic levels as an invited lecturer at several institutions, including Penn State University and the Ohio Fire Academy.

Pam Rogers brings over 15 years of experience in EMS and fire service, and more than 25 years as an instructor and educator. She has trained staff and volunteers across generations and settings from remote wilderness areas in the West and rural health clinics in Lesotho, South Africa, to multimillion-dollar corporations and small-town fire departments in Idaho. Pam currently serves as the EMS & Fire Volunteer Coordinator for the City of Moscow Volunteer Fire Department, supporting a team of 100 volunteer firefighters and EMTs who respond to more than 3,000 incidents annually in rural Idaho.

Julie “Jules” Scadden, PM, CAC, is a paramedic, EMS educator, and public safety professional with more than 32 years of experience in emergency medical services. Throughout her career, she has served as Director of two blended volunteer/paid ambulance services in Eastern and Central Iowa while continuing to provide direct patient care through active ambulance service shifts. Jules has extensive experience in grant writing and program coordination, successfully securing and managing numerous grant opportunities for EMS agencies and municipalities. She currently serves the City of Dysart as a Grant Writer and Policy & Procedure Specialist. In addition to her professional leadership roles, Jules is actively involved in EMS advocacy, quality improvement, and education at the local, state, and national levels. She serves on the Iowa Quality Assurance and Scope of Practice Committee, is President of the Tama County EMS Association, Chair of the Tama County EMS Essential Services Advisory Council, a member of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians Advisory Group, and Vice Chair of the National Volunteer Fire Council EMS/Rescue Section. A dedicated educator and presenter, Jules frequently speaks at regional, state, and national EMS conferences, specializing in pediatric emergency care and the treatment of children with special healthcare needs. She also contributes to the development, review, and writing of EMS educational materials.