Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS)

06/10/2026

On May 22, 2025, Montgomery County resident Adam Malinauskas experienced shortness of breath and, while attempting to walk to the bedroom, he collapsed. He was having sudden cardiac arrest. His 16-year- old daughter, Lauren, immediately drew upon the skills she learned at Whitman High School. Lauren began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and continued for about 10 minutes, until Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews arrived.

When EMS personnel assumed care, they found the patient in ventricular fibrillation. After delivering a defibrillation shock, they achieved a return of pulses and spontaneous respirations. Adam was transported to Suburban Hospital where, prior to the crews’ departure, he was alert, oriented, and speaking with hospital staff. He was admitted to the Intermediate Care Unit for continued monitoring and treatment and was discharged home a few days later, neurologically intact.

Both MCFRS and Montgomery County Public Schools subsequently honored Lauren for her heroic actions. This incident highlights the critical importance of the Chain of Survival in cardiac arrest emergencies. Lauren’s immediate bystander CPR unquestionably contributed to her father’s positive outcome and recovery. Maryland EMSC presented Lauren with a Right Care When It Counts Award on May 21, 2026.

06/10/2026

On July 31, 2025, severe storms swept through Montgomery County, causing flash flooding in several areas. While riding home from summer camp with his nanny and her 3-year-old toddler, 12-year-old Aasish Selvaraj from Gaithersburg, Maryland, acted heroically when fast-moving flood waters swept his nanny’s SUV off the road. The wooded landscape and rising flood waters left the vehicle harder for emergency responders to see from the road, leading Aasish to act quickly. Before the vehicle could be totally submerged, he climbed out through a rear window, then pulled the younger child up on to the vehicle’s roof, where he managed to both hold on to a tree branch and keep the toddler’s head above water. Aasish was able to attract the attention of Montgomery County Police, who quickly alerted Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service swift water rescue teams. The Maryland EMS for Children program honored Aasish with a Right Care When It Counts Award on May 21, 2026.

06/10/2026

Each year, the Maryland EMS for Children program at MIEMSS recognizes children and youth in Maryland who have demonstrated steps to take in an emergency or ways to be better prepared for an emergency with the Right Care When It Counts awards. On November 21, 2025, 8-year-old twins Norah and Ivar found their mother, Kylie, suffering from a seizure at their home in Calvert County, Maryland. Norah stayed with Mom and cared for their infant sibling, while Ivar went to the landlord for assistance in calling 9-1-1 and conveyed important medical information to the responding EMS personnel. Once Mom was in transport for definitive care, Ivar and Norah continued to care for the infant until their father got home.

06/10/2026

MIEMSS' 2026 EMS-Children Clinician of the Year, Charles County Department of Emergency Services Paramedic Caitland Kelshaw, has dedicated herself to ensuring that children – and especially those facing medical vulnerability, developmental challenges, or critical illness – receive compassionate, evidence-based, and specialized care from the moment EMS arrives. She is the first paramedic to join the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, bolstering collaboration between the fields of EMS and pediatric medicine in Maryland.

Caitland’s devotion to pediatric EMS education as well as her innovation in pediatric patient care are evident through her work with the Maryland EMS for Children Program at MIEMSS and as a faculty member for the Resuscitation Academy and at the Winterfest EMS Conference. During Charles County’s EMS Week Pediatric Education Day, Caitland focused on promoting safety and best practices, reflecting her ongoing commitment to seizing every opportunity to educate fellow EMS clinicians and improve pediatric readiness in the prehospital field.

Caitland’s commitment to pediatric care is manifest outside of the classroom, as well. She assisted in the professional development of Maryland EMSC’s “Team Panda” for the Charles County DES. She dedicated four years to the Pediatric Champion Forums and has participated in specialized moulage workshops that enhance the realism of traumatic injury simulation, preparing EMS clinicians to provide care for critically ill and injured children. Her work helping to implement sensory kits on all transport units has helped clinicians address the sensory sensitivities of children with autism more effectively and with greater compassion. Additionally, Caitland has created proclamations for Charles County to heighten awareness of pediatric emergency initiatives, including implementation of pediatric high-performance CPR, pediatric tracheostomy care education, and innovative programming designed to improve the safety and comfort of pediatric patients during emergency transport, further exemplifying what it means to be a pediatric EMS champion.

06/10/2026

For decades, success in cardiac arrest care was often measured by one milestone alone: return of spontaneous circulation – a pulse. But the men and women behind Montgomery County’s Advanced Ventilator Treatment Program asked a more important question: "What kind of recovery will that patient have?" They recognized that surviving cardiac arrest is only part of the journey. Without careful management after the return of spontaneous circulation, patients remain at significant risk for secondary brain injury caused by uncontrolled ventilation, excessive oxygen exposure, and improper carbon dioxide levels.

In response, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service developed and implemented an innovative Advanced Ventilator Treatment Program designed to bring hospital-level ventilatory care directly into the prehospital environment. Through a unique Clinical Practice Guideline, specially credentialed EMS Duty Officers deploy advanced ventilators in the field and provide precise, data-driven management during one of the most critical moments in patient care. Using real-time physiologic monitoring, these clinicians carefully control oxygenation, ventilation, and end-tidal carbon dioxide levels while accompanying patients all the way to the receiving hospital – ensuring continuity of care during this vulnerable period.

The results are already having a meaningful impact. Of those treated under this program, more than 11 percent achieved favorable neurologic recovery, returning to their lives with good cerebral function. But beyond the data points, the win lies in people returning home to their families, communities, and futures.

This groundbreaking initiative reflects the very best of Maryland EMS innovation: evidence-based medicine, strong clinical leadership, and a relentless commitment to survival with a meaningful recovery and quality of life. This Advanced Ventilator Treatment Program - MIEMSS' 2026 Program Innovation of the Year Award recipient - helps shape the future of prehospital critical care in Maryland and beyond.

06/10/2026

Harford County Emergency Services hosted its first EMS grand round session recently to take an in-depth look at three recent cases. Paramedics and EMTs on the call go through the case step by step to discuss with other clinicians what could have been done differently and how to improve patient care if they encounter a similar case in the future. The county's medical director guides the clinical discussion and introduces current supporting medical studies and best practices, which are constantly evolving. Additional grand rounds sessions will be held throughout the year so providers can continually improve pre-hospital patient care in Harford County. Register for future sessions at https://www.signupgenius.com/org/harforddestraining.

06/10/2026

Join us at the Maryland State Firefighters Association Convention & Conference 2026 for the "Steps to Safety: Safe Kids & Risk Watch" interactive educational stations. Volunteers are needed to staff the stations on Monday, June 22, and Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Spend a few hours (or a day) with families from across Maryland teaching fire and injury prevention and life safety skills. For more information, email [email protected]. To sign up, scan the QR code, or go to https://tinyurl.com/StepsToSafety2026.

06/10/2026

On May 21, MIEMSS presented its 2026 EMS Clinician of the Year Award to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Battalion Chief Peter Dugan, whose 27+-year career as a clinician, leader, mentor, and advocate has left an enduring impact on emergency medical services.

As a full-time EMS Duty Officer, he quickly became known as a clinician who set the standard for others to follow. His strong leadership across the county led to his promotion to captain in 2011. In this role, Peter helped expand EMS Duty Officer deployment by more than 30 percent and strengthened critical care response capabilities throughout the county. Additionally, his mentorship to countless young EMTs, paramedics, and officers helped to shape a generation of clinicians through encouragement, guidance, and teaching by example.

As Emergency Medical and Integrated Healthcare Services Operations Battalion Chief, Peter continues to lead from the front. He serves as the primary liaison to regional hospitals, oversees Montgomery County’s whole blood program, supervises EMS Duty Officers, and has been instrumental in advancing groundbreaking initiatives, including ventilator management in the county’s prehospital environment. He has earned recognition both regionally and nationally representing Montgomery County and Maryland EMS through presentations on CPR, Leave Behind Naloxone programs, and advanced ventilator management.

Those who know Battalion Chief Peter Dugan best will tell you that his greatest strength is his humility. He understands that leadership is about service and that excellence is built through teamwork. Peter Dugan's career will have a lasting impact on the Montgomery County EMS system, and the patients and clinicians whose lives he has touched. His career has advanced patient care, strengthened clinical excellence, improved systems, and inspired generations of EMS clinicians to achieve their best.

06/10/2026

06/10/2026