Interior Region EMS Council

08/19/2026

petal season ꕤ is for learning how to save a life ♡

When a heart stops, someone nearby ready to help can make all the difference. Hands-Only CPR has two simple steps:

If you see a teen or adult collapse, call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of “Kiss Me” by Ariana Grande.

08/19/2026

🚨 Upcoming Training Opportunity!

Join Stryker for “Resuscitation 2026: Updates in the BLS and ACLS Guidelines,” presented by Nicole Kupchik, MN, RN, CCNS, CCRN, PCCN.

📅 Thursday, August 27, 2026
⏰ 9:00 a.m. Alaska Time

This presentation will review key updates from the 2025 American Heart Association BLS and ACLS Guidelines and explore emerging research and therapies in resuscitation.

Topics will include:

✅ Updates to the 2025 AHA BLS and ACLS Guidelines
✅ Components of high-performance CPR
✅ CPR report cards and role delineation
✅ Emerging resuscitation research and therapies

Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your knowledge and bring updated resuscitation strategies into clinical practice!

🔗 Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/9317603746380/WN_21YtbvSvQv294R0se4EMMg?mkt_tok=MzM4LVdBUC01NzEAAAGjtJP6uoryRnOqmp7X1wjQIkep-BdW6H9Y7xRPq2rgGvmRFb_ZD787uUUE9KnoB2KPKaXRYESikKbUQ1q-sodbQx5kmhqJTDo4ErQnIVIXIhuZMSLqvA #/registration

This presentation will outline key updates from the 2025 American Heart Association ACLS and BLS Guidelines and discuss exciting therapies on the horizon. Through a review of current recommendations and emerging evidence, participants will gain practical insights to help incorporate evolving resusci...

08/18/2026

🚑 Alaska is joining the EMS Compact!

Beginning September 20, 2026, Alaska will officially participate in the Recognition of Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA), commonly known as the EMS Compact.

The Compact allows eligible EMS clinicians licensed in one participating state to receive a Privilege to Practice in another Compact state without obtaining a separate license. Potential benefits include:

✅ Interstate EMS employment
✅ Temporary assignments
✅ Mutual-aid response
✅ Interstate patient transport
✅ Recruitment of qualified EMS clinicians

Important: The EMS Compact does not replace Alaska’s existing requirements for agency credentialing, medical-director approval, scope of practice, protocols, background checks, or placement on an agency roster. Implementation will occur in phases, and not every component will be operational immediately on September 20.

EMS clinicians should confirm that their contact and licensing information is current in the Alaska License Management System. Agencies should also identify who will oversee Compact verification and onboarding.

Learn more and review the available field guide, readiness checklists, implementation roadmap, and upcoming RANGES training through the Alaska EMS Public Portal.

08/17/2026

🚒🚑 CALLING ALL FIRE DEPARTMENTS & PARTNER AGENCIES! LET’S MAKE THIS A FRIENDLY COMPETITION!

IREMSC is supporting UAF’s Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration and the International Testing Agency with a seriously cool research project and we need your help!

Researchers are studying whether blood samples can be safely screened after long-range drone transportation. This project could help advance access to medical testing for remote Alaska communities.

Here’s the challenge: Which department or partner agency can bring the most eligible volunteers? Rally your crew, stop by together, and compete for regional bragging rights, all while helping IREMSC support an innovative project with real potential for rural Alaska!

📅 Tuesday, August 18
⏰ 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
📍 UAF Patty Center Lobby

Participation details:

✅ Must be 18 or older
✅ Takes approximately 10 minutes
✅ Simple medical waiver required
✅ No appointment needed
✅ Only a small research blood sample is collected, this is not a traditional blood drive

The project needs approximately 50–70 participants, so every eligible volunteer counts. Come represent your department, support IREMSC, and help explore the future of long-distance medical testing in Alaska!

Tag your agency and challenge another department below! 👇

08/17/2026

🚑 Colorado Just Recognized EMS as an Essential Service... Could Alaska Be Next?

Colorado’s HB 26-1238 officially took effect on August 12, recognizing EMS, including ground and air ambulance services, as an essential part of the state’s healthcare infrastructure.

The law acknowledges the critical role EMS professionals play in prehospital care, interfacility transportation, community-based care, and emergency response. Especially in rural and frontier communities where other healthcare resources may be limited.

The designation does not automatically provide new funding, but it formally recognizes that communities rely on EMS as an essential service, alongside other critical public-safety and healthcare systems.

For Alaska, where EMS agencies cover enormous distances while navigating workforce shortages, high operating costs, limited infrastructure, and unpredictable funding, this raises an important question:

💬 Did you know that currently EMS is NOT considered an essential service in the state of Alaska? What could recognizing EMS as an essential service mean for Alaska’s rural and frontier communities?

With local election season in full swing, it's a good time to call our representatives, and rally to support EMS in Alaska!

Read the article: https://www.ems1.com/legal/colo-law-recognizing-ems-as-an-essential-service-goes-into-effect
Learn about the legislation: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB26-1238

08/14/2026

Join IREMSC in...FUNDING FRIDAY WATCH PARTIES! 👀🚑

Alaska has now announced approximately $34.2 million in Rural Health Transformation Program funding...part of the state’s more than $272 million first-year allocation!💸

These investments will support projects working to expand access to care, strengthen Alaska’s healthcare workforce, improve infrastructure, advance technology, and develop locally driven solutions for rural communities.

This is an exciting step forward, with additional award announcements expected as the review process continues. We look forward to seeing how these investments strengthen healthcare and emergency medical services throughout Alaska!🩺💉

View the current list of announced projects and funding here:

🔗 Alaska RHTP Awards Notice: https://chat.google.com/dm/vV6-OgAAAAE/unqTrh44zVk/unqTrh44zVk?cls=10

Please note that announced awards may remain subject to final conditions, budget review, and completion of grant agreements... We definetly hope to be on the list next cycle!

08/14/2026

🚑 FUN FACT FRIDAY: To challenge your thinking and your practices!

Is prehospital CPR after traumatic cardiac arrest always futile?

New research is challenging that assumption!

This study examined 244 adult trauma patients who received CPR before reaching a Level I trauma center:

❤️ 10% survived to hospital discharge
❤️ Among patients who arrived with a pulse, 35% survived to discharge
❤️ Another 17% became organ donors

These findings remind us that traumatic cardiac arrest does not automatically mean resuscitation is futile. High-quality CPR helps maintain circulation while EMS addresses reversible causes and transports the patient for additional care. Even when survival seems impossible, those efforts may help preserve the possibility of organ donation.

Especially here in the interior, every situation is different, and providers must always follow local protocols, termination-of-resuscitation criteria, medical direction, and patient wishes. However, assumptions about futility should never replace a complete clinical assessment and interventions.

💬 So let’s start a conversation:

Have you encountered a resuscitation that changed how you think about survivability?
What factors influence your decision-making during a traumatic cardiac arrest?
How can EMS systems better support high-quality CPR and consistent resuscitation practices?

*Please share your thoughts and experiences without including identifying patient information*

Read more: Prehospital CPR for Traumatic Cardiac Arrest “Not Futile”
https://www.physiciansweekly.com/post/prehospital-cpr-for-traumatic-cardiac-arrest-not-futile

Prehospital CPR administered after traumatic cardiac arrest may offer meaningful survival outcomes, according to recently published findings.

08/13/2026

🚑ATTENTION PARTNERING FIRE/EMS AGENCIES!🚒

Before listing these file cabinets for sale to the public, IREMSC would like to offer them first to local fire departments and partnering agencies FOR FREE!💸

If we cant give them away these are the prices:
• Large file cabinets: $20 each
• Small file cabinets: $10 each

Quantities are limited and cabinets will be available on a first come, first served basis. Please send us a message if your department or organization is interested, including the size and quantity you would like!

Any remaining cabinets will be listed for public sale.

08/10/2026

Exciting news for rural healthcare in Alaska!

The Alaska Department of Health has announced the first projects selected for Notices of Intent to Award through the Rural Health Transformation Program. This initial announcement includes more than $4.5 million for 19 projects across Alaska, with additional announcements expected each Friday as reviews are completed.

These investments are intended to:

• Expand access to healthcare
• Strengthen the rural health workforce
• Improve infrastructure and technology
• Support locally driven solutions for rural communities

For Alaska’s rural EMS agencies and healthcare partners, investments like these can help build stronger, more sustainable systems and bring quality care closer to home.

Please note that final awards remain subject to budget review, award conditions, and completion of grant agreements.

Learn more and view the selected projects here: https://health.alaska.gov/en/education/rural-health-transformation-program/

08/03/2026

🚨 FREE WEBINAR FOR EMS & FIRE INSTRUCTORS 🚨

Managing a classroom can be challenging, especially when training responders in high-stress, trauma-informed environments. Join Resilient Responders Part 2 to learn practical strategies for setting clear expectations, maintaining boundaries, and creating an effective and supportive learning environment.

📅 Wednesday, August 12, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM Alaska Time | 2:00 PM ET
💻 Online and FREE to attend!

Whether you’re an experienced instructor or preparing to step into the classroom, this webinar offers tools you can put into practice during your next training!

🔗 Register here: https://jblearning.zoom.us/webinar/register/

Please share this opportunity with EMS, fire, and public-safety educators throughout Alaska! 🚑🚒