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Sarah is based in North Carolina, where she lives with her son and several rambunctious reptiles. Before taking on her current role with Lexipol, she was the staff writer for the tech website DZone and served as an assistant editor with the rural lifestyle publication GRIT Magazine. Get in touch with her at ssinning@lexipol.com.

Maria Beermann-Foat, PhD, MBA, NRP, has over 20 years of prehospital emergency care experience in privately-owned, hospital-based and county government-based emergency services. Dr. Beermann-Foat has served the community of Johnson County (Kan.) since 1999 and currently serves as a battalion chief of operations for MED-ACT- Emergency Medical Services. Since first joining the department as a paramedic, she moved up the ranks in the roles of community education officer/PIO, captain/field training officer, battalion chief of training, and division chief of quality management.

Through her position as a course developer and instructor for the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland – operated by FEMA – her efforts have contributed toward preparing fire department and EMS department administrators in the areas of quality management and application of research methods for organizational improvement.

Dr. Beermann-Foat received the 2019 Emerging Leader Award, during the Pinnacle EMS Leadership conference, from Fitch & Associates.

Dr. Beermann-Foat holds a Ph.D. in Organization Management from Capella University and a Masters of Business Administration from MidAmerica Nazarene University. She is currently completing coursework to obtain a city and county management certificate from the University of Kansas. She holds a six sigma green belt certification through Johnson County Community College. She is a member of the International City and County Management Association (ICMA), the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), the National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA), and the American Society for Quality (ASQ) Kansas City Section. She has also held a position on the Diversity and Equity Committee for Johnson County Government since 2017.

Scott Eskwitt is the former director of fire policy and training content for Lexipol. He previously served as chief of the Fair Haven (N.J.) Fire Department, and was a member of the Fair Haven First Aid Squad and the Red Bank (N.J.) Fire Department. Eskwitt is an attorney and has spent his legal career advising municipalities and fire departments on risk management, human resources and labor relations issues. His undergraduate degree in Industrial & Labor Relations was received from Cornell University and his law degree from SUNY Law at Buffalo.

Nick Thomson, BS, is a third-year medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine. His interests are in emergency medicine, ultrasound, global health and prehospital care. He has been honored with the University of Washington School of Medicine Service Learning Award, serves as a medical student ambassador and is the student coordinator for the Marie Blanchard Friendship Clinic. Additionally, he worked with Seattle Medic One and King County Public Health Department in Seattle, Washington developing an algorithm using EMS data to track opioid overdoses.

Sam DiGiovanna is a 35-year fire service veteran. He started with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, served as fire chief at the Monrovia Fire Department and currently serves as Chief at the Verdugo Fire Academy in Glendale, California. DiGiovanna also serves as executive vice president of fire operations for Cordico, which provides access to critical mental health information and resources to help those on the front lines best take care of themselves and ensure they are best prepared to serve others. Cordico was acquired by Lexipol in 2020.

Ryan Kelley, NREMT, is a nationally registered emergency medical technician and the former managing editor of the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS). In his current capacity as medical editor for American Addiction Centers, Ryan works to provide accurate, authoritative information to those seeking help for substance abuse and behavioral health issues.

James Pribyl is a captain with Turkey Creek Fire Rescue in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina, and has served with the department for 5.5 years. He is also a retired Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 3.

Since 1979, Kate Dernocoeur, NREMT, and firefighter (ret.), has written numerous books, articles and columns for emergency service personnel. She has spoken at many EMS conferences nationally and internationally for more than 20 years. Her start in emergency service was with the Vail Mountain Rescue Group (Colorado), and she served with Denver’s famous Paramedic Division from 1979 to 1986. She was an EMT-firefighter for the Ada, Michigan Fire Department from 2012-2019. She currently serves as a SARTECH-II with Kent County SAR’s K9 Unit. She began her work as a medical examiner investigator (MEI) in 2016.

Kate wrote the book “Streetsense: Communication, Safety and Control” in 1984. Regarded by some as an EMS classic, it was released in 4th edition in 2020.

She co-authored the seminal dispatch book, Principles of Emergency Medical Dispatch with Dr. Jeff Clawson, MD (first edition, 1988) and EMS Safety: Techniques and Applications for FEMA in 1994. In addition, she authored A Worthy Expedition: The History of NOLS in 2017. She was also editor of one of the first online EMS magazines, MERGINet, from 2000-2003.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University’s College of Communication and an MFA in creative nonfiction writing from Western Michigan University. She also authors a wide-ranging blog, “Generally Write.” A Colorado native and mountain girl at heart, Kate has been settled in Michigan since 1987.

Kristopher T. Blume is the fire chief of the Meridian (Idaho) Fire Department. He previously served as a battalion chief with the Tucson (Arizona) Fire Department. With over two decades of fire service experience, Blume is an author, lecturer and independent consultant. He is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer (EFO) program and is an instructor at the National Fire Academy. Blume is an alumnus of the University of Arizona and holds several undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Drew Neal is a battalion chief with Hutto (Texas) Fire Rescue, Williamson County Emergency Services District #3. He joined the organization as a volunteer in 2006 and became a full-time career member in 2010. Neal currently sits on the IFSTA 7th Edition Validation Committee and is a graduate of the Texas Fire Chief’s Academy.