This blog is authored by SafeTech Solutions’ partner John Becknell. Many of these entries have appeared as the Ruminations column in Best Practices in Emergency Services. Please email John with comments or reprint permission.

Aarron Reinert , Partner
Aarron has become nationally known as a leader, master teacher and expert in management, leadership, system design and applied best practices in rural and small town emergency medical services systems. Aarron has been involved in emergency medical services for more than 20 years and is the executive director of an emergency medical service in central Minnesota. He is well known for asking tough questions and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking. Using such tools as the Balanced Scorecard, Aarron helps organizations recognize the necessary balance between finance, customer service, employee satisfaction and community awareness. Aarron’s recognized understanding of current emergency services issues led to him serving on numerous national boards and projects and to an appointment as chairperson of the National EMS Advisory Council by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. 

John Becknell, Partner
John is an accomplished facilitator, interviewer, teacher and researcher. He has been involved in emergency service and healthcare for 35 years and has worked as a paramedic, educator, manager, systems developer and consultant. John is the founding publisher of Best Practices in Emergency Services and the former editor-in-chief of The Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS). He serves on numerous national projects and provided the conceptual design for the National EMS Workforce Agenda for the Future (2009). John has been involved in emergency medical system development in North America, the Middle East, and Central America. He is the author of two books and has published articles in numerous journals and trade magazines on emergency services administration, management, and workforce. John has a passion for finding and identifying best practices as well as understanding the sociological relationship between emergency medical services and the communities they serve. Currently, John is completing a doctorate in psychology with his dissertation work focusing on the relationship between communities and those who serve communities in difficult and traumatic situations.

Thomas Fennel, Consultant
Tom has been involved in emergency medical services for more than 28 years. In this time, Tom has served as a front line team member to administration of services.  He has served as a regulator and subject matter expert supporting emergency medical services in areas of compliance, licensing, complaint investigation, and provider certification at state and national levels. Tom currently serves as the Compliance and Privacy Officer for a large non-profit EMS company operating in multiple states. He sits on two state data policy committees and one state systems development committee. Tom also is a management representative for negotiating collective bargaining agreements.

To inquire about SafeTech Solutions and our services, please contact us at:
Office:    (866) 611-5515
John Becknell   (858) 349-4539
Aarron Reinert   (651) 248-4239
info@safetechsolutions.us

or, use the form to the left.

It is for current leaders, new leaders, and anyone with an interest in the leadership and management of EMS and designed to give students the basic tools and information needed to quickly and successfully assume the role of a leader.  More than 500 leaders across the nation have participated in the EMS Leadership Academy since 2009.

DISPLAY LEVELS HERE

Each level is a two-day program presented on consecutive days in comfortable settings that invite participation. Class size is limited to 26 participants or less, and two faculty members are involved in the sessions at all times. A cohort model is used to maximize learning and build a network of peers for organizational and emotional support. Rather than long PowerPoint lectures, these sessions are engaging, lively and participatory. Dialogue is ongoing, questioning is encouraged and laughter is common. Fifty percent of the time is spent in dialogue, small group exercises and role-playing.  Students have the chance to see, practice and critique actual leadership activities in a safe environment.

Contact us for more information or scheduling.

Demands on services have increased in terms of public expectations, changing demographics, expenses, transport distances, and disaster preparedness. Leading and managing the rural ambulance service has become more complicated and time consuming. The old, uncomplicated, well-staffed volunteer ambulance service is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

SafeTech Solutions, LLP has extensive experience studying rural EMS and has developed a unique and successful approach to helping organizations, communities and regions manage change. Our approach begins with listening and recognizes the following:

• Most rural EMS developed locally and organically without a mandate and without significant funding;
• Rural EMS is not small urban EMS;
• In many areas it is unclear who is ultimately responsible for providing and funding EMS;
• A rural community’s history of independence and self-sufficiency must be honored;
• Change must be facilitated from within – not imposed from without; 
• Developing local EMS leaders is one of the most powerful ways to facilitate change from within;
• Local stakeholders must participate in developing solutions; and
• Approaches to regionalization must begin locally and be built through patient and compassionate facilitation.

We have been in business since 2004 and possess more than 50 years of diverse experience between the firm’s two principal partners. We have a unique four-level leadership academy for emergency services.

Our mission is to facilitate improvement and change through listening, evaluating, educating and guiding.

We are different than most consulting firms in that we:

• begin with listening
• honor uniqueness and localness
• recognize that the best solutions emerge from a participatory collaboration
• are most successful when individuals, organizations and systems no longer need our help

Our determination is to ensure that your experience with a EMS consultant is positive and rewarding. We approach each project as if our entire business rides on the integrity with which the project is conducted and delivered. We are committed to exceeding our client expectations and delivering exceptional value. Above all, we value honesty, integrity, openness, accountability, creativity, understanding, commitment, perseverance, hard work and an understanding of local culture.

What we do:

• Assess and develop systems and organizations
• Develop, educate and coach leaders
• Facilitate strategic planning
• Facilitate change
• Conflict management and resolution

As a company and as individual consultants, we are committed to exceeding our client expectations and delivering exceptional value.

Over the last five years, SafeTech Solutions has:

• Conducted emergency medical systems assessments for organizations, communities, counties, and regions;
• Sought to continuously identify best practices in emergency services systems and learn about unique organizational and operational practices;
• Educated more than 500 emergency medical services leaders in our unique EMS leadership academy;
• Developed and assisted in the implementation of system designs for counties and regions;
• Performed financial analysis for hospital-based, independent, and governmental ambulance services;
• Conducted statewide rural emergency medical assessments that included a financial component  and recommendations for state actions;
• Guided development of joint powers agreements for creation of consolidated ambulance services;
• Developed or contributed to the development of state emergency medical services systems, trauma systems, public health plans, and the reassessment of these plans;
• Developed emergency medical services budget model spreadsheets;
• Facilitated strategic planning for organizations and systems; and
• Assisted organizations in addressing leadership, staffing, fleet, and financial issues.

SafeTech Solutions

SafeTech Solutions, LLP is an international consulting firm helping individuals, organizations and communities find new levels of success through assessment, strategic planning, facilitating change, leadership development, coaching, mediating conflict and workforce planning.

While SafeTech Solutions works with individuals and organizations from a variety of disciplines and industries, much of our work is with individuals, organizations and systems involved with the provision of emergency services and healthcare.

Learn More