
Feeling Behind the Curve? Understanding the EMS Power Curve Will Help You Stay Ahead
From Loud & Clear: EMS Guiding Principles - Advanced Continuing Education for Paramedics, EMTs & Prehospital Care Providers by Ross Orpet, Paramedic turned EMS Physician
January 26, 2026 · 1h 17m · Episode 109
About this episode
This episode discusses the EMS Power Curve and how understanding its phases can help paramedics stay ahead during calls.
Behind the curve. We've all heard it. Most of us have lived it. That sinking feeling when you're mentally three steps behind where the call actually is. The concept of the Power Curve comes from aviation—pilots need to understand the phases of flight and how the plane will react differently and require different inputs during each of these phases. The same principle applies to your 911 calls. This episode breaks down the exact framework to chunk calls into five critical phases. When you understand phases you understand what is needed during each point of the call and how to stay ahead. How to build if-then statements that eliminate decision fatigue. The psychological safety that lets you reset after screwing up in the apartment. And why 80% of medical errors tie back to the one phase—the hospital handoff. Stop reverting to chaos. Build the system that keeps you ahead. Guest/Cast/Crew information- Guest- Moose and Josh from Alert Medic 1 podcast Host- Ross Orpet, Will Berry Catch up with us after the show - Instagram- @emsloudandclear YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@EMSLoudandClear Website- www.emspodcast.com Books we recommend - The Dichotomy of Leadership…
People in this episode
Host: Ross Orpet
Guests: Moose, Josh
Topics covered
- EMS Power Curve
- decision making
- medical errors
- psychological safety
- call phases
Keywords
- EMS
- Power Curve
- decision fatigue
- medical errors
- hospital handoff
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Alert Medic 1
Books & works: The Dichotomy of Leadership, Extreme Ownership, Managing the Unexpected: Sustained Performance in a Complex World, Thinking Fast and Slow
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