Wisconsin EMS Association

09/04/2026

🚨 ATTENTION: TUITION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN NOW!

The EMS Tuition Reimbursement Program (2025 Wisconsin Act 35), WEMSA's #1 legislative priority last session, is officially LIVE. Apply today and get real money back for your EMS education.

You qualify if the following two questions are true for you:
✅ Did you complete initial EMR, EMT, AEMT, or Paramedic training on or after October 22, 2025 at a Wisconsin Technical College?
✅ Are you a Wisconsin student who paid for your own training OR are you a Wisconsin employer who paid for an employees training?

💰 WHAT'S COVERED: Tuition, required materials, uniforms, clinical equipment, and testing/licensure fees (NREMT, Pearson VUE). NO cap on reimbursement! This reimbursement is NOT counted as income.

👉 Apply now through HEAB's application form: https://glass.wisconsin.gov/WI/ApplicationProcess/ApplicationMainPage
👉 Email your documents to HEAB
👉 More details & FAQs on our website: https://www.wisconsinems.com/tuition-reimbursement

Don't wait, apply TODAY!

09/03/2026

🎉 WEMSA's Educational Needs Assessment Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to Les Norin and Dan Spillane - our two lucky Educational Needs Assessment Giveaway Winners of a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

Thank you to everyone who already took the time to complete the 2026 Annual Educational Needs Assessment. Your input helps us shape the future of our education initiatives! 🚑💙

While the giveaway window has closed, we're still accepting survey responses through the end of the year! Your feedback continues to help us build the training and courses that matter most. Take the survey here: https://wemsa.jotform.com/team/wemsa/2026-educational-needs-assessment

09/02/2026

September is Falls Prevention Awareness Month, and Falls Free Wisconsin has resources to help EMS departments get involved.

This year's theme, Stay Steady, Stay Connected, highlights how social connection plays a role in preventing falls as we age. Falls are common, but they aren't a normal part of aging, and EMS providers see firsthand the impact they have on our communities.

Falls Free Wisconsin is offering social media graphics, newsletter and press release templates, radio talking points, and a free community webinar on September 24. It's a great one to share with older adults or host as a watch party.

You can also submit your department's fall prevention events to the statewide events calendar and nominate a person or organization making a difference for the inaugural Falls Free Champion Awards.

Get all the resources at FallsFreeWI.org.

08/31/2026

Password managers help EMS agencies strengthen security without slowing staff down.

Using strong, unique passwords for every account reduces the risk of unauthorized access and helps protect email, cloud systems, scheduling tools, reporting platforms, and other critical services. For busy EMS teams, a password manager is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve cybersecurity readiness.

Best practices include:
✔ Storing passwords securely
✔ Using unique passwords for every account
✔ Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA)
✔ Reviewing and managing shared access regularly

WEMSA Cloud, a free data backup and secure cloud storage option available to Wisconsin EMS departments, encourages modern cybersecurity practices including MFA, strong password standards, secure account management, and protected cloud-based file storage for participating agencies.

Learn more about WEMSA Cloud and cybersecurity best practices for EMS organizations at: www.wisconsinems.com/wemsa-data-center

08/27/2026

Congratulations to the 77 first response agencies across Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan who received funding through the We Energies Foundation's 2026 Rewarding Responders Grant! This year's award totaled $150,000, the largest donation in the program's history, helping agencies purchase lifesaving equipment and training ranging from multi-gas detectors and thermal imaging cameras to AEDs and patient assessment equipment.

We are proud to see so many of our WEMSA member departments among this year's recipients, including Adell Fire Department and First Responders, Allenton Volunteer Fire Department, Beaver Dam Fire Department, Belgium Fire Department, Village of Biron Fire Department, Campbellsport Fire Department, Cedar Grove Fire Department and First Responders, City of Lake Mills Fire Department, Port Washington Fire/Rescue, Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department, Clinton Fire Protection District, Freedom Fire Department, Iron Ridge Fire Department and First Responders, Mayville EMS, Muscoda EMS, Norway Fire Department, Richfield Fire Department, Rudolph Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., Seymour Rescue Squad, Germantown Wisconsin Fire Department, Jackson Fire Department, Ozaukee Central Fire Department, Village of Merton Fire Department, Tichigan Volunteer Fire Company, Waterloo Fire Department, and Waubeka Fire Department.

Thank you to the We Energies Foundation for investing in Wisconsin's first responders, and congratulations to all of this year's recipients!

$150,000 for first responders 🚒 🚔 🚑

We're proud to make our largest Rewarding Responders Grant donation yet to help nearly 80 police and fire departments buy the equipment they need to keep themselves and our communities safe.

Learn more: https://news.we-energies.com/we-energies-awards-150000-to-improve-public-safety-through-rewarding-responders-grant/

08/26/2026

Happening today! There's still time to register and join us! 😀

This Wednesday! WEMSA members are invited to join us for our August Educational Webinar, The Physiology of Breath: Regulation Tools for EMS Providers, presented by Kevin Connelly, Founder of Reconnect Breath. EMS providers operate in high-stress environments every day. This session will take a practical look at how stress affects the body and how breath-based regulation techniques can help support recovery, focus, resilience, and long-term career sustainability.

📅 Wednesday, August 26
⏰ 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
💻 Live Virtual Webinar
🎓 1.0 CAPCE CE Credit
🔒 Exclusive to WEMSA Members

Attendees will learn how to recognize signs of sympathetic activation, practice breath-based regulation techniques that can be used between high-stress calls, and build these tools into a sustainable personal resilience routine.

Kevin has guided more than 6,000 people through breathwork and nervous system regulation training, and this session is designed to give EMS professionals tools they can actually use (not just concepts to think about).

If stress, fatigue, racing thoughts, or the constant “go-go-go” of EMS feels familiar, this is one you’ll want to make time for.

Register today through your WEMSA member profile:
wisconsinems.com/events

08/24/2026

This Wednesday! WEMSA members are invited to join us for our August Educational Webinar, The Physiology of Breath: Regulation Tools for EMS Providers, presented by Kevin Connelly, Founder of Reconnect Breath. EMS providers operate in high-stress environments every day. This session will take a practical look at how stress affects the body and how breath-based regulation techniques can help support recovery, focus, resilience, and long-term career sustainability.

📅 Wednesday, August 26
⏰ 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
💻 Live Virtual Webinar
🎓 1.0 CAPCE CE Credit
🔒 Exclusive to WEMSA Members

Attendees will learn how to recognize signs of sympathetic activation, practice breath-based regulation techniques that can be used between high-stress calls, and build these tools into a sustainable personal resilience routine.

Kevin has guided more than 6,000 people through breathwork and nervous system regulation training, and this session is designed to give EMS professionals tools they can actually use (not just concepts to think about).

If stress, fatigue, racing thoughts, or the constant “go-go-go” of EMS feels familiar, this is one you’ll want to make time for.

Register today through your WEMSA member profile:
wisconsinems.com/events

08/22/2026

EMS supply lists do not exactly get shorter, do they?

As WEMSA's Strategic Alliance Partner, Bound Tree Medical gives WEMSA members access to a direct discount program on the supplies, equipment, and everyday items their departments rely on!

Even better? WEMSA members are connected automatically, so there is no extra hoop to jump through to access exclusive member pricing.

It is one more way WEMSA membership can help agencies stretch their budgets while still getting what they need to serve their communities.

Not a member yet? Join today at wisconsinems.com/membership

08/21/2026

Day two of our department visits this week was another incredible reminder of why this work matters so much! 💙

We started the morning at Tigerton Area Ambulance Service, where we sat down with Allison, Jessica, Lisa, and Brenda for a great conversation about legislative updates and what WEMSA has been up to. We regret that we didn't get a photo with this wonderful group, but the conversation made up for it! We even learned about a card game they really enjoy playing together: Monopoly Deal. Anette will be picking this up soon from Amazon!

From there, we headed to Embarrass, WI Volunteer Fire Department to meet with a relatively new but mighty EMS team. They've been serving their community from an EMS standpoint since 2024! We had a wonderful time speaking with Assistant Director Andy Werth and Firefighter/EMR Jane to learn more about how they've been supporting their community and to explore how WEMSA can be a resource for them.

We wrapped up our two-day trip with a visit to Clintonville Area Ambulance Service, where we met with Director Cliff Peterson, who oversees both Clintonville and Tigerton. Cliff was a wealth of knowledge and gave us some fantastic insights into what's been happening in his neck of the woods!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to meet with us this week - your openness and dedication to your communities are truly inspiring. 🙏

And the road trips aren't over! We'll be heading to western Wisconsin in September and can't wait to connect with more of our EMS family. Stay tuned!

08/21/2026

Consider supporting this year’s Final Alarm Ceremony on September 26 in Wisconsin Rapids, whether through sponsorship or by attending to honor the Wisconsin firefighters and EMS professionals being remembered.