Daniel R. Gerard, MS, RN, NRP is the immediate past president of the International Association of EMS Chiefs and a recognized authority in EMS system design and operations. With over 40 years of experience as a paramedic and registered nurse, 20 years in Newark, NJ, Dan has led transformative EMS initiatives across the U.S. and abroad, including Hong Kong and the Bahamas. He currently serves as the EMS Coordinator for a California Bay Area Fire Department, where he oversees a community paramedic and mobile crisis response team. Dan has advised local, state, and federal agencies, and his writing has appeared in EMSWorld and Inside Sources. A Harvard Kennedy School fellow and doctoral candidate in organizational leadership, Dan brings real-world insight and thought leadership to every conversation.