Faculty

Matthew Willens

EMT-P, FP-C, CP-C, CHW
EMS Supervisor
Fort Worth Fire Department

EMS Training and Education for the department. His responsibilities include recruit training, continuing education, Field Training Officer oversight, and part of Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement initiatives.Previously, Matthew served as a Clinical Coordinator in the Office of the Medical Director for the Metropolitan Area EMS Authority in Fort Worth, Texas. In this role, he provided clinical oversight for the system’s Mobile Integrated Health and Critical Care Team programs, ensuring high standards of patient care .With more than 25 years of experience in EMS, Matthew has worked in diverse EMS systems across New York, Ohio, and Texas, bringing a broad and practical perspective to prehospital medicine, education, and system development.

2026 Sessions

From Engine to ICU: Integrating Critical Care Capabilities into a Fire-Based EMS System

Yes, I understand

Fire-based EMS agencies across the country are facing increasing volumes, higher-acuity patients, and long transport times to definitive care. Traditional ALS models are no longer enough to meet the clinical complexity of modern prehospital care. This presentation explores how fire departments can strategically integrate critical care transport (CCT)-level capabilities—including advanced airway management, ventilator management, expanded vasoactive medication choices, point-of-care testing, and advanced resuscitation—into existing fire-based EMS operations.

Drawing from real-world fire service examples, system redesign strategies, and evolving national guidelines, this session will provide a roadmap for fire departments seeking to expand into critical care without overwhelming their workforce or budget. Attendees will learn how to build a scalable model that enhances patient outcomes, improves resource allocation, and strengthens an agency’s clinical identity.

Panelist (3 or more Presenters)

Presenter (1 Presenter)

Friday, October 02 1:00–2:00 PM
Room W230 D
Critical Care
Faculty

Trent Robinson

BS, LP, FP-C
Captain
Fort Worth Fire Department

Trent Robinson is a Critical Care Paramedic and Captain with the Fort Worth Fire Department. He oversees the Medic 1 group, which is a specialized unit of critical care fire officers with special operations capabilities. Trent has served with the Fort Worth Fire Department for 19 years and has 25 years of Fire/EMS experience. He is married and the father of three boys who are avid baseball players.

Faculty

Matthew Willens

EMT-P, FP-C, CP-C, CHW
EMS Supervisor
Fort Worth Fire Department

EMS Training and Education for the department. His responsibilities include recruit training, continuing education, Field Training Officer oversight, and part of Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement initiatives.Previously, Matthew served as a Clinical Coordinator in the Office of the Medical Director for the Metropolitan Area EMS Authority in Fort Worth, Texas. In this role, he provided clinical oversight for the system’s Mobile Integrated Health and Critical Care Team programs, ensuring high standards of patient care .With more than 25 years of experience in EMS, Matthew has worked in diverse EMS systems across New York, Ohio, and Texas, bringing a broad and practical perspective to prehospital medicine, education, and system development.

Faculty

Angela Cornelius

MD, MA
Associate System Medical Director
Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director

Dr. Angela Cornelius is an Associate Medical Director for the Fort Worth Office of the Medical Director, where her primary responsibilities are EMS CC and innovations. Board-certified in EM, FM, and EMS, she is an Associate Professor EM with TCU and LSU Shreveport who practices at John Peter Smith Hospital as core faculty and is the program director for the Baylor All Saints EMS Fellowship. She serves as Chair of the NAEMSP Preparedness Committee and immediate past chair of the ACEP Disaster Medicine committee and Air Medical section. She sits on the Expert Planning Committee for the DFW World Cup planning and is the subject matter expert for disaster surge. Current administrative projects include enhancing and creating more robust community paramedicine programs and EMS induction of buprenorphine for OUD.

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