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Faculty

Kaitlyn Reef

BS, NRP
Division Chief of EMS Training
Fern Creek Fire and EMS

Kaitlyn Reef, BS, NRP, CP-C, is a 15-year EMS provider for Fern Creek Fire and EMS, located in Louisville, KY. She has a passion for prehospital care and relating technical rescue disciplines to prehospital medical care. She leads the EMS Training Bureau for Fern Creek FEMS, where she engages in one of her biggest passions – education. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering with her county Emergency Management Agency and spending time with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs.

2026 Sessions

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire: Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Cyanide

Yes, I understand

With the ever-increasing use of petroleum-based materials in manufacturing, structure fires burn hotter and faster than ever before. But that is not the only thing that makes them more dangerous than they used to be.

Cyanide poisoning is a leading killer of victims at the scenes of fires all over the world because of the prevalence of petroleum-based products. Yet in school, paramedics are usually only taught about carbon monoxide and its dangers in structure fires; hydrogen cyanide is often completely left out of the conversation. In this presentation, we will discuss how cyanide forms in fires, the prevalence of hydrogen cyanide toxicity, its mechanism, and its treatment, using real-world examples and data.

Presenter (1 Presenter)

Friday, October 02 2:15–3:15 PM
Room W331 B-D
Clinical Paramedicine
Faculty

Kaitlyn Reef

BS, NRP
Division Chief of EMS Training
Fern Creek Fire and EMS

Kaitlyn Reef, BS, NRP, CP-C, is a 15-year EMS provider for Fern Creek Fire and EMS, located in Louisville, KY. She has a passion for prehospital care and relating technical rescue disciplines to prehospital medical care. She leads the EMS Training Bureau for Fern Creek FEMS, where she engages in one of her biggest passions – education. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering with her county Emergency Management Agency and spending time with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs.
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