🎙️ Ep. #9 THE PARAMEDIC PROFESSOR | Craig Evans — Tales from the Tailboard Podcast

Craig Evans, known across social media as The Paramedic Professor, is a 30-year Lieutenant/Paramedic, educator, and lifelong student of the craft.
He joins the show to talk about identity in EMS, leadership, culture, training, fire/EMS integration, survival mindset, and why the profession desperately needs people willing to tell the truth — even when it pisses people off.

Craig’s experience runs deep:
Volunteering at 16, Shock Trauma Technician, fire service veteran, medic, instructor, and now an outspoken voice pushing EMS into the future.

This episode is sharp, uncomfortable at times, and absolutely necessary.


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Craig Evans — The Paramedic Professor:

Instagram: instagram.com/theparamedicprofessor


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🔥 Topics We Cover in This Episode

• The early years — volunteering at 16
How a house fire at 15 and an EMS recruiter at school changed his life.

• EMS identity crisis
Why EMS has titles instead of rank, and why the public can’t tell an EMT-B from a medic when we walk into the ER.

• Fire vs EMS separation
Why combining the professions diluted standards — and why one person can’t master two different career paths.

• The medic pipeline problem
Chasing pensions, schedules, and pay raises without wanting to be a paramedic — and how that destroys quality of care.

• The culture of the firehouse
Complaining vs actually fixing systemic problems. The tradition mindset holding progress back.

• Teaching, mentorship & legacy
Why “those who can’t do teach” is a lie — and why if you can’t teach, you probably never mastered the job in the first place.

• Physical fitness + mental fitness
The uncomfortable truth: your crew shouldn’t have to save you before you save the patient.

• Firehouse politics & controversy
Why Craig intentionally drops “heat” online — and why sparking debate is sometimes the only way to create change.

• Survival mindset
Lessons from Deep Survival, SCBA vibra-alert realities, and why knowing your gear intimately can save your life in a down-firefighter situation.

• The future of EMS
Why standards need to rise — not fall — and why leadership must be earned, not aged into.


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Linktree (all links & merch): linktr.ee/talesfromthetailboard


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👕 Sponsored By — End of Shift Apparel

Real apparel for real first responders.
Shop: endofshiftapparel.com
(Discount code coming soon)


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🎵 Music Credit

Intro: “Serotonin” — Normandie
Outro: “Figure It Out” — Royal Blood


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⚖️ FAIR USE NOTICE

This episode may reference third-party material strictly for purposes of commentary, education, criticism, or discussion, in accordance with Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.
No copyright infringement is intended.


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