Gary Ludwig, M.S., EMT-P

Chief Gary Ludwig, MS, EMT-P is an EMS and fire expert with more than 45 years of experience in EMS, fire, and rescue services, over 43 years as a paramedic, and more than 25 years of consultation and expert witness work. He is the Fire Chief in Champaign, Illinois, and served as President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs in 2019/20. During his career, he has successfully managed two of the largest fire-based EMS systems in the United States - St. Louis and Memphis. He has authored over 500 articles in professional fire and EMS publications and has been requested to speak at over 400 conferences or seminars. He is also the author of four best-selling books.

Chief Ludwig provides consultation and expert witness services for professional attorneys and governments involved in civil and criminal litigation.

Services

Gary Ludwig provides consultation and expert opinion to plaintiff and defense attorneys on:

· Paramedic standard of care
· EMS standard of care
· Rescue operation
· Positional asphyxia
· Restraint asphyxia
· Emergency communications
· Medical direction
· Protocol development
· Airway management
· Disaster medicine
· Mass casualty incidents
· Scope of EMS practice
· EMS training
· EMS education
· Fire operations
· Ambulance operations
· EMS operations
· Firefighter
· First aid
· Pre-hospital care
· Paramedic
- Fire truck driving and operations
- Ambulance driving and operations

Litigation Support Services

Gary Ludwig provides expert witness opinions, litigation support and consultation on emergency medical service, fire, and 911 matters to plaintiff and defense attorneys, risk management professionals, as well as the general public.

Services provided include:

· Preliminary review and evaluation
· Written opinions and/or reports
· Technical support
· Availability and attendance for depositions and/or court proceedings

Areas of Expertise

Additional Expertise:

First Aid, Rescue Operation, Positional Asphyxia and Restraint Asphyxia, Emergency Communications and 911 Operations, Medical Direction & Protocols, EMS Operations, Disaster Medicine, Mass Casualty Incidents, Mass Gathering Events (Sports, Concerts, Parades, etc.).

Profile

Gary Ludwig is recognized as a respected national fire and EMS leader, author, public speaker, and expert who has managed two award-winning metropolitan EMS systems (Memphis and St. Louis) and an ISO Class 1 fire department. He has pioneered many concepts which are now standard practice in fire and EMS systems today. Chief Ludwig has over 45 years of fire, rescue, and EMS experience - and over 43 years of experience as a paramedic. He currently serves as the fire chief of Champaign, Illinois, and was President and Chairman of the Board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs during the 2019-20 term. In 2022, he was the recipient of the "Career Fire Chief of the Year" award from the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

Chief Ludwig has responded to over 35,000 fire, rescue, and EMS incidents during his 45-year career and has performed at various levels including patient care as a paramedic, firefighting, the incident commander at countless emergency scenes, and planned events.

Some planned events that he has commanded include two United States Presidential debates, numerous Presidential visits and motorcades, the Papal Visit of John Paul II to St. Louis in 1999, the 1993 Floods of St. Louis, United States Summer Olympic Festival, Super Bowl parades, and several World Series Baseball events.

Chief Ludwig started his career in St. Louis in 1977 at the age of 18. He retired 25 years later as the Chief Paramedic from the St. Louis Fire Department. During his career, he rose through the ranks and managed various programs or Bureaus including field operations, support services, the Fire Alarm Communications Center, and the EMS Division. During his management of the EMS Division, the St. Louis Fire Department won the EMS Service of the Year for the State of Missouri in 1998.

Chief Ludwig was also recruited and served as a deputy fire chief on the senior command staff for the Memphis Fire Department (Tennessee) for 10 years. He managed the EMS system and the Emergency Management Office. During his management of the EMS system, the Memphis Fire Department won the Tennessee EMS System of the Year and the Career Fire-based EMS System of the Year from the Congressional Fire Service Institute. The Memphis Fire Department is a 1,987 person fire department, operating from 57 fire stations, a $162.5 million budget, and last year responded on approximately 145,000 alarms. The EMS budget is over $36 million.

He previously served on the EMS Section Executive Board for the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) for 22 years, with six years as Chair (2007-2013).

Chief Ludwig has earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a Master's degree in Management and Business from National-Louis University. Additionally, he is a licensed paramedic and a certified firefighter. He serves on numerous boards including the editorial advisory Board for FireRescue1.com and FireChief.com.

Chief Ludwig has authored over 500 articles in such publications as the IAFC's On Scene, 9-1-1 Magazine, Fire Chief Magazine, Firehouse Magazine, Journal of Emergency Medical Services, EMS Magazine, and National Fire & Rescue. Also, Chief Ludwig is a nationally known and requested speaker and has made over 400 public presentations at conferences or professional seminars at most major fire or EMS conferences.

Awards
2022 Career Fire Chief of the Year - International Association of Fire Chiefs
2018 James O. Page Achievement Award - International Association of Fire Chiefs
2014 Presidential Award – Tennessee EMS Association
2014 James O Page EMS Leadership Award – National Award
2014 Career Fire-based EMS System of the Year - Awarded by the Congressional Fire Service Institute
2012 Tennessee EMS Service of the Year – Awarded by the Tennessee Ambulance Service Association
1998 Missouri EMS Administrator of the Year - Awarded by the Missouri EMS Association
1998 Missouri EMS Service of the Year - Awarded by the Missouri Emergency Medical Service Association
1996 Mayor's Award - City of St. Louis - Improved Level of Service
1995 Mayor's Award - City of St. Louis - Monetary Savings
1981 Mayor's Award of Heroism - City of St. Louis
1979 Mayor's Award of Heroism - City of St. Louis

Areas Served

All States

Gary Ludwig, M.S., EMT-P in the Social Networks

Twitter

Licenses

· Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P) - Missouri Department of Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services
· Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P) - Illinois Department of Public Health
. Fire Fighter I - Missouri Division of Fire Safety
· Fire Fighter II - Missouri Division of Fire Safety
· Hazardous Material Operations Level - Missouri Division of Fire Safety
· Advanced Cardiac Life Support - American Heart Association

Legal Experience & Services

Over 25 years of experience as an expert witness and consultant.

Affiliations

· International Association of Fire Chiefs
· Judiciary Oversight Commission for the Washington DC Fire Department
· Journal of Emergency Medical Service (JEMS)
· Firehouse.Com
· Frontline First Responder
· Firehouse Magazine
· 9-1-1 Magazine
· Fire and Rescue Training Institute, University of Missouri - Columbia
· National Association of EMTs

Qualifications

• ICS-100 Incident Command - Federal Emergency Management Agency
• ICS-200 Incident Command for Federal Disaster Workers - Federal Emergency Management Agency
• ICS-300 Intermediate All Hazard NIMS ICS for Expanding Incidents - Federal Emergency Management Agency
• ICS-400 Fundamentals for Command and Staff - Federal Emergency Management Agency
• ICS-400 Advanced ICS – Command and General Staff for Complex Incidents - Federal Emergency Management Agency
• ICS-700 National Incident Management System - Federal Emergency Management Agency
• ISC-800 National Response Framework - Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Command and Control of Target Hazards – National Fire Academy
• Advanced Incident Management System – National Fire Academy
• Incident Command for Highrise Operations; University of Missouri-Columbia, Fire and Rescue Training Institute
• Incident Safety Officer (NFPA 1521)
• Vehicle & Machine Rescue and Extrication Technician (NFPA 1670)
• Emergency Vehicle Operator – EMS; CEVO
• Emergency Vehicle Operator – Fire; (CEVO)
• Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD)
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support – American Heart Association
• Emergency Medical Service Operations and Planning for Weapons of Mass Destruction; The Texas A&M University System, The National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center
• Domestic Preparedness Senior Official's Workshop; United States National Domestic Preparedness Program Federal Emergency Management Agency - Emergency Management Institute
• Integrated Emergency Management Course for Special Events Federal Emergency Management Agency - National Fire Academy
• Advanced Leadership Issues in EMS - Charter Class Federal Emergency Management Agency - National Fire Academy:
• Fire Information Management Systems - Emmitsburg, Maryland Federal Emergency Management Agency - National Fire Academy
• Management of Emergency Medical Services - Emmitsburg, Maryland Federal Emergency Management Agency - National Fire
Academy
• St. Louis University School of Medicine: Emergency Medical Technician - Paramedic Training Program; St. Louis, Missouri

Awards & Honors

2022 Career Fire Chief of the Year - International Association of Fire Chiefs
2014 Presidential Award – Tennessee EMS Association
2014 James O Page EMS Leadership Award – National Award
2014 Career Fire-based EMS System of the Year - Awarded by the Congressional Fire Service Institute
2012 Tennessee EMS Service of the Year – Awarded by the Tennessee Ambulance Service Association
1998 Missouri EMS Administrator of the Year - Awarded by the Missouri EMS Association
1998 Missouri EMS Service of the Year - Awarded by the Missouri Emergency Medical Service Association
1996 Mayor's Award - City of St. Louis - Improved Level of Service
1995 Mayor's Award - City of St. Louis - Monetary Savings
1981 Mayor's Award of Heroism
1979 Mayor's Award of Heroism

Seminars & Training

Mr. Ludwig has been invited to speak or deliver a keynote address at more than 400 professional conferences and seminars in 42 states including Fire-Rescue International, Fire-Rescue Med, Fire-Rescue East, EMS Today, EMS Expo, EMS Magazine Expo, Firehouse Expo, Fire Department Instructor's Conference (FDIC), Firehouse World, FireCon, plus many other local, statewide, national, and international conferences and seminars.

Publications

Over 500 published articles in such magazines as Firehouse, Journal of Emergency Medical Services, EMS World, Fire Chief Magazine, 9-1-1 Magazine, and On-Scene; Articles are available upon request.

Education

· Paramedic Certification - St. Louis University, 1979
· Bachelor of Arts - Kensington University, 1986
· Master of Science - National-Louis University, 1992