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Speakers

Please join us in welcoming some new and familiar faces to our lineup for 2025.

A. Rombod Rahimian, MD, MPH

A. Rombod Rahimian, MD, MPH, is an Emergency Medicine physician and fellowship-trained Emergency Medical Services sub-specialist, blending clinical expertise with leadership roles across emergency medicine, EMS, public health, and medical education. He serves as the Chief Medical Officer of the Huntington Beach Fire Department, Assistant Medical Director of the Los Angeles City Fire Department and Chief Medical Team Manager for FEMA Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 1. A native of Orange County, California, he earned dual bachelor's degrees in Biological Sciences and Art History at UC Irvine, followed by Master of Public Health, Doctor of Medicine, and Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Arizona - Tucson, where he was Chief Resident. He completed his EMS fellowship with the Los Angeles City Fire Department and LA County + USC. Some of his interests include emergency airway management and resuscitation, mobile integrated health, medical education and innovation in Emergency Medicine & EMS.

Allen Siorek

Retired District Chief from Gainesville Fire Rescue (FL) where we used both EMD and EFD. I'm a Protocol Expert for both disciplines and currently am a Deputy Chief in the Implementations department for PDC, managing half of our global project managers

Brian Dale

Brian has worked in Emergency Services since 1980. He started as an Emergency Medical Technician and Emergency Dispatcher with Gold Cross Ambulance in Salt Lake City. He completed his paramedic training with the company in 1983. In 1986, he hired on with the Salt Lake City Fire Department. During his work as a firefighter/paramedic he served as a paramedic preceptor for Weber State University’s Paramedic Program and was involved in quality assurance for both field and dispatch personnel. In 1996 he was promoted to the rank of Captain where he would provide Quality Improvement practices for both the EMS providers and the 911 Bureau. During his tenure, the department was able to reduce the use of lights and sirens by over 50%. In 2006, Brian was promoted to the rank of Division Chief where he oversaw the Medical Services Division and served as the department’s Safety Officer. Brian was appointed to the position of Deputy Chief of Support Services in 2009, and in May of 2014, he was appointed as the 21st Fire Chief for the Salt Lake City Fire Department. Brian also served as the EDQ Council of Standards Board Chair with the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) and is the past Chair for the IAED Board of Accreditation. He has a bachelor’s degree in allied health sciences - education emphasis. Brian retired as Fire Chief for the Salt Lake City Fire Department after thirty years in the fire service and took on the role of Associate Director of Medical and Quality Control Processes for the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. In that role, he ensured all dispatch protocols endorsed by the IAED would meet or exceed the standard practice for all Public Safety Disciplines. In addition, he oversees the Quality Management practices the IAED created and oversees. He is the past Chair of the Board of Accreditation and ED-Q Council of Standards. In 2021, he became the President of Priority Dispatch Corporation, and is the first person to serve in that role with both a background in Emergency Dispatch and public safety response and administration. Brian stepped down as the president in January of 2025 and now serves as a Senior Subject Matter Expert for Fire, Medical, and Quality Assurance topics for Priority Dispatch Corporation.

Crystal Robbins, M.A.

Crystal Robbins, M.A. is the Program Manager for the City of San Diego’s LIFT Program (Lifesaving Interventions for Treatment). She has nearly 15 years of experience working in the advocacy field where she has served as a sworn officer, and advocate supervisor for victims of crime. She is certified through the Office for Victims of Crime as an advanced advocate, has worked for the Health and Human Services Agency on the Homeless Outreach Team, and is a certified Crisis Response provider who has supported her community during mass causality incidents. Crystal has a degree in Sociology and Social Change, as well as an educational MA in Social Emotional Learning. She is also currently pursuing her second masters to obtain her clinician licensure. In addition to her passion for advocacy she is also an artist who utilizes her creativity and lived experiences to help promote resilience for survivors of trauma and those from historically marginalized populations.

Dino Beltz

With over 30 years of Fire and EMS experience, Battalion Chief Dino J. Beltz has dedicated his professional career to serving and protecting others. As a father of a son with Level 3 Autism and Intellectual Delay, it became obvious that there was a gap between First Responder Community in how we serve those with Special Needs. After over a decade of exposure and interaction with Special Needs parents, teachers, therapists, and doctors, he created this course to bridge that gap and help First Responders expand on their existing skill set.

Dylan Van Iwaarden

Dylan Van Iwaarden started working towards a career in the fire service with a private ambulance company and then transitioned to the Long Beach Fire Department as an Ambulance Operator. He continued his career path with the Tahoe and Angeles National Forest as a wildland firefighter on a type 3 engine before accepting a job with Orange County Fire Authority on their hand crew. Since the devastating Silverado burnover, Dylan has been overcoming incredible obstacles in his fight to return to the OCFA. With burns to over 65% of his body, Dylan has had to endure over 52 separate surgeries to date, with many more to come. In his path to recovery Dylan utilizes his experience to inspire both the firefighters on the ground and the leaders who run incidents to learn the lessons that he is still working through today.

Jake Toy, DO, MS

Dr. Jake Toy is the Medical Director for EMS Data Systems and Quality Improvement. He is Clinical Faculty in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Harbor-UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine. He also serves as EMS Faculty for the EMS/Disaster Medicine Fellowship in the Harbor-UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine. After completing his EMS Fellowship, which included pursuit of a masters degree in Health Policy and Management in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Dr. Toy joined the Los Angeles County EMS Agency where he seeks to advance prehospital care, address care inequities, and incorporate emerging technology into our regional EMS care system through data-driven and evidence-based approaches. Dr. Toy’s research interests focus on the evaluation and improvement of our regional systems of care for time-critical emergencies including out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, stroke, and traumatic injury, as well as understanding how we can utilize and implement emerging software and technologies to support our EMS clinicians. Dr. Toy also regularly instructs at the J. Michael Criley Paramedic Training Institute at the Los Angeles County EMS Agency.

Manish Shah, MD

Dr. Manish Shah is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine. He has dedicated his career to improving pediatric prehospital care on local, statewide, national, and international levels through research, education, and advocacy. Dr. Shah serves on the Executive Committee of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN), and he is the principal investigator for the Pediatric Dose Optimization for Seizures in EMS (PediDOSE) clinical trial and co-investigator for the Pediatric Prehospital Airway Resuscitation Trial (Pedi-PART). In this session, Dr. Shah will use tape reviews to discuss pediatric management of common or high stakes clinical conditions in EMS. He will differentiate existing evidence to support treatment options for these conditions, summarize ongoing multi-center pediatric prehospital research studies, and identify hot topics in pediatric EMS requiring further evidence generation to guide management.

Scott Wagness

Scott Wagness is an accomplished paramedic with more than 15 years of professional EMS and fire service experience. He currently works as an EMS Coordinator for the Solano County EMS Agency where he focuses on improving pediatric care within his EMS system and throughout the state of California. As an active participant in the California EMS for Children Technical Advisory Committee, Scott is part of workgroups that help shape prehospital pediatric care in California. Representing California EMS for Children he has previously spoken on topics such as how to reduce pediatric medication errors. Scott is recently retired from the San Francisco Fire Department where he served as a tactical paramedic and field training officer. During his time with SFFD he received multiple awards including the Raymond Lim Excellence in EMS award for his work improving prehospital pediatric care. He is also the creator of a pediatric medication dosing guide that has helped to improve pediatric medication dosing accuracy throughout San Francisco.

Aaron Meyer, M.D.

Aaron Meyer, M.D. is an assistant clinical professor at the University of California San Diego. He supervises trainees at a federally qualified health center, sees patients via telepsychiatry in Imperial County and works with the City of San Diego as their first Behavioral Health Officer. As Behavioral Health Officer, Dr. Meyer assists with evaluating and treating vulnerable individuals who frequently utilize emergency services. His advocacy interests include increasing access to care for those with cognitive disorders and substance use disorders.

Ann Marie Council

Ann Marie Council is a Senior Deputy City Attorney at the San Diego City Attorney’s Office. After serving as a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, she now serves as legal counsel for City Departments seeking access to care for vulnerable individuals endlessly cycling through the streets, hospitals and jails. This is done under the umbrella of San Diego’s LIFT Program (Lifesaving Interventions for Treatment), which uses a medical-social-legal partnership to address these challenging issues. When no less restrictive options are available, legal intervention can include initiating CARE Act or conservatorship proceedings. Ann Marie has a degree in Sociology from UC San Diego and a law degree from California Western School of Law. Her experience includes criminal prosecution and collaborative court, gun violence restraining order, CARE Act, conservatorship, social security, and special education law.

Chris Douglas

Chris Douglas – EMS career began in 1998 as EMT for a 911 transport provider in Orange County, California. Obtained the position of Firefighter/Paramedic with the City of Corona Fire Department in 2002 and promoted to Fire Captain/Paramedic in 2014. While serving with the City of Corona became a member of FEMA California Task Force 6 as a Rescue and Medical specialist from 2003 to 2019. Since 2022 has served as an administrative captain assigned to EMS as well as a member of the departments TEMS team that supports the Corona Police Department Special Response Team.

Darren Judd

Darren Judd joined Priority Dispatch full-time after 32 years in Public Safety and Private EMS. During his career, he managed a communications center and implemented and maintained the agency's first CAD system. Darren also worked with a team to bring his agency to be Accredited by IAED, along with developing the System Status Management plans for the entire service area and providing the training needed to keep the Communications Center successful and operational. Darren Judd is a Protocol Expert with Priority Dispatch Corporation and a member of IAED’s College of Fellows. Darren has been affiliated with Priority Dispatch since 2004 where he has been involved with the development of Specialty Protocols, such as the “Caller in Crisis” (P41) and the Suite of Protocols surrounding facility-type calls, Darren is involved with training and currently works with agencies and assists with the implementation of Protocols around the world.

Doug Van Iwaarden

Doug Van Iwaarden is Dylan’s father and a 25-year veteran of the Orange County Fire Authority. Doug rose through the ranks working as a firefighter/paramedic, engineer, and finally as a Fire Captain for the past eight years. As a member of the OCFA, Doug has served in many specialized fields such as Academy Instructor, Live Fire Cadre, Technical Rescuer, Helicopter Crew Chief, and Canine Handler on FEMA California Task Force 5 to name a few. Through the many teaching and instructing opportunities, Doug has had the opportunity to convey timeless truths to firefighters of all ages in the fire service. Through this event, Doug continues to highlight lessons that he hopes changes all our outlook in this dangerous profession.

Gary Galasso

Gary Galasso has over 37 years of fire service and field paramedic experience. He retired from the San Jose Fire Department, California, as a Deputy Fire Chief, concluding 26 years of career fire service. Gary has been a member of the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) College of Fellows and has served as the IAED Fire Council of Standards Chair since 2004. He is currently a Medical and Fire Protocol Expert with the Implementations Division of Priority Dispatch Corporation.

Lieutenant Colonel Bo McGowan

A combat decorated Air Force fighter pilot, squadron commander, & peak performance expert, Bo has over 6,400 hours of flight time, including 42 Combat Air Patrol sorties in Iraq. He holds an MBA with an emphasis on Executive Leadership, and currently flies internationally with a major US airline, where he was selected as First Officer of the Year.

Ray McQueen

Ray McQueen is a devoted husband to his wife, Chelsea, and a proud father to their three daughters: Sophia (7), Amelia (4), and Olivia (4). He has been a committed member of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) community since 2006, beginning his career with the San Diego Fire Department (SDFD) before joining the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) in 2013. Over the course of his career, Ray has held various roles, including Firefighter (FF), Firefighter/Paramedic (FF/PM), Fire Apparatus Engineer (FAE), Captain, and Battalion Chief (BC), with a special focus on EMS operations and leadership. Ray’s work has spanned several cities within the OCFA jurisdiction, where he has contributed to emergency medical response on various apparatus and in numerous specialty programs, including the Hazardous Materials Response Team. His exceptional dedication to EMS earned him the title of Battalion 9 Firefighter of the Year in 2017 (as an Engineer on Engine 75) and in 2021 (as a Captain on Engine 71). He was also honored as Battalion 4 Firefighter of the Year in 2019 (as a Captain on Engine 39) and Battalion 5 Firefighter of the Year in 2014 (as a FF/PM on Truck 4). Beyond his operational role, Ray has played a crucial part in training and mentoring within the OCFA. He has served as a Lead Instructor for the Recruit Academy, FAE Academy, and Fire Captain Academy, shaping the next generation of EMS professionals. Currently, Ray is a Battalion Chief overseeing Emergency Medical Services for OCFA, where he ensures that all personnel are equipped with the skills needed to provide exceptional pre-hospital care in emergencies. In addition to his EMS oversight role, he also serves as the ARFF Program Manager and Assistant Program Manager for the Hazmat Program. Ray’s specialized expertise includes being a Hazmat Specialist - WMD, an ARFF Firefighter, and an ARFF FAE. He is also actively involved in the Outreach and Recruitment Team, ensuring that OCFA continues to attract top talent. In his personal life, Ray is passionate about spending time with his family and is deeply committed to the ongoing development of OCFA’s newest firefighters, FAEs, and prospective company officers. With a career rooted in service and leadership, Ray remains dedicated to advancing EMS within the community and fostering the growth of those who serve with him.

Todd Allen

Todd Allen is a professional with over 30 years in emergency services and telecommunications. Currently, he is an Implementation Project Manager and Master Instructor at Priority Dispatch Corporation since 2006, specializing in the Academy’s protocols, emergency dispatch training, and quality assurance. His career began as a Paramedic in Las Vegas, NV, advancing to Field Training Officer and QA/QI Manager before entering Emergency Medical Dispatch in 1998. He has also served as 911 Assistant Manager for the City of Roswell Police, Deputy Director for Charleston County EMS, and Communications/IT Director for Charleston County 911. Todd’s expertise includes managing emergency dispatch centers, developing training programs, and overseeing IT functions in emergency services. He has been recognized for his contributions, including achieving multiple accreditations and creating innovative training programs and software applications. His commitment to excellence has significantly impacted the organizations he has served.

CFED West 2025

Bringing the Team Together

What

CFED West Conference & Expo

When

May 18-22, 2025

Where

44400 Indian Wells Ln,
Indian Wells, CA 92210, USA

Contact Us

To learn more, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

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