Regional Paramedic Symposium 2025

Erica Kreismann, MD, FACEM, is an Emergency Medicine specialist and board-certified executive coach. Her passion for leadership and developing people to their greatest potential led her to found OneWild Coaching in 2022. OWC is grounded in the belief that leading with courage and kindness is the foundation for all great leadership and when we lead from the heart in a way that is authentic and real, we will change the world. Erica moved to Tasmania 15 years ago, recently returning to the US to continue her adventures in building community and connection across continents. She can often be found tucked away with a book in front of the fire, or by following her oversized laugh. You can also follow her daily on LinkedIn.

Damion joined ASNSW as a paramedic in 2005. He has worked in both metropolitan and regional operations over his 20-year career. He completed his ICP training in 2011 and became a substantive Clinical Training Officer in 2019. Since 2021, he has worked as a Paramedic Educator and has also been a casual lecturer at CSU since 2016. He is passionate about prehospital care and promoting a positive and professional culture within ASNSW.

Haley Findlay is a Lecturer at Charles Sturt University and a clinically active Intensive Care and Extended Care Paramedic. With a background spanning paramedicine, nursing, and midwifery, she draws on her paramedic expertise and midwifery practice in both hospital and homebirth settings. She has a strong focus on developing paramedics’ understanding and practical application of the maternity skills required for clinical practice. A current PhD candidate, her research explores paramedic communication during childbirth and its impact on women’s birth experiences.

Ben Phipps has been a paramedic for over twenty years, the last thirteen as a Critical Care Paramedic. A frontline supervisor and Flight CCP on the Sunshine Coast, he has previously worked as a Flight Paramedic in Mackay and Thursday Island, and on-road positions across North & Western QLD. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Government Policy, a Masters in Emergency Health and a Graduate Diploma of Intensive Care Paramedic Practice. Outside of QAS, Ben holds qualifications in several areas including vertical rescue & road crash rescue with Queensland Fire & Rescue. He is a Paramedicine Panel Assessor with the Queensland Civil & Administrative Tribunal, and is married to Rachel with two daughters.

Jen has worked with NSW Ambulance since 1996. In that time, she has fulfilled numerous roles including Paramedic Educator, Extended Care Paramedic, Intensive Care Paramedic, Acute Stroke Advisor and Virtual Clinical Care Centre Senior Clinician. She is currently the Clinical Lead for the Extended Care Paramedic Program. She is a casual academic with Charles Sturt University and holds post graduate qualifications including a Master of Paramedicine - Extended Care. She has a keen interest in the role of paramedics in primary health care.

Chris Smith is an Extended Care Paramedic and Paramedic Educator with extensive experience in specialist paramedic practice and education. He is passionate about supporting paramedics to deliver safe, confident, and evidence-based care through innovative and practical training programs. Chris has played a key role in curriculum development and the implementation of major training reforms, while also supporting state-wide clinical deployments. His work is driven by a commitment to professionalism, evidence-based practice, and the ongoing development of the paramedic profession.

Sean joined Ambulance Service of NSW in 2012. After a few years he ventured towards medical training. In 2019 Sean started at Coffs Harbour Hospital across various specialties, before transitioning to Gold Coast University Hospital this year. Sean was fortunate enough to a year off to travel Australia with his family in 2023. He still enjoys working as a paramedic and moonlight throughout northern NSW.

Dr Tom Fursdon is an Emergency Specialist on the Mid North Coast and a Pre-Hospital and Retrieval Specialist in Newcastle. He is from the UK and undertook medical training in Liverpool. He moved to Port Macquarie in 2014 to begin Emergency Medicine training during which he completed a Pre-Hospital and Retrieval Medicine Fellowship with Hunter Retrieval Service. His clinical interests include critical care medicine, point-of-care ultrasound, and regional anaesthesia. Outside of work he enjoys surfing and spending time with his wife and 2 kids. 

Amy is a Queensland based Critical Care Paramedic with 15 years in the ambulance realm. She has a special interest in Paediatrics and is the Director and co-founder of PARA PEM - the successful course designed by Paramedics, for Paramedics, to provide up to date evidence based education about Paediatric Emergency Medicine

Sergio Gomes is an overseas trained and qualified Advanced Life Support Paramedic. He started his paramedic career more than 15 years ago in sunny Cape Town, South Africa, working most of his time on road before later running HEMS in Mali and working in Iraq. Sergio’s special interest is in the prehospital trauma and emergency medicine in hostile environments. Sergio more recently immigrated to Australia and commenced work with the Queensland Ambulance Service in 2018, where he currently operates out of West Moreton region.