PTEP Authors

• Christine Alvarez, BS, Paramedic

  Christine Alvarez organized a rural ambulance service in western Honduras in 1978 during her four years of service there. Upon her return to the United States, she became certified as an EMT and later, in 1984, as a paramedic.  Her first 9-1-1 work was principally in the Times Square area of Manhattan with New York City EMS. In 1987, Christine started to teach EMTs and then in 1988, began as full-time Coordinator of the EMS education program at LaGuardia Community College CUNY.

  LaGuardia, under Christine’s leadership, has offered day and evening EMT programs, an Accredited Degree/certificate Paramedic Program, numerous grant funded opportunities for EMT and paramedic students, innovative EMS programming and curriculum, extensive clinical affiliations, student supports, and a Clinical Medical Assistant Program.

  Christine has served as Regional Faculty (Instructor-Trainer) for NYS BEMS, evaluated EMS program courses through NCCRS, and presented nationally at EMS and Education conferences. Her NYBEST SAVE EMT Program was selected as a U.S. Dept.of Education national best practice model and her psychological trauma prevention team is working to redefine how EMS is delivered by introducing psychological trauma prevention into EMS care.

  Christine holds a Bachelor's Degree in Community Leadership and Development from Springfield College.

  
  

• David Brenner, MS, PD

  

  David Brenner first got his taste of emergency services in 1968 when he became an ocean lifeguard for the NYC Department of Parks. After his first ocean save, he knew that that rescue services was in his future. He remained a lifeguard/chief lifeguard for 24 summers. In 1977 he became a firefighter and by 1979 an Advanced EMT. He became a paramedic in the early 1990s when he graduated from the first Stony Brook Paramedic class.

  David began instructing in EMS in 1981 providing services to Suffolk County EMS and Suffolk County Community College and later at the Stony Brook and LaGuardia Community College paramedic programs. He has provided EMS leadership at both agency and county levels as an officer in the fire department and member and chair of the Suffolk Regional Emergency Council. David has been a contributor to the development of many local and statewide curriculum. Mr. Brenner continues to provide instruction in many areas of EMS, rescue, and instructor training. He earned a BS and MS from Brooklyn College; MS and PD from Long Island University; and is currently enrolled in an EdD program at St. John’s University.

  
  

• Rosemary Masters, JD, LCSW

  Rosemary Masters holds dual degrees in law and social work. She served as the first Director of the Families of Homicide Victims Program for the New York City Victim Services Agency. She is the Founding Director of the Trauma Studies Center, a training and treatment division within the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy which is based in New York City.  Currently a senior member of the trauma faculty, she teaches the theory and treatment of psychological trauma and serves as supervisor and consultant to the trauma program.

  Under the sponsorship of the Uganda Counseling Association, she teaches trauma theory and treatment to Ugandan mental health professionals. On behalf of persons persecuted or tortured in their countries of origin, she provided over 50 forensic assessments to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She is a consultant to the LaGuardia Community College Pre-Hospital Training Programs. She maintains a private practice in New York City.

  
  

• William J. Schaub, MS, EMT-CC

  William J. Schaub has over 40 years of EMS/firematic experience and is an active New York State EMT-CC serving the Setauket Fire District. Currently, he is a Professor of Health Science at Suffolk County Community College and an EMS Instructor at LaGuardia Community College, where he teaches basic and advanced-level emergency medical technician courses and updates. Bill also serves as a Project Coordinator for educational training for Suffolk County Emergency Service and is a member of the Regional Faculty for the State Department of Health. 

  Bill is an educator in the public school and community college systems in the capacity of a classroom teacher for the sciences, science chairperson, and assistant principal. He has served as a classroom educator and administrator for almost five decades. Bill earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Long Island University and his Master of Science degree from Temple University.

  
  

• Keith Widmeier, BA, NRP, FP-C

  Keith Widmeier serves as an EMS education specialist at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He is a regular lecturer at local, state and national EMS conferences, where he also teaches a variety of continuing education courses, coordinates the Mobile Critical Care Provider course, and assists in teaching emergency response courses to medical students.

  Keith began his EMS career as a volunteer firefighter/EMT in the suburbs Philadelphia, and later moved to Kentucky to pursue his undergraduate degree. He has worked as a paramedic in urban, suburban and rural settings, and as a mobile intensive care paramedic, and flight paramedic.
  
  Keith is an accomplished author in various trade and scientific journals, as well as many textbooks. In education, he served as a training officer for a rural third-service EMS system, as well as the inaugural program director for a community college paramedic program in southern Kentucky, operating two campuses. He continues to be active on a variety of national EMS committees.

  
  

• Meghan Williams, BA, NRP, FP-C, NCEE

  Meghan Williams is a Senior Paramedic Educator at the Northwell Health System. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and has over 15 years’ experience as an EMS provider. She is certified as a IBSC Flight Paramedic, NAEMT instructor, AHA instructor, and a NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) certified Law Enforcement Instructor and previously served as an EMS educator at the Suffolk County Police Academy.  She is currently finishing her last semester of her Master’s Program.
  
  Meghan formerly served as the Paramedic Associate's degree Program Director at LaGuardia College. In that time, she helped to develop, implement, and teach the curriculum for the Associate’s degree in paramedic, complete CoAEMSP Accreditation for the Paramedic program, and helped develop, author, and teach the Psychological Trauma in EMS Patients course.
  
  Meghan uses her unique experience as a Rape Crisis Counselor and Domestic Violence Educator, former Suicide and Crisis Hotline Operator, EMS Preceptor, and DCJS instructor to lecture both locally and nationally on not only Paramedic Education, and Affective Domain, but in Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, and Sexual Assault Patient Care. Her passion remains in reducing Psychological Trauma and advancing the education of Paramedics to better serve our patients pre-hospital experience.