Technology Supporting First Responders: ETHAN Project Behind the Scenes

Dr. Michael G. Gonzalez, FACEP, FAAEM, serves as Associate Medical Director for the City of Houston Fire Department/EMS Division, Director of the ETHAN (Emergency Tele-Health and Navigation) Project and is academic faculty with Baylor College of Medicine, Emergency Medicine Residency Program - Director of Advanced Airway Management and Simulation Education. Dr. Gonzalez is a native Texan and graduate of Rice University, and the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, with multiple tours of duty in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn, Gonzalez has served as Chief of Emergency Services, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, as well as Deputy Director & Lead Physician for Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) operations, U.S. Armed Forces Europe and Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. He lectures nationally and internationally with research interests in pre-hospital airway management, telemedicine, critical care transport and trauma.

Since 2005, Alex Nollmann has been delivering Panasonic mobility solutions to the public sector. He currently serves as the Mobility Sales Director for Public Sector, including Healthcare, with Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America (PSSNA). Alex is responsible for establishing and managing an effective sales team that builds and maintains relationships with customers and channel partners as well as collaborating with a variety of business groups to create market-specific, end-to-end solutions. With previous roles at Insight Public Sector and Havis, Alex has had the privilege of continually supporting the law enforcement community for 15 years, establishing himself as a subject matter expert in the design, procurement, and deployment of technology solutions that increase officer safety, efficiency, and community engagement.

Tom Jenkins was appointed Fire Chief for the City of Rogers on January 16, 2009. In his capacity he is responsible for over 140 career employees in ten locations. Under Tom’s leadership, the Rogers Fire Department has become accredited by the Center for Public Safety Excellence (since 2011), Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (since 2012) and was awarded an Insurance Service Officer Public Protection Classification of one in 2015.

Chief Jenkins was asked to serve by Governors Beebe and Hutchison to serve on several state commissions and groups, including the Trauma Advisory Council, Firefighter Benefit Review Panel and the Safe Schools Commission. Chief Jenkins has served as a professor for both Northwest Arkansas Community College and Oklahoma State University, teaching topics that range from leadership and administration to fire hydraulics and suppression tactics. In 2015, Chief Jenkins was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Fire Chiefs as the Second Vice President. In 2017, he was elected President and Chairman of the Board for the IAFC at Fire Rescue International in Charlotte, North Carolina. He served in this capacity until 2018.

In addition to public service, Tom is regular presenter at fire and emergency medical conferences. He has taught on the international stage and has been recognized on the Walk of Honor at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Chief Jenkins completed his Masters in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma with an emphasis in Public Personnel Management and obtained his Bachelors degree in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology from Oklahoma State University. He has completed the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy and is a designated Chief Fire Officer and Chief Emergency Medical Services Officer from the Commission on Public Credentialing. He currently serves on multiple boards and committees, including the: NFPA Standard on Organization and Deployment of Career Fire Departments Standard 1710, and the International Fire Service Training Association Board of Directors.