David Fifer is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medical care at EKU, coordinator of their online EMS degree program, and Director of the Center for Wilderness & Outdoor Public Safety (EKU Wilderness OPS). David has practiced as an EMT, EMT-Intermediate, and Paramedic for 23 years, in Virginia, Washington, DC, and Kentucky, and for the past 10 years has worked part time for Powell County EMS where he is the founding coordinator of the Red River Gorge Special Treatment, Access, and Rescue team (RedSTAR). He is a volunteer hoist rescue specialist for Kentucky State Police Air Rescue program, and deploys to disasters throughout the United States and territories as an Operations Officer for the National Disaster Medical System’s Incident Management Team. David is a member of the Kentucky Board of EMS Education Committee and chaired the Wilderness Advanced Practice Paramedic work group. He teaches wilderness medicine and medical incident management throughout the world, and was a project leader for the creation of the IBSC WP-C exam. He serves as the nationwide representative of EMS Practitioners to the National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC) in Washington, DC.

David earned his B.A. in Political Science and M.S. in Safety, Security, and Emergency Management from EKU, holds the Certified Wilderness Paramedic credential from the International Board of Speciality Certifications, is a Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine, and is a Kentucky Advanced Practice Paramedic- Wilderness specialist.