The latest What Paramedics Want report points to predictability, recovery time, staffing, and operational design as key factors in EMS retention.
The annual What Paramedics Want report presentation is always one of the sessions we look forward to at Pinnacle, and this year’s discussion offered a clear message for EMS leaders—retention is not only about recruiting more people. It is about building systems where good people can stay.
The 2026 What Paramedics Want survey, conducted by EMS1 and Fitch & Associates, collected responses from nearly 1,000 EMS professionals representing urban, suburban and rural agencies across fire-based, third-service, hospital-based and private EMS systems. The report found that burnout remained the top-ranked issue facing EMS, followed by retention of quality personnel, funding and reimbursement, leadership, career development, provider mental health and recruitment.
But one of the most important findings was not just that EMS professionals are tired. It was that they are more likely to recommend EMS as a career when they work in systems that feel more predictable, are adequately staffed, and are designed to allow recovery between calls. Among providers who described their daily workload as highly predictable, 66% qualified as “promoters” of EMS as a career. Among those reporting low workload predictability, only 29% were promoters.
That is a powerful retention insight. Providers are not simply evaluating whether EMS is hard. EMS will always be hard. They are evaluating whether the job feels manageable, whether expectations are clear, whether they have the tools to do the work, and whether their agency is actively removing barriers instead of adding more.
EMS Retention Is a Daily Experience
The report makes clear that operational design may shape EMS retention more than agencies realize. Systems associated with unpredictable workloads, constant deployment movement, inadequate downtime and frequent overtime produced weaker morale and lower EMS career recommendation scores. Agencies with more stable operations, predictable workloads and stronger recovery opportunities produced more positive workforce sentiment.
That does not mean technology alone can solve EMS retention. Pay, staffing, leadership, culture, scheduling models and career development all matter. But technology can influence the daily experience of the job.
When providers are working inside disconnected systems, difficult workflows and time-consuming administrative processes, the job becomes harder than it needs to be. Every extra login, duplicate field, unclear schedule, late correction, or avoidable documentation burden adds friction to an already demanding profession.
Traumasoft is designed to reduce that friction. Built by EMS professionals for EMS professionals, the platform helps agencies streamline required work so providers and leaders can focus more energy on patient care, workforce support and operational improvement.
“EMS retention starts with understanding the daily reality of EMS,” says Tiffany Williamson, Chief Product Officer at Traumasoft. “Our goal is to build technology that makes the required work easier to complete, so providers can spend less time fighting systems and more time doing the work they came here to do.”
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ePCR That Supports the Field
Documentation is one of the most important responsibilities in EMS, but it can also become one of the biggest sources of frustration. Traumasoft ePCR is designed to support accurate, compliant documentation with AI-powered QA/QI built directly into the workflow.
That matters for EMS retention because documentation should not feel disconnected from the rest of the operation. When ePCR connects with dispatch, billing and QA, agencies can reduce duplicate work, improve chart quality and help providers complete documentation more efficiently.
A better charting experience will not eliminate the difficulty of the job, but it can reduce one daily pain point that contributes to frustration over time.
Mobile Tools for a Mobile Workforce
EMS happens in the field, not behind a desk. The Traumasoft Mobile App gives crews and supervisors access to schedules, trip details, documentation, communication tools, and dispatch updates from anywhere, extending the operation into the field in real time.
That kind of access helps reduce confusion and delay. Crews should not have to hunt for schedule updates, trip details, or communication from the operation. When information is easier to access, the day becomes easier to manage.
For providers, that can mean fewer avoidable frustrations. For leaders, it creates a more connected and responsive workforce.
People Operations That Build Trust
Retention is closely tied to whether employees trust the system around them. Scheduling, credentials, payroll and workforce information all contribute to that trust.
Traumasoft People Operations integrates scheduling, credentials, payroll and workforce data into a single system, giving agencies visibility and control over their teams. That connected approach helps agencies manage the details that matter to employees every day, including schedule accuracy, credential tracking, compliance and payroll workflows.
For agencies that need more structure around break management, Traumasoft Break Tracking lets agencies define their own break policies by shift length and role, then gives dispatchers and schedulers the tools to assign, monitor, and track breaks through completion, with status reflected on employee timecards to support payroll accuracy and labor compliance.
When those processes work well, employees feel it. When they do not, frustration builds quickly, and your EMS retention takes a hit.
Training That Helps People Stay and Grow
The What Paramedics Want report identified career development and advancement as one of the top issues facing EMS. That makes training and onboarding an important part of the retention conversation.
Traumasoft Virtual Classroom centralizes onboarding, training and compliance education, helping teams get up to speed quickly and stay aligned. For new employees, that can create a clearer path into the organization. For current employees, it helps support consistency, confidence and continued development.
EMS retention is not just about keeping people from leaving. It is about giving them reasons to believe there is a future in the profession.
A Better System Supports a Better Workforce … and Higher EMS Retention
The report closes its retention section with a practical blueprint for higher-morale EMS agencies: improve workload predictability, protect recovery time, reduce reliance on overtime, match resources to call acuity and invest in leadership and operational culture.
Those are leadership and operational priorities. But they also require good information, connected systems and tools that help leaders understand what is happening across the organization.
Traumasoft supports that work by giving EMS agencies a more connected foundation for managing people, processes and performance.
“We cannot remove every challenge from EMS, but we can help remove unnecessary friction,” Williamson says. “When the software is easier to use, when information is connected and when crews are better supported, agencies are in a stronger position to retain the people they depend on.”
EMS retention will always require a full organizational commitment. But the 2026 What Paramedics Want data makes it clear that providers are paying attention to whether the job is sustainable.
Making the job easier to do is not a small thing. It may be one of the most practical EMS retention strategies industry leaders have.
