As End Overdose exponentially evolves, we continue to seek out guidance from friends across industries and in their areas of expertise. Their perspectives are essential to our growth, whether it’s enhancing the medical intricacies of our online trainings, the impact of our awareness campaigns in entertainment, or our broader outreach efforts nationwide.
Thus, we’re excited to welcome Insomniac Director of Medical Operations & Public Safety and Prevent EMS founder Cody Snow to our advisory board!
Cody leads emergency medical and safety operations for some of the largest mass-gathering events in the country, including EDC Las Vegas. As the founder and president of his company, Prevent EMS, and his work across the live-events industry, Cody has built medical systems that protect hundreds of thousands of attendees. A longtime advocate for overdose prevention and response in the live music community, he will now advise End Overdose on bringing lifesaving education, naloxone, and overdose-response resources to the festival environments where they matter most.
In honor of Cody joining our advisory board, we spoke with him about building relationships based on trust in the medical field, the importance of creating opportunities for other people who are commencing or advancing their careers, and much more!
What’s one key lesson you’ve learned throughout your career that you’d like to share?
One of the most important lessons I've learned is that relationships matter more than equipment, titles, or technology. Throughout my career in fire service, EMS, emergency management, and large-scale event operations, I've seen that the organizations that perform best during crises are the ones that invest in trust, communication, and collaboration long before the emergency occurs.
Technology and resources are important, but they are only tools. Success comes from building strong teams, creating partnerships, and ensuring people are willing to work together when the stakes are highest. Whether responding to a medical emergency, managing a large-scale event, or preparing for a disaster, the foundation is always people.
You’ve had an extensive journey in public safety. What are a few accomplishments you’re most proud of?
I am most proud of the impact I've been able to make through service, leadership, and innovation.
One accomplishment is helping build Prevent Medical Solutions into a nationally recognized event medical and public safety organization. What started as a vision has grown into a team of hundreds of licensed professionals supporting some of the largest events in the country while providing high-quality patient care and reducing strain on local emergency systems.
I am also proud to serve in a leadership role overseeing public safety and medical operations for some of the largest live events in the United States. Working alongside public safety agencies, healthcare professionals, security teams, and event operators has provided a unique opportunity to help shape how large-scale events approach safety, incident management, and emergency preparedness.
My service as a firefighter and paramedic remains one of my greatest professional accomplishments. After more than 17 years in public safety, having the opportunity to care for people during some of the most challenging moments of their lives continues to be both humbling and rewarding.
I am also proud of the work I've done to advance communications, interoperability, and command center operations. I've always believed that bringing people, technology, and information together in a meaningful way can dramatically improve outcomes for responders, patients, and the communities we serve.
Perhaps most importantly, I'm proud of creating opportunities for other people. Whether that's mentoring a new EMT, helping a paramedic advance into leadership, building systems that support responders in the field, or creating organizations that allow hundreds of professionals to serve communities safely, seeing others succeed has become more rewarding than any title I've held.
What inspired you to join End Overdose’s Advisory Board?
I joined End Overdose's Advisory Board because overdose prevention is one of the most important public health and public safety challenges facing our country today.
Throughout my career, I've responded to overdose emergencies in communities, at events, and in everyday settings. I've seen firsthand how quickly an overdose can become fatal and how often a life can be saved when someone nearby has the knowledge, confidence, and tools to intervene.
What impressed me about End Overdose is its commitment to education, awareness, and empowering everyday people to act. The reality is that many overdose deaths are preventable. By increasing access to naloxone, improving education, and reducing stigma, we can create more opportunities for people to survive and ultimately recover.
I believe public safety, healthcare, education, and community organizations all have a role to play, and I am honored to contribute to that mission.
What do you hope to see for the future of overdose prevention and response throughout the country?
My hope is that overdose prevention becomes as commonplace and accepted as CPR and AED training.
We have spent decades teaching communities how to recognize cardiac arrest and respond before first responders arrive. I would like to see the same approach applied to overdose response. Every school, workplace, event venue, and public gathering place should have access to naloxone and people trained to use it.
I also hope to see greater collaboration between healthcare providers, public safety agencies, educators, community organizations, and policymakers. The overdose crisis cannot be solved by any one group alone.
Most importantly, I hope we continue shifting the conversation from judgment to compassion. Every life saved represents another opportunity for recovery, healing, and hope. If we can equip more people with the knowledge and confidence to act, we can save countless lives across the country.
