On the boards one frequent thing I see arise is our pay and lack of respect. I personally feel among the new trend in short cut to education (yes 6months accelerated program to paramedic is a JOKE) and the lack of professionalism. I sad trend I see if folks who want to play hero but want to live it. I agree with Everyone here if your a 300lb medic you better be 7ft tall, and that goes for the rest of our fellow public safety brothers. The public hold us to a higher standard and if you dont like it please leave there is plenty of work for dedicated professionals. Your uniform says plenty about you if it is covered in stains and worn you look like a SLOB and I dont want to hear your crying about "well my service only give me X dollars for uniforms, The Army as of 2011 currently gives enlisted personal 1,400 male and 1,600 female initial uniform allowance and I can assure there KIT cost allot more yet they maintain exceptional uniform standards in much hasher conditions. The way you dress and carry yourself speaks mountains about you and who you are. On a recent assignment I had the pleasure of working with someone from this very same forum and we became friends quickly. I asked him once why he felt I was different and he said " your not always telling BS war stories and you act professional" and that my friends is the secret to respect. The more we dumb down our standards and make it OK to be 450lb pound EMT the more the Doctors and Nurses will look down on us and keep our salaries in check. I would love to not have to always take contracts in harms way and away from my family, I dream of a day when ALL MEDICS need a 2 year degree and I can earn at home doing what I love and able to take care of my family . Sadly as I look online I see another 1 year 100% online medic program and watch as a officer I work with referes to a EMT as an ambulance driver and comments on his untucked polo/ with shorts and black sneakers I am realizing we are heading backwards in a profession.
The ones who won't Iron probably are also the ones who can't check there drug boxes and always need to be reminded to certify at the last minute too. 5.11 are very professional if worn as you said well.