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If I may be so bold: I think I know who you are because I was much like you in 1997. I was.. let's just say I was rebellious and I did some stuff and saw some things prior to 1997. I was looking just as you are searching for meaning and importance in my life. Did I find it in becoming an EMT? No. FF1? No. Big city FD? No. EMT-I? No. Big City EMS? No. Paramedic? No. What I have come to realize in the most basic terms is this: 1. It is necessary for me to work to make money to exchange for what I need to live. 2. I can function in highly stimulated scenarios and it actually helps my focus.. the more f'ed up the situation the better I function. 3. Every other job I've tried has been fundamentally too corrupt for me to ignore. 4. Healthcare is only as corrupt as I decide to make it. I'm not sure if that will make sense to you because it's written in a language that perhaps is only comprehensible after you've seen some things that make you feel like you just took a trip to a house of mirrors and nothing's funny anymore.. Anyway, that's my two cents. You must be a good person because you came up with this crazy idea to help others because it makes you smile. The rest of the lesson is unfortunately too early for you. It wouldn't make any sense. Know this though: You can be a GREAT FIRE FIGHTER or you can be a GREAT PARAMEDIC... but you will NEVER be both.. no one has and no one ever will. Choose one path or another or be squished like a grape.

Hey all, Any chance that those of you that post regular, or plan to post regularly, or at all...That you can add your cert level and job status to your description? It would save a lot of "It sounds like you're a basic, so maybe this is what you're looking for..." or "If you're looking for paramedic level info, then this might be what you're saying.." Now, I know under the description that it's much more fun to put Tooth Fairy, or Gynecologist. But when there is already so much misunderstanding and loss of tone when presenting ideas in text it seems that there would be much less so if we had additional context to comments. Also, pasting from by tag line as I don't think that it can be said often enough... "I fully realize that you are just parroting this from other providers out there so don't take this personal. This "EMS is young" mantra is absolute rubbish. EMS WAS young in the 80's! Now EMS is a full grown adult that must be accountable for itself just like any other profession. Blaming corruption, ignorance, greed, and misdirection on the fact that the profession is "Only" 30yrs+ old is a crutch used by providers and management to continue a cycle of unaccountability and laziness." ~ Mobey" Dwayne

Aside from what has already been stated, you might want to do some reading on “stress hyperglycemia”. This is relatively common with cardiac failure/AIM, or any other acute injury/stress state for that matter…need not have a history of diabetes Wiki has a brief article about it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_hyperglycemia Without going through the exact mechanisms (mainly to do with increased immflamatory response), the sugar levels can actually be an indication of patient mortality, that is, the higher the sugar the worse patient outcome. Check out the article below…very interesting results relating to the BSL and patient mortality. http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/circj/70/8/1064/_pdf

Not offended mate, your not to know about the ugly side of the fire/ems debate, but i encourage you look into it, you may be surprised by what you find. As for the death thing theres not a lot of info i can give. Your up bringing, family situation, religion, life experiences, personal values and any other variable you will think of will change the way you react to someone else. What i can tell you is that it is best to understand that you will not "save a life" very often. You will however improve a lot of outcomes and relieve a lot of suffering but you will rarely be in a position where you can "save" a life. One of the issues newbies have with pre-hospital care is this misguided though ultruistic idea that we run around saving lives on a daily basis, and its just not true. They get bored and burned out by the routine, the BS calls, the long hours and distinct lack of "big jobs" to keep interested and leave. Also, you never de-sensitise or de-humanise or seperate yourself psychologically from dealing with the deceased, you learn to understand the fragility of life and what the chances of *you* being able to save one really is. Another thing is to not expect to be doing massive trauma, this impressive glamourous car smashes on the 6 o'clock news are few and far between for a provider. Sure, youll have runs of them but over a career you wont actually do that many. As for the smokey thing and being worried about death, i can tell you that as a volunteer smokey not too long ago, i used to wish i could leave with the ambo's instead of babysitting corpses while the police were recovering the deceased, so you will not be less immune as a smokey, in fact there is a chance you will be more exposed as you can neither lessen your exposure to recovery like we can nor as an individual make a large difference to those that are still alive because the real thing we carry that helps people isn't a piece of equipment or machinery, its a Mk1 Brain. I guarantee that some day you will wish you could have done more for a patient, we all do at some point, some of us will up-skill, some of us will study harder and some of us will leave because we are incapable of doing better. The question i ask you is whether or not you want to help people or help stop houses burning to the gorund, because one of these job's wil directly impact on people and another is focused on protecting property and limiting insurance claims.

People die. If you want to be in EMS and really make money.. Join a profession that is a complete conflict of interest. Become a funeral director. Cash in on the inevitable....

Thanks guys, I apologize if my comments offended anyone. For all i know i may love being an EMT and stick with it. I just worry about how ill react when faced with death. Also coming from a religious background and education i assume it can be hard to "de-humanize" or separate the patient with someone you know. What i assume tho with this job the pros, i.e. saving someones life, can counteract seeing someone slip away or not being able to help a person. Also i assume as my class starts and i go through with it i will learn if i am cut out for the job more and more. Thanks again for all you who responded, helps a lot Kyle