Bigfireguy

I never said that stopping to assist a stranded motorist would or should delay our response. Yet you seem to assume that since I didn't spell out every type of scenario we must be skipping calls to help out. Get real! Again I think you missed the point, or more likely you don't want to see it. Maybe you just need a long vacation. Hopefully others that read this will get past your negativity & can understand what I was trying to say, and this will help to improve their responses both on & off duty. Obviously the point is lost on you. Maybe that's the part you don't get. Most people are actually just trying to help, even if they don't have the training, experience, or equipment. Yes they are often more of a hindrance than a help, but that's why those of us who do have the training & experience have a responsibility to be a better example.

Honestly I think some of you have seriously missed the point. (Maybe you should consider yourselves part of the problem rather than the solution.) If you are serving a community, you can bet your butt you have customers, and they are paying customers too. Not that you don't have patients, but not nessarily at the same time. And before you freak out, please note that the "Customer Service" ideology is being driven primarily in the Fire Service end of things, not that it doesn't carry over to EMS only agencies. But the basis of it is that you are there as a member of the community, and you are expected to serve that community. Every resident and visitor to your community is a customer especially when they aren't your patient. I feel it is totally unacceptable for an unassigned (not on a run) unit, fire or EMS, to ever pass a vehicle that has stopped in an unusual place. i.e. out of gas, stalled, fender bender, or just plain lost. You are capable of helping that person with almost any of their problems, and at least can assist to get them out of harms way if not back on their way. That is customer service. And taking attitudes like that can make or break a public service agency when it comes time for bond elections or tax increases to support pay raises, new facilities, or new apparatus. And that kind of response doesn't cost us anything but a little personal effort, and a moment of our employer's time. It certainly doesn't decrease our ability to care for our patients. I would challenge you that it ultimately improves our ability to provide care for our patients. And that ideology isn't about "Capital Driven Medicine," although it does have an effect on the economics of our services. The question is do you want a positive effect or a negative one. As far as getting hurt, I didn't say it didn't happen, I said it doesn't happen as much as some (like those who state that they won't render aid off duty) would have you believe it does. And I didn't say we shouldn't protect ourselves, we should be trained to do this to the point that is second nature to us. Don't do anything you wouldn't do if you were on-duty, so be prepared. And if you aren't willing to be prepared, I would suggest you find a new career. People with that kind of attitude are killing our profession. I believe we have an obligation to protect not only those persons involved but the 13 inexperienced wannabes as well. Who better to help control the incident prior to the regular responders' arrival, us or the 13 "heroes?" Don't get me wrong, I don't think we need to be driving our own personal rescue units. But having gloves & glasses and a basic 1st aid kit, and maybe even an old blanket, will usually cover about 99% of the incidents you stop at. At least long enough for help to arrive. And I'd be willing to bet (based on experience) that 9 times out of 10 just being there to calm folks down and take "control" is all that is required. But it can make a huge difference to the majority of the "common folk" involved. It may just be another 1 of a million accidents we've been to, but for most people, its their first or maybe their worst. And be nice to those wannabes too. They will learn a lot from what they see you do. But what is it you want them to learn? That you & your agency are a bunch of jerks, or that you are totally unbelievably cool professionals that they want to be like someday. Someday we will be old and weary and those wannabes could be caring for us. Pay back could be a B**ch!

I think the feelings you have is what got most of us into the EMS field in the first place, so consider it "normal" at least among us EMS "freaks." The sad part is that a large portion of the people in our profession no longer stop to render aid off duty. I think there are several reasons for this but ultimately I believe it is just burn out & laziness. Most state it is a fear of legal reprisal or physical risk. And while there is some physical & legal risk I don't think it is substantiated by actual facts. Though you cannot rely on Good Samaritan Laws. In most states they are based on protecting MDs & Nurses, and they fail to cover most Paramedics and/or EMTs. But the best protection is to not do things you aren't allowed to do, and to act with the pt's best interest in mind. And to be prepared to protect yourself as well. Things we should do normally as part of our job. The other reason I believe we fail to stop is that we as responders tend to treat bystanders and unaffiliated EMTs & medics really crappy when we arrive at incidents. Most tend to feel as if they aren't valued or completely dismissed by responding crews. (Thus the comment about only stopping in your own jurisdiction, where you know the responding personnel.) With many agencies beginning to emphasize "Customer Service" programs, continued discussion in forums such as this, as well as better stress management programs for personnel to reduce burn-out, maybe we can begin to treat each other better and begin to improve our communities by creating attitudes & enviroments where people will again want to get out and help each other.