emt4909

Our EMS system provides steak dinners for the members at each department's monthly meetings, so there is no extra work for the personnel, but it is a little something to say thank you. I agree 100%; it is nice to get public awareness out, but make EMS week about the staff. One year, we also had a renowned instructor come in to conduct free C.E. for the system. Anything to appreciate the staff is time well spent during EMS week.

There is room for EMS in any particular field of study provided that EMS providers receive the proper training. Now, it is important to understand the full rescue situation. If you are not acting as a firefighter for the day, don't try to be the hero to put the fire out. As a medic, I would not start extrication "with an ax" without the fire department there unless patient care was being impeded by a long response time from the fire department. If the patient needs "lifesaving intervention", then I would do what was necessary to help the patient (to my knowledge level and ability). However, it is important to recognize and utilize everyone in their appropriate roles in the response and chain of survival. In my hometown, we have a lot of rope rescues, high angle rescues, grain bin collapses, wilderness search and rescues, etc...we utilize any personnel who have properly trained to handle these situations on our department (whether fire or EMS) and so far this has worked well. It is nice to have a seasoned medic be able to repel on a rope rescue or high angle rescue when ALS measures are needed.