volntrEMT

Since all levels of EMS (EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, EMT-Paramedic) all contain the common title "Emergency Medical Technician", it's logical to refer to them as EMT's. Only those who are suffering from an over inflated ego MUST be labeled by distinction.

Even your college courses are broken down in this fashion, so it stands to reason that the National Registry will also use the 'lump grouping'.

You don't see doctors going through this 'chest thumping, degree waving' amongst themselves, to make sure that the public is well aware of who the top 'doctor level' is!

Could this be part of the reason that we're not viewed as 'professionals'?

How many times have you seen or heard of a doctor getting bent out of shape because they weren't addressed by some title that reflected their specialty? Podiatrist Smith, Cardiologist Levenstein, Proctologist Green, Orthopedist Thompson, Neurologist Malik, or Proctologist Sharpton? You dont! They have moved on from this petty 'stand out from the crowd' mentality and realized that they're all doctors, just as we are ALL EMT's!

*DISCLAIMER* By putting names and specialties together, I am in no way implying that certain ethnic, racial or gender groups are more predisposed to certain specialties. These were just simply the first name I could think of as well as the first specialties I could think of to illustrate my point!

I personally think that as soon as we stop this 'I'm more important than you are!' mentality, we may have just taken a huge step toward being recognized as the professionals that we are!

Let the fireworks commence!

Bravo!! You make a fantastic point!! Very well said!!

The cops involved in the arrest of the CPVAC member quote some law stating that a badge with either a municipality, county or state emblem that is not issued by that municipality, county or the state of NY, is illegal. There is question, instead of such emblem, that a Star of Life be used instead, but no conclusion was reached.

I also read the above quote elsewhere online. Well, if thats the case, the police should be arresting all EMT's for wearing the state patch which has the same state seal on it and is worn as part of the uniform of MANY EMS agencies throught the state!

See my member image to the left of this post!!

In my dept. here on LI, when you first join you are on probation. It could be anywhere from 6 months to a year. During your probation time you are not allowed to have a light (Here on LI it's a green light).

Once you are off probation and are now considered a regular member, you can have green lights on your vehicle. The green light is not exclusively for responding to the building, but also if you are responding to the scene.

As a probationary member you are not allowed to respond to the scene, as a regular member you can. Also probies rushing to respond to the building without any regular members being there doesn't accomplish anything, as without a regular, the ambulance isn't going nowhere. So there is no need for probies to have a green light.

My medical director has it even published in our protocol book (over 200 pages) that "Protocols are guidelines ONLY" It is upon the desecration of the EMT or Paramedic to utilize and make decisions upon clinical knowledge. She would fry us if "we stuck to the protocols" on every call. As from her mouth "I don't want cook-book medics".. She expects us to be clinicians.

Pretty much the same thing here in NY..................................

The NYS Statewide Basic Life Support Adult and Pediatric Treatment Protocols designed by the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services of the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Emergency Medical Services Council. These protocols have been reviewed and approved by the New York State Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (SEMAC) and the New York State Emergency Medical Services Council (SEMSCO).

The protocols reflect the current minimally acceptable statewide treatment standards for adult and pediatric basic life support (BLS) used by the Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT- and Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT).

These protocols are not intended to be absolute and ultimate treatment doctrines, but rather standards which are flexible to accommodate the complexity of the problems in patient management presented to Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMTs) in the field. These protocols should be considered as a model or standard by which all patients

should be treated. Since patients do not always fit into a "cook book" approach, these protocols are not a substitute for GOOD CLINICAL JUDGMENT, especially when a situation occurs which does not fit

these standards.

Yea, I smoke. Tried to quit so many times!! I smoke while on duty. Where acceptable and after patient is transported to hospital. There is a smoking area at the three hospitals we usually go to for EMS personnel.

Let me tell you, it seems a lot of ems workers smoke!!! I've never seen the smoke area empty!!