Writing an article: EMS awareness

[Dustdevil]

Great opportunity to allow the community to keep up with what is happening in EMS, but do you really think there is enough to say to keep them interested?

That's what I am wondering too. It seems that this would quickly degenerate into a fluff-piece, wherein you are forced to make the news instead of just report it. You're going to end up throwing public exhibitions and CPR classes, and starting a "junior medic" group just to have something to announce. You can't really report on any real events, because eventually somebody will recognise themselves or their relative in your vague scenario and raise hell about the violation of their privacy.

Something I have to do at my current position is to submit a "daily report" at the end of each day. Nothing too detailed or difficult. Just a bullet list of eight to fifteen things I have done all day. Let me tell you, sometimes it's damn hard to come up with more than five, even if I include such mundane things as cleaning and disinfecting equipment, inventorying drugs, and washing the ambulance. Sure, you may have seen a dozen patients, but break them down into the four categories of illness, injury, immunisation, and consultation, and that's only four entries. Consequently, I have become pretty good at finding ways to make little things like counting narcotics ("Conference with medical supervisor regarding narcotics accountability") sound really interesting and time consuming on paper.

The point is, to assist you with this column, start taking LOTS of notes. You are going to have to become a regular fixture at the main office, noting everything that happens. Then, come the end of the week, you're going to have to scan over all of those notes. You're going to have to read each entry individually, then stop and ponder what possible interest that might hold to the public, and how you can make it that way. If you do that, you can keep a regular column going. I don't know how interested the public will be, but at least you won't run out of things to say.

Seriously though, bro, I think you may be biting off more than you can chew.

[mobey]

Considering this will be bi-weekly and only 300 words I don't think it will be that hard. I don't expect this to last forever, I should have mentioned that I guess. If we get a year out of it that is fine by me.

[Dustdevil]

Sweet. It's an excellent idea. And I give you big props for taking it on. It's just going to be a big job for you though. I hope your employer gives you the credit you deserve for it.