Are we really the whores that people think we are ?

[crotchitymedic1986]

You know that within our industry we have those who cheat on their spouses. We have all known someone that got caught. Do you think we (men and women in EMS) have a higher infidelity rate than the typical 9-5 non-public safety industries ?

[HERBIE1]

You know that within our industry we have those who cheat on their spouses. We have all known someone that got caught. Do you think we (men and women in EMS) have a higher infidelity rate than the typical 9-5 non-public safety industries ?

Without a doubt. High stress jobs are notorious for this problem. Then again, the nationwide divorce rate is incredibly high too.

[mobey]

Would be an interseting study.

I have yet to work a station, or attend a class where it is not happening.

[emtannie]

I don't believe the rate of infidenlity is higher in EMS than anywhere else... we can blame it on high stress jobs, but look at the national divorce rate...

One thing that does not work in our favor is media coverage - look at shows like Third Watch, ER, Grey's Anatomy, Trauma, Rescue Me..... when the nighttime drama series' portray anyone in emergency services as sleeping with whoever, wherever, the average public will believe it.

I be for every "whore" in the service, there is someone who has been happily married for years and years.... We just tend to look at the negative, rather than the positive.

[Jeepluv77]

I've heard it said around here, by EMT's/Paramedics themselves, that EMS really stands for "extra-marital sex". It's really quite disgusting. I don't even run rescue and I already know way too much about "who's done whom and where". At least in this area, we can't blame the reputation on the TV shows.

[HERBIE1]

I'm not sure about the cause for the high divorce rates in our business, but I'm sure infidelity plays a large role. All the things that we complain about our profession- odd hours, sleep deprivation, financial strain from a low paying job, high stress- are also major contributors to marital problems.

When I worked in ER's, I wouldn't say there was a lot of bed hopping, but MANY folks were divorced. Honestly, in the food service business where I worked for years, I found A LOT of people cheating on spouses, with an associated high rate of divorce there too.

[DwayneEMTP]

I wonder if it has so much to do with the job, as I don't think I had less stress as a contractor, or UPS tech support person, etc, in fact, almost certainly more.

I wonder if it has more to do with our close quarters as well as regular access to privacy?

Dwayne

[emtannie]

I wonder if it has more to do with our close quarters as well as regular access to privacy?

This may explain why back in my banking days, I found one of the personal banking managers and a teller in the vault.... giving a whole new meaning to full service banking....

I am not convinced that EMS is any worse than a number of other professions when it comes to cheating... maybe because we are so used to discussing anything and everything under the sun, and if you can name it, someone has seen it, that we just talk about it more....

[Just Plain Ruff]

I have to weigh in here.

I'm happily married for 16 years. I've been in EMS longer but.

I have had opportunities off and on and always chose the high road.

I think that someone above said it truly - for every cheating EMS'r, there is at least 1 if not two non-cheating people. I don't believe it's all that prevalent. Sure there are those in particular agencies that are married and who screw anything that walks but since most EMS Agencies are staffed by less than 20-30 people, I'd say that the cheaters are in the minority.

But I could be wrong.

So let's take my line of work as I do it now. I travel for work. I have many many travelling companions and colleagues. Most are married. Some are not.

I know that all I have to do is go to the hotel bar and I will find another traveller there either having dinner or drinking. You can always tell the travelling consultants and sales people. they are the ones eating in the hotel restaurant or the bar alone. I have struck up conversations with some of them and I'm usually right.

Have I had opportunity to stray, sure have. More than once but I don't but I know many many who have.

Both of our lines of work, travelling consultant and EMS have one thing in common when it comes to opportunity to cheat. OPPORTUNITY

Away from home, privacy (hotel room or crew quarters), the risk of getting caught by the spouse is negligible because most spouses don't travel or work with their mates. Other items in common are loneliness and just the thrill of the chase.

Seriously, if you cannot keep it in your pants for 24 hours or until you get back to your spouse then should you really be married?

You know that within our industry we have those who cheat on their spouses. We have all known someone that got caught. Do you think we (men and women in EMS) have a higher infidelity rate than the typical 9-5 non-public safety industries ?

I also meant to add, I don't think that our rate of infidelity is more than the general public. In EMS, we are all a very close knit group so when two people cheat then that gets around to everyone. In a service of 20-30 people, just a couple of people cheating would make it look like a big problem when it really isn't any bigger of a problem than the general public.

Take the television shows that show EMS, Firefighters, Cops, nurses, and doctors as sex starved maniacs and you can see where the public get's their opinions.

But I would venture to go out on a limb here and put this question to you all

In your neighborhood - is there more infidelity occurring in the 10 block radius of where you live or more infidelity going on in your local ambulance service?

thoughts?

[uglyEMT]

I think the main reason why you hear about infedlity on the job is what are job entails. Long boring hours interspersed with shear adreniline. I think the bonds we form with our partners (crew partners not spouse) make it increasingly likely something will happen if both parties are less then morally correct.

Think about how it is coming off the adreniline of a particularly serious call, now team that up with a partner that you may find attractive and have shared alot of time and experiences with and you get a recipe for something to happen. im not saying it should or will happen but the ingrediants are there.

I noticed in school even, as some students got particlarly close due to touching and probing that goes into class. It happens I guess.

Me, no this hasn't happened nore will it. I love my wife and can keep it in my pants long enough to just wait till I get home. Plus I have the moral fortitude to believe in the vows my wife and I shared and wont break them for anything or anyone.

I think the reason more folks think EMS stands for extra marital sex is because of A) Television and If it does get around and the press picks it up its headlines that spread like wildfire.