What is a hero/ life saver

[runswithneedles]

I haven't been raising too much hell in the forums. Caught the cold during a pediatric ER clinical and had to fight it off and catch up on my homework. Figured its time to bring out my trusty gasoline and zippo.

Anyways. Here's the questions I truly would like to debate. Can the paramedic save a life?(Medically speaking here, lets try to keep religion off the board for this one) And if so is he a hero for doing so.

Is it arrogant of ones self to call himself a hero?

And what makes a hero or a lifesaver?

[cscboulder11]

"Can the paramedic save a life?"

I don't see why not. Granted, he can't save everyone, but there are lives that can be.

" And if so is he a hero for doing so."

To the family he saved, yes. To others, he's most likely viewed as doing his job.

"Is it arrogant of ones self to call himself a hero?"

Yes. "Hero" shouldn't be a term you deem yourself.

"And what makes a hero or a lifesaver?"

Hero - going far above and beyond, putting yourself in harm's way for others, although I think hero can have a broad definition.

Lifesaver - what the title says, to put it simply

[Kiwiology]

Can the paramedic save a life?(Medically speaking here, lets try to keep religion off the board for this one)

Yes although it is far rarer than the telly wants you to believe

And if so is he a hero for doing so.

No

Is it arrogant of ones self to call himself a hero?

Yes

And what makes a hero or a lifesaver?

I don't know

[MongoMedic2]

I haven't been raising too much hell in the forums. Caught the cold during a pediatric ER clinical and had to fight it off and catch up on my homework. Figured its time to bring out my trusty gasoline and zippo.

Anyways. Here's the questions I truly would like to debate. Can the paramedic save a life?(Medically speaking here, lets try to keep religion off the board for this one) And if so is he a hero for doing so.

Is it arrogant of ones self to call himself a hero?

And what makes a hero or a lifesaver?

I think that a Paramedic can save a life, we have received training and put that training to use everyday. When a Paramedic administers a drug, pushes the button on the monitor that delivers a shock, etc. they can very well "save a life". Is this heroic, no I see it as being a lifesaver. By performing the steps the Paramedic did not go above and beyond "the call of duty" to save that life. They simply did the job that they were called to do. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I have taken someone out of the clutches, but I do not feel heroic. I just feel that I have done my job.

I define arrogance as this; acting as if you have been there done that, got the t-shirt, and not having a clue of what you are talking about. If one feels that their act was heroic and can justify why they feel that way, I think that arrogant would not nec. be the word I would choose. However, they definitely are not humble.

Hero vs. Lifesaver: I truly believe that what we do is save life. We use tools such as our teaching, protocols, medications, monitors, etc. to accomplish this. This by no means puts us in mortal danger. We were just lucky enough to have gotten the call, remember our teachings, referred to the correct protocol, and used the correct tool. The Hero is willing to give up his/her life selflessly in order to ensure the preservation of anothers life. If by their act that it put them in mortal danger and they did so without regard for their safety, that to me is what makes a hero.

Just my thoughts

MongoMedic

Edited February 25, 2012 by MongoMedic2

[Kiwiology]

Some bloke going for a walk who happens across a house fire and decides to run in and save several small cute children exposing himself to mortal danger is probably a "hero"

NB this does not include you Fire Service

An ambo who is doing what he is paid to do not so much

[ERDoc]

I agree with you Kiwi, but then I asked myself, "So, the only difference between being a hero and not being a hero is a paycheck?" I don't think I can answer that, but thought I would just throw it out there.

[nypamedic43]

Can the paramedic save a life? Yes, a paramedic can save a life. It's what we are trained to do.

Does that make us heroes? No it doesn't. Maybe to the family it does but we shouldnt be calling ourselves heroes for doing our jobs.

Is it arrogant to call ourselves heroes? Absolutely it is.

What makes a hero or a lifesaver? Being a lifesaver really only entails doing your job, to the best of your ability, every day. Being a hero requires that extra effort to go above and beyond, putting your life on the line so that someone else can live.

I personally have no interest in being a hero...thats for the fire services. Would I put myself in harms way to save someones life? Yes....and then kick myself in the ass for doing it later. But I wouldnt want to be called a hero because of it....in some cases that would just be plain stupidity on my part.

[Asysin2leads]

A hero is a sandwich. A life saver is a candy. Yes paramedics can save a life. Its very rare, but it does happen. It depends on your definition of saving a life, I guess. Some people believe that any time they do a transport they have saved a life. Others believe that holding someone's neck still during an extrication is saving a life. Generally speaking, working someone from cardiac arrest to being discharged neurologically intact is agreed upon to be saving a life, and I don't disagree. But that doesn't mean that doing so makes you a hero above and beyond society, it means you did your job, but in this day and age doing your job is indeed something to be proud of since doing so is becoming increasingly rare.

It is the height of arrogance to call your self a hero. Doing so is placing yourself on a pedestal above others, and leads you down some very dangerous roads. Look at the Fire Service. They've got the hero thing so far in their head that anyone who has any experience with them can't stand to be around them for any period of time. Police officers may have friends who are firefighters, paramedics may have friends who are firefighters, but as a general rule cops don't like firemen and paramedics don't like firemen, and if you ever bring that up, they almost unilaterally come off with something like "They're just jealous, or They couldn't pass the run." If that's being a hero, you can count me the fuck out. You go be a hero. I'll do my job and help others.

You can read some stories of true heroics. Sometimes paramedics perform those actions. Sometimes even firefighters do. But it doesn't make you a hero. Generally you need to be on a memorial wall to be one of those. Which is the main reason I don't want to be a hero.

[Eydawn]

True heroes really hate getting called that in my experience.

Does pay make the difference? No... but obligation might. Someone who is obliged to perform a certain action is doing their job, someone who steps up to help when no obligation exists, especially at some sort of risk, qualifies more as "hero" in my mind.

Every hero I have known absolutely refuses to allow themselves to be called one let alone referring to themselves that way...

Can a paramedic save a life? Sure. So can a Basic or a schoolteacher or a cook... given the correct set of circumstances and knowledge to act accordingly.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Vorenus]

Hm.

I`ve had a number of patients, I propably "saved" the life of a significantly smaller number of them, none of that made me a hero though.

I`ve put some thought into this hero/bravery thing before (though more in a general context than in an EMS one), dunno, it`s really hard to define.

I guess a heroic act is something that comes along with a cost or risk for oneself (life, all sorts of personally valued things) in oder to acchieve or accomplish that "heroic" act.

Also, the person performing that act of bravery or heroicism shouldn`t be under any obligation of whatsoever to do so.

For example that would exclude certain jobs, positions, etc that need you to do tasks as a part of the job. But if you have no other way to save yourself but to do that act, it ain`t real bravery either, it`s more about the natural life-saving instinct/reflex.

So it`s all about something you don`t need to do, that comes with a (possible) prize/risk, and that you still willinlgy do.