Should EMS Be a Part of Public Safety?

[riskynremtp]

Now......Now......

We know what happens to those that mix EMS and Public Safety, here in the city.....

[cfdmcclain]

why would ems not be a part of public safety. emt and medic do a lot to promote safety.futher more when police and firefighters get in trouble they want an ambulance

[spenac]

futher more when police and firefighters get in trouble they want an ambulance

And how is that a reason to make us public safety rather than healthcare? If, when I was in LE, I would have rather had a healthcare professional come take care of me rather than a public safety FF that doesn't even want to be in EMS but is forced to.

[Dustdevil]

There are two different arguments going on here. One is concepts, and one is semantics. Let's try not to get caught up in the semantics. If somebody wants to call everybody with a siren "public safety," then I don't have a problem with that. What's in a name anyhow? Where I have a problem with public safety is not in the name, but in the concept that comes with the name.

As a health profession, EMS is a career profession where people choose it to be their life's work, devote themselves to a few years of significant professional education, and then put themselves into the field as a practitioner.

As a public safety job, EMS is something that people with no education or calling take a civil service test for the city to prove that they are not completely illiterate, then the city sends them to six months of quickie technical training, and then throw them out there to pay their dues for a couple of years before moving to a ladder truck.

That is the difference we are talking about, not who is called what.

[Kim_Possible]

I came into this field because I needed to find a job. After coming in and out of colleges and jobs, I had an experience where a friend who was in EMS convinced me to take my basic. For many years now, I have complained as to this is not what I wanted to be when I grew up. No one in my family is involved in public service, but my father is in a healthcare profession.

For many years I've asked why am I here. I have on many occasions been very uncomfortable of whether or not I am good at what I do. I've felt my training was a quick way through and I regret it. Anytime now someone young comes to me and asks about how they should pursue continuing to get a paramedic education, I tell them to go to the college and go by a degree program. Unless, they already have a degree, then a certificate program maybe more suited for them.

I went to a certificate program w/o having a degree, now my career is at a stand still. Yes, I did do it to prove that I am not an idiot. But after talking with people I work with, I have worked exceedingly hard to prove myself to my peers. Sometimes I have felt I did not have the influences to help me become a better medic, and that as some have stated "have been thrown to the wolves."

Now, with some validation that I am good at what I do. I hope to pursue a college education, unforturnately, in order to excel and I guess nursing or PA is the next route. That kind of bugs me, because, EMS is so much more, and I don't know where to turn. Sometimes, I would love to promote EMS to show others how important it is in society now. We are healthcare workers. We are those who when first arriving to a home, scene, people are asking us medical questions that we may not have the education to answer. I think these are questtions we should be able to answer.

Yes, I work for a private service . I transport those who go from facility to facility to have procedures done that cannot be performed at certain hospitals. I am now like a nurse titrating medications, and attempting to answer questions as to how the procedure is done and what it will do for them.

One of the many goals I have in this field is to educate the public, keep them safe(medically) (trust me you don't want me handling a gun), and keep them comfortable.

I feel so uncomfortable because I haven't continued my education. I didnot come from a military background to do this job. Am I less of a medic because of this? Yet, I know of many ff, pt, and PD officers who respect because of the service I perform to my community.

I know many of you may think I am writing a pity party or so forth. But the whole moral of the story is, that I have become very proud of what I do. I realize how important it is. It bugs me that even if I do go for a degree there won't be more money. We do receive respect, but have very little public recognition. I am always asking what can be done to change this. Would a title of what we are change that?

Kim

[spenac]

Kim most of us have had similar battles. Most of us want to see EMS become a recognized health field. Notice I say most. A number of people just look at this as a hobby ( ie volunteers) and if we make changes it will make it harder for them to play. A big problem is we can not quit fighting ourselves long enough to establish an identity beyond taxi umm ambulance driver. See for example uniform discusion as a simple illustration of no agreement.

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