I am...
Sometimes I wonder how much people really realize we are out there until there is the actual moment where they call 911 or somebody else calls for them. I think most people think of us almost zero..even zero compared to other public service professions...fire, police, even the water main repair folks. That is part of the problem EMS is having. Tax payers do not want to pay anything, nevermind MORE, for a service they do not even think of as a service to them. EMS as an industry needs to get more into the public consciousness. I used to watch a show call Paramedics - Life on the street. It was pretty much a knock-off of the Cops concept. But, I loved it because it showed real paramedics doing there job. I know Cops is still on, if not as popular. Reality TV still seems to be going strong, even if it is all contests now. Can't we have a great show like Paramedics back?Also, how about some more exposure in mainstream media..or even the non-mainstream media. Here is a link to a photo essay that I wish there was more of:
http://www.hyperreal.org/~doug/stories/para/.
The photo at the start of this entry is from that story.
I also hope that there are more medics out there that think about how we look to the public when we are out there, just sitting in our trucks. Remember for most of the population, that's as close as they get to seeing us until the 911 moment. We want to give them the impression that we are the people they WANT to show up, not the people they are stuck with getting. That's one of the steps in beating the "Ambulance Driver" misconception.
I am more than the fastest ride to the ER.
I am more than a taxi that Medicare will pay for.
I am a skilled heathcare professional that stands ready to face poor work conditions, even worse pay to go where we are needed...no matter the circumstance...to be the one to breathe for you, shock your heart, or dry your tears and take your hand in the first moments of what you may one day just remember as the worst day of your life.
posted by MidwestMedic at 20:50
4 Comments:
I'm glad I stumbled on your blog. I thought of becoming a paramedic but decided against it for the reasons you've mentioned.
I just happened to find your blog by random but I'm so happy I did.
Please don't ever think that you're not valued. As someone that stands by and gets choked up by watching an ambulance go by...wishing that others are safe...believe me. WE know you're worth it...
God bless!
Thank you for such a nice comment luigilover. I actually moved into EMS a bit late compared to many in the field. It's one of those things that I have always had exposure to. But, for one reaosn or another just never made the leap. It feels nice finely doing it though. Hey, you never know, maybe you'll be thinking about it again someday. I'll keep an eye out for you.
I'm pretty sure everyone who offers a free service encounters a high level of nongratitude/being taken for granted. I'm in the computer service field, we get paid a base salary by our company, rather than by customers, so we are treated very poorly if we let our customers do so. Makes it hard to keep enjoying the job...
I don't know you, but I appreciate what you and all in your field do for the general public. Several of my family members' lives have been saved because of EMS response.
pc - Thanks for the kind message. I suspect you are right. "Service" workers in general likely feel this idea of being forgotten. I used to work as a Park Ranger. It tends to be full of people who are incredibly proud to be Park Rangers, but are fully aware that they are just a sliver of the US government and usually are slated for more budgets cuts to the tiny sliver at any moment.
Also, I looked up your blog. Love the pictures of the flowers, bugs, and such.
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