In all the discussion, bickering and complaining about what EMS providers should be called (EMT, Paramedic, Ambulance Attendant, Steward etc etc) I got to thinking about the first part of my current title:
Firefighter.
Walk into a room in most places on the planet, say you are a firefighter and I think it safe to say everyone knows what you do. It has something to do with a big red truck and water and red stuff. The specifics aren't important and where you work isn't important. Or is it?
If I walk into that room as my 18 year old self I am a Firefighter following a 40 hour volunteer firefighter academy. 40 measly hours, yet I carry the same title as my counterparts in San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston who have spent upwards of 18 weeks on the material. They have more hands on training, more book time and a greater ability to do the job, but our titles are the same. 2 completely different skill sets and levels of education, same title. No one who calls the Fire Department wonders how many IFSTA Certified, NFA FireFighter Level II's are coming. They care about how many firefighters are coming because what they need are people who can do the job.
At a car accident, no one has ever turned to a friend and said "Quick, call the EMT-99s this person is injured!" No one holding a cyanotic child screams "Help! I need 2 Nationally Registered EMT-Basics trained to the new curriculum!"
They shout one of 2 things:
"Call the ambulance"
"Call the Paramedics"
The Paramedics
I say we run with it.
I am in favor of calling pre-hospital care providers Paramedics even though there is a large gap in the training, experience and capabilities of the many levels from sea to shining sea. They don't see the shiny patch on your shoulder is different than your EMT partner, nor do they notice you only inserted an OPA as an EMT instead of an ET.
They need help. We are it. They call us what we are.
The Paramedics.
Heck even most of us in the job are unsure exactly what a Paramedic should be, so what a great time to come together as one for once.
To those who will immediately back off and claim, falsely, that they earned a different title than the EMT when they completed their 2 year Paramedic program, come back when you've completed your Bachelor's in EMS and tell me if you feel the same way.
My name is Justin Schorr and I am a Paramedic. I have been a Paramedic in my patients' eyes for almost 20 years, even though my little slip of paper says only 10.
Firefighter.
Walk into a room in most places on the planet, say you are a firefighter and I think it safe to say everyone knows what you do. It has something to do with a big red truck and water and red stuff. The specifics aren't important and where you work isn't important. Or is it?
If I walk into that room as my 18 year old self I am a Firefighter following a 40 hour volunteer firefighter academy. 40 measly hours, yet I carry the same title as my counterparts in San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston who have spent upwards of 18 weeks on the material. They have more hands on training, more book time and a greater ability to do the job, but our titles are the same. 2 completely different skill sets and levels of education, same title. No one who calls the Fire Department wonders how many IFSTA Certified, NFA FireFighter Level II's are coming. They care about how many firefighters are coming because what they need are people who can do the job.
At a car accident, no one has ever turned to a friend and said "Quick, call the EMT-99s this person is injured!" No one holding a cyanotic child screams "Help! I need 2 Nationally Registered EMT-Basics trained to the new curriculum!"
They shout one of 2 things:
"Call the ambulance"
"Call the Paramedics"
The Paramedics
I say we run with it.
I am in favor of calling pre-hospital care providers Paramedics even though there is a large gap in the training, experience and capabilities of the many levels from sea to shining sea. They don't see the shiny patch on your shoulder is different than your EMT partner, nor do they notice you only inserted an OPA as an EMT instead of an ET.
They need help. We are it. They call us what we are.
The Paramedics.
Heck even most of us in the job are unsure exactly what a Paramedic should be, so what a great time to come together as one for once.
To those who will immediately back off and claim, falsely, that they earned a different title than the EMT when they completed their 2 year Paramedic program, come back when you've completed your Bachelor's in EMS and tell me if you feel the same way.
My name is Justin Schorr and I am a Paramedic. I have been a Paramedic in my patients' eyes for almost 20 years, even though my little slip of paper says only 10.
Comments
God I hope I'm around for that day.
Until that time, the average voter will continue to call us "ambulance drivers," and continue to think that very little occurs until the patient arrives at the hospital, where the "real professionals" take over.
You're absolutely right that most people outside EMS have no idea what any of us do, or why, and they don't care. They just want help.
The quality of help has less to do with certification level, or title, than it does to the work ethic and level of caring of the individual providing it. I know Basics I trust absolutely, and a medic or two I wouldn't want anywhere near me.
Interesting idea, to have one title. Worth looking into what that might involve.
Let's bring the Basic training up to the PCP equivalent in Ontario. I've long been a fan of their model, and I hope the US starts to adopt it as well.
Gah, this comment is getting too long. I'll make a blog post to cover my views more thoroughly and post the link here.
As for the traninig standards, I agree that they need to be raised. The basic EMT class should be lengthened and include more theory and knowledge. For you instructors out there, the DOT only outlines minimum standards. You can add and lengthen your programs as you see fit. It is up to you to raise the bar.
Thanks for reading and even more for commenting!
That's like physicians being scared about lawsuits because physicians can't act like Dr. House.
There.Take the ego out of it.
I'm not sure if you're being deliberately provocative or not, but either way, it's not a question of ego, it's a question of identity.
Years ago, when EMS was a fledgling industry (and, oh, how much I hate that word), an ambulance driver was exactly that - a driver.
Paramedics (and EMTs for that matter) the world over now have knowledge and skills that were once the reserve of doctors only. We work hard for those skills, and deserve recognition for what we now do. Until we take pride in ourselves and what we do, we can never expect the public to understand, accept and respect us either. That understanding, that knowledge of who we are and what we do, has the potential over the years to come to stop people using an ambulance service as a taxi ride, and instead use us for our dedicated purpose:
Pre-hospital medical specialists. Or in short, whether EMT or otherwise, paramedics.
The biggest battle is between ourselves. Yes there are legal
considerations, yes there are training needs and yes there are some EMT-Basics
who work more diligently and with more heart than some "Paramedics."
However, without one name, we will never be understood by anyone, even those
who work in the EDs we deliver patients to. Without one name it will always be,
"there was a big wreck on the interstate and police, fire and emergency
workers are on the scene..." Without one name tax payers and insurance
companies (CMS included) will only demand and ultimately pay for a shiny
ambulance to arrive in a reasonable amount of time with personnel who are
polite and efficient.
I used to believe, mainly out of pride and ego, that I earned my
Paramedic "status"having worked up every EMT level in existence to get there (EMT-B,
EMT-D, EMT-I, EMT-P), and others should do the same. In the last year I have
become a staunch advocate of a calling everyone Paramedics and feel that it is
the number one thing we must do to become a profession. Here is what changed my
mind. In Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada 15 years ago, if you asked any normal
citizen on the street, "who works on an ambulance," they would
have given the confused answers of, "emergency worker, paramedic, emergency
medical responder,†and yes, "ambulance
driver."15 years ago Renfrew County leadership made everyone Paramedics. EMTs
became Primary Care Paramedics, EMT-Is became Intermediate Care Paramedics, and
Paramedics became Advanced Care Paramedics and so on.
These are the keys to my embracing this:
1) Today, if you go up to a citizen on the street and ask who
works on an ambulance they'll say "Paramedics"
2) All "Paramedics" were expected to achieve additional
education within the first year to retain their "Paramedicâ€, essentially
raising the educational standards
3) There is still an Emergency Medical Responder level who does
basic first aid, can drive the ambulance and be a provider, volunteer or
otherwise, to serve in a support role
4) and here is the kicker for me, citizens are starting to ask for
and expect a Paramedic-level response to their homes.
The citizens we serve need to understand who works on an
ambulance. They need to be willing to pay for what they want. There will always
be a need for a first responder level and we need to raise the educational
standards for our profession, slowly but surely.
International Paramedic took this issue head on in the Initiation
Document http://bit.ly/iparamedic . We
all must work together, move the ground and make change happen now. International Paramedic is helping states, counties, territories and regions move to this naming convention. You can be a part. This is not
a new idea but one whose time has come. If you haven't read the 1996
"Agenda for the Future" please do. http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/ems/agenda/emsman.html.
Thanks to Justin for his vision and ability to communicate, giving
new life to this issue. -Matt W., Paramedic
What's the difference here? Standard of training. As an EMT I am just as capable of performing patient care as a paid firefighter, or a paid EMT with an ambulance service. As a firefighter, I'm a volunteer. The paid guys have more opportunity and time for training than I do. But, on both sides of the house I see a lack of standard of training. I know paid guys that serve their purpose stretching hose. I also know great firefighters that I would follow into hell any day of the week. What we need (and some states already have it in place) is a standardized continuing education program for volunteer firefighters to get us to the level of training of a paid FFII.
On a regular day, I'm an automotive technician, by the way.