What is Professional EMS?

[JPINFV]

Meh, it's Who's Line is it Anyways. Expecting that to show a proper representation of any profession or trade is like expecting The Colbert Report to be a proper representation of cable news programs and conservatives.

[spenac]

What is professional EMS? It sure aint where this topic went. To be nice to the new guy why don't we try and get back on topic.

[Eydawn]

Gotta love improv! Having auditioned for an improv team a few times, it's pretty difficult stuff to do under pressure.

I have to admit.. I just thought that was funny. Not gonna hurt our reputation any more than some other shows I could name... and well worth a laugh.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[EMSPROFESSIONAL]

What is professional EMS? It sure aint where this topic went. To be nice to the new guy why don't we try and get back on topic.

As spenac asked could we please return to the important topic.

[Asysin2leads]

The only point I have contention with is the "self regulating, admitting others" part. I understnad the overall concept, but in its wording, I feel it smacks of the good ol' boy "We let our buds play" mindset that sets back EMS at all levels. Were not the firemen. The station is not our club house. We should hire people who are qualified for the job, not the ones who have that all to intangible "street smarts" or whatever the hell thing it is that keeps your buddies playing with you. Government regulation may not be the answer, but I'd rather have better oversight on staffing then squad politics.

[RuralEMT-I]

Professionalism to me is performing at an expected trained level. I believe professionalism requires continued work on performance and dedication to excellence. In EMS there are basic standards we are required to obtain and maintain. Professionalism is going beyond the basic standards, minimum requirements, striving for more knowledge, better applications of that knowledge and the willingness to pass that all on to newcomers who are willing to strive for the same goals.

[Scaramedic]

+5 for the lady from the Northwest.

You wouldn't believe how many people don't get it Rural EMT-I. Good post. :thumbleft:

[spenac]

+5 for the lady from the Northwest.

You wouldn't believe how many people don't get it Rural EMT-I. Good post. :thumbleft:

But she doesn't get it yet. -100 for not seeing that volunteer EMS is killing our Profession.

[RuralEMT-I]

Spenac, sounds like you equate professionalism with being paid. I don't. I know plenty of paid paramedics that are the furthest from professional as can be. They give EMS a black eye by just showing up on scene. That said, I know plenty of volly EMT's who arent professional in their performance as well.

I believe the emphasis needs to be on professionalism, not whether someone is paid or not paid. Vollys have plenty to learn from paid EMS and paid EMS has plenty to learn from vollys.

I got into EMS to take care of patients who were falling through a large gapping hole in our community. The hole is still there. I do what I can.

The life of vollys is short lived. The pool of people to draw from is shrinking fast. What we are doing in the community I am an EMT in is hire a base crew and suppliment it with the vollys. Is this the answer for ALL communities? No, I think not. But it works in our community. So does keeping the level of excellence in training paramount in participation. If you dont train, you dont run. We arent a perfect agency but I believe we are a good agency, an above average agency. The reason we are is we concentrate on professionalism, on training, on maintaining our standards and striving to improve ourselves constantly. That is a tall order for anyone to maintain, paid or not paid.

[spenac]

Spenac, sounds like you equate professionalism with being paid. I don't. I know plenty of paid paramedics that are the furthest from professional as can be. They give EMS a black eye by just showing up on scene. That said, I know plenty of volly EMT's who arent professional in their performance as well.

I believe the emphasis needs to be on professionalism, not whether someone is paid or not paid. Vollys have plenty to learn from paid EMS and paid EMS has plenty to learn from vollys.

I got into EMS to take care of patients who were falling through a large gapping hole in our community. The hole is still there. I do what I can.

The life of vollys is short lived. The pool of people to draw from is shrinking fast. What we are doing in the community I am an EMT in is hire a base crew and suppliment it with the vollys. Is this the answer for ALL communities? No, I think not. But it works in our community. So does keeping the level of excellence in training paramount in participation. If you dont train, you dont run. We arent a perfect agency but I believe we are a good agency, an above average agency. The reason we are is we concentrate on professionalism, on training, on maintaining our standards and striving to improve ourselves constantly. That is a tall order for anyone to maintain, paid or not paid.

I will agree that not all paid, in fact a whole lot of paid EMS people fail to display a professional attitude. But a profession is something where there is a reasonable expectation of receiving payment for your efforts. So IMHO you can not equate a volunteer with a professional no matter how they act. I do also agree that we need more emphasis on training, but more importantly on education. I do hope after you search the multiple threads on volly vs paid you will come to see that there is no real justification for any service being volunteer.