The Non Existence of EMS

[VentMedic]

So you don't want the public to be informed about what EMS does, how it operates, when it operates and so on? Does that mean that you're ok with the lack of understanding that the average person has about EMS right now?

One way to change things is to educate the public about EMS, and one way to do that is to have the media get things right and start mentioning EMS agencies at major/minor incidents that get reported on.

It is very difficult if not down right confusing to explain many EMS systems. As with the recent article with the multiple responders in Florida, how do you actually explain something like that without the public wondering why and who? If you start to explain the many "certs" that some states have like Washington which is 6 or more with the difference between some is just 1 "skill", do you think that the public is not going to think WTF? Especially since someone has to maintain the public agencies that are administering all the "certs". And, if John Q Public steps into the next municipality, it all changes with a different system and different providers.

If EMS has not been able to show standard definitions that at least have some similarity rather than "prehospital" to the legislators, how do you think we should start to explain this mess to the public? Do you think that if some in the profession view it as a maze of a mess that the lay person can also figure this out if they haven't already when they get their tax bill? With the inconsistent educational requirements which are now public knowledge by some recent news articles that it takes longer to be a nail polisher or hair cutter than a paramedic, I don't believe this profession is actually ready to explain itself to the masses or to offer any good reason in the lack of education part. EMS is now 40 years old and much older than many professions that have achieved recognition if not in the public eye but in the pockets of the legislators and agencies that are responsible for reimbursement. To continue to argue "young" profession is just another excuse. Most of the reporters are also too young to remember or care how "old" something is.

[JakeEMTP]

So you don't want the public to be informed about what EMS does, how it operates, when it operates and so on? Does that mean that you're ok with the lack of understanding that the average person has about EMS right now?

I don't think you give the public enough credit. For EMS week our stations are open to the public, we have a ambulance with crew inside one of the malls. The local fish wrapper and idiot box media have been informed and did a small piece on the news. We are trying. Do you really think the public knows all about the FD other than they put wet stuff on the red stuff?

If you don't want that to happen...then don't complain when fire departments are the only ones that get mentioned in the news, and don't complain about how fire departments get more funding, respect, whatever compared to strictly EMS services.

You won't hear me bitching. Frankly, I couldn't care less if we get equal photo ops as the FD. FD's get more funding because they have a huge lobbying group. It's not rocket science. Every time a EMS funding increase is brought up in congress the IAFF has a cow. I don't pretend to know the answer. However, I do know there are people trying to increase awareness of EMS to the general public and more importantly, Washington DC.

[Dustdevil]

So you don't want the public to be informed about what EMS does, how it operates, when it operates and so on? Does that mean that you're ok with the lack of understanding that the average person has about EMS right now?

What are you going to tell them? Whatever you tell them, it is completely different one town over. A police department is a police department. A fire department is a fire department. But EMS is something different every five miles. Unless we're talking about tiny little rural and suburban communities, the news media simply cannot keep up with who is who, and can't really be expected to. In the big cities, it's pretty much all firemonkey all the time anyhow, so there is no problem with them just referring to the fire department.

If you contact most larger news agencies they will actually have a local policy on how to refer to specific agencies and their personnel. If they do not, they are usually open to suggestion from those agencies. You just can't go off half-cocked about it and go in spouting off smart-arse remarks to them about how indignant you are. You have to present an educated and articulate, media savvy representative to the media agency and educate them on the concerns for proper identification of your agency and personnel. Again, they are almost always open to this approach. Problem is, too few EMS agencies have such a person in their entire agency to represent them. The best they have is Billy Bob tech-school medic with the ball cap, t-shirt, and attitude.

If you're expecting to be recognised and treated as professionals, first you need to actually be professionals. And no, your paycheque does not make you a professional.

[triemal04]

Ventmedic...yes, the lack of standardization will definitely be a drawback and is a huge problem that needs to be solved, but it doesn't completely apply here; least not with what I posted. National media attention is one thing, but what I was addressing was more for local agencies, not beyond 1 state; get people in the area served by your service and the surrounding areas to start thinking about non-fire based EMS, and EMS as a whole. Will that fix the problem of lack of standardization? No, but it will at least get people in one area and potentially statewide to be more informed and aware of what happens there. That's a start, and good for the reasons I listed before. Going nationally would present a bigger problem, sure. At this point though, with all the problems that exist, starting small is probably going to be the way to make changes and inform the public. Do I wish that were different? Sure, but, unfortunately, this is the system we have to work with right now.

I don't think you give the public enough credit. For EMS week our stations are open to the public, we have a ambulance with crew inside one of the malls. The local fish wrapper and idiot box media have been informed and did a small piece on the news. We are trying. Do you really think the public knows all about the FD other than they put wet stuff on the red stuff?.

You won't hear me bitching. Frankly, I couldn't care less if we get equal photo ops as the FD. FD's get more funding because they have a huge lobbying group. It's not rocket science. Every time a EMS funding increase is brought up in congress the IAFF has a cow. I don't pretend to know the answer. However, I do know there are people trying to increase awareness of EMS to the general public and more importantly, Washington DC.

You may be giving them to much credit. EMS week is great and I think, if run well, will pay off in the future. But, how many people come by your stations? How many stay long enough to really get informed, and how many come to show their kids the flashy thingies that took grandma away when she got sick? If you put information out there on a regular basis, using a medium that many, many people get the majority of their info from, people will start to pick things up.

And yes, I do think the public knows more about fire departments than that. Not everything, but compared with EMS, they know a hell of a lot more. Changing that would be a good thing, and now is the time to start.

Kudos on the not bitching; bothers me that people will complain about fire while doing exactly squat to fix the situation. Yes, there are people working on the EMS lobby in DC and elsewhere, but it'll take more people, more money, and a hell of a lot of effort. Results should be worth it though.

Dustdevil...like I said, for starters this really should focus on individual agencies within 1 state; the standards will be similar and many of the problems that come with comparing EMS nationally will be removed. Again, put of press releases on incidents, offer them access to training, case reviews, ceremonies...eventually they'll take you up on the offer, ad you'll get your info out there. As well, you'll start to build relationships with the media, something that is always good to have.

You just can't go off half-cocked about it and go in spouting off smart-arse remarks to them about how indignant you are. You have to present an educated and articulate, media savvy representative to the media agency and educate them on the concerns for proper identification of your agency and personnel. Again, they are almost always open to this approach. Problem is, too few EMS agencies have such a person in their entire agency to represent them. The best they have is Billy Bob tech-school medic with the ball cap, t-shirt, and attitude.

If you're expecting to be recognised and treated as professionals, first you need to actually be professionals. And no, your paycheque does not make you a professional.

This has nothing to do with being indignant, just getting the media, and by proxy the public, to realize that EMS exists and actually does things. Will the PIO need some extra training and not be a idiot? Well no shit, never would have guessed that. All that means is that more people in EMS need to be willing to step up and go the extra mile instead of sitting back and saying, "naw, it's to hard to change things, so screw it."

If change is going to happen it needs to start now. Getting public knowledge of EMS to increase, even if it starts on a state-wide level or less is still a good thing.

[VentMedic]

This has nothing to do with being indignant, just getting the media, and by proxy the public, to realize that EMS exists and actually does things.

Do you really believe that the public does not know EMS exists? Do people having chest pain do not know that they will get help when they dial 911? Do you think they don't know the importance of the emergency vehicle that is going to the accident scene? Have you never listened to a group of informed senior citizens discuss 911 issues? Have you ever taught CPR at a senior citizen center? Have you ever glanced through an AARP magazine to see what retired people are concerned with? Actually, they might be able to better educate you on the intricacies of different systems.

You truly under estimate public awareness. Anyone who pays taxes or lives in a county that has put a trauma tax on the ballot is bombarded with literature and commercials on trauma and EMS. Florida just went through its tax reform amendment on the ballot to which we spent almost a year of BS from various know-it-alls telling us where our tax dollars should go. This election year has many people talking about all aspects of healthcare including what type of service they can expect and how to pay for the ambulance bill.

How much medical detail do you think they need or want to know? They don't need gory details and you may hope they don't ask for your educational background. Most people have other professions because they have no interest in medical stuff. People in the medical field have accountants because they have no interest in doing their own taxes. Although, I do want to know the educational background of my accountant who I would never hire if he only had 700 - 1000 hours of training. Yet, these professionals do trust you even if they know you are not the most educated or work for XYZ private company or you are a volunteer whose service they support at the benefits. Of course, one could say they have no choice in the matter either for the most part.

Rather than having people know who the individual players are, I would like to see people having chest pain awareness reinforced to those busy professionals that think a heart attack cannot happen to them. Yes, they know what 911 is for but they are in denial about their own health situations. I would like to see people educated on how to use the 911 system or what other options are available. They don't need to have their mind boggled with different "certs' of individuals, just how to use the different services.

Maybe I missing your point. I really don't think the general public wants to know each and every little detail of your job. I know I could go into great detail about what I do in HEMS or on a specialty transport team as could others with different professions. When I show up with a NICU team, the parents just know we are there to help their baby. We don't need to impress them with some of our very impressive years of experience or extensive education and credentials. They just know that we're there for them even if they had never heard about us until the unthinkable happened.

[triemal04]

Ventmedic...I'll just ask this question again:

So you don't want the public to be informed about what EMS does, how it operates, when it operates and so on? Does that mean that you're ok with the lack of understanding that the average person has about EMS right now?

Does the public need to know every little detail? No. Do they need to know more than they do now? Yes. Nice and easy. Do you really disagree with that? Do you really think that showing that there are non-fire, non-private for profit services out there and how they work is a bad idea? Do you really think that showing that paramedics really aren't ambulance drivers and just EMT's is a bad thing? Do you really think that showing people some of what paramedics can do is a bad idea?

The point I'm trying to make is that if you AREN'T ok with the way things stand, this is one option to start changing it within your state/area. If you ARE ok with the way things are, then do nothing. Simple as that.

[VentMedic]

triemal04,

Are the people in your area really that unaware that they have no idea what a paramedic is even remotely about? So what if they don't always get the terminology correct? Do they get a choice of calling BLS or ALS when they call 911 in your area? Is your dispatch capable on sending only BLS for 911 calls if ALS is not warranted? Does the public have a problem with not getting ALS if that is what they thought the might get? If that is so, then maybe they do know the difference.

Since some of the questions you are asking involves an indepth look into your area's tax base, it is difficult for me to adequately speak if changing services would be appropriate for your community. Nor would I know how to adequately explain how that would affect different households if asked by the public. Your questions are a little more complex than "I like this one or that one". You have to look at how funds are proportioned at the local level and what percentage is from the tax base. If you increased taxes to support a change would you lose businesses and residents thus again decreasing your overall tax base? What would be the economic impact on your community as a whole including its govening infrastruture. If you want a good case study on the economical impact of public services, you can surf up Vallejo, CA which just filed bankruptcy.

Niftymedic911 could probably explain how his county set up an extensive EMS system and the support received from the public. Their structure for taxes and fees is very well laid out. You can probably get a good overview through links on the Lee County (Flordia) EMS website.

Maybe since Florida has a large population of retirees who really love to meet, discuss and compare anything medical that they stay more informed. We also have huge EMS systems, many associated with the FDs and some county, that are pretty much in their face about something on the next city budget meeting. Again, these retirees love going to those meetings also. The Floridians that have been around at least 30 years will know Florida was largely volunteer or small private ambulances. These people are aware of how they evolved into huge FD and County systems by paying attention to the various tax proposals on the ballot and their property tax information. Local newspapers and TV have always kept this in media. Of course, that could also be partially the blame for our over kill of services as bigger, better and more was promoted until it was too much.

People who are in lower tax base areas are probably very aware of who or what provides their EMS. Small towns especially know what they have or not. For some it is a big deal to raise money for a new AED. Some town news papers do write articles of support to help them out in any way they can. They may also point out the haves and the have nots of various communities. Those in the have not category in the United States know our healthcare system is not equal.

My focus is still changing educational requirements. Florida has over 50% of its paramedic schools as unaccredited medic mills. Now is the opportunity for our state to make changes in that area and that is what I am supporting at the moment. Being an RRT also helps since that profession has already been down that road of achieving educational standardization and legislative recognition.

Also being at an age where MIs and CVAs are a reality, especially for professionals in stressful jobs, my other educational endeavor is to make health care workers and others more aware of their own health needs. Of course, that is where the degree in which I received my Masters helps.

So no, I am not doing nothing.

I've also been around long enough to be impressed at the changes in EMS through the years and how they have been supported by the public. I, however, am not impressed with the attitudes that exist in EMS that keeps educational standards low even as the equipment and technology advances. There is still more emphasis on what the public should do for EMS in terms of money and recognition and not what EMS should be doing to keep improving the standard of care for the public. People who still do the bare minimum in education to pass a test to be called an EMT or Paramedic are doing the public a disservice.

I would say we won't agree on this because it appears that there is a vast difference in public awareness between your region and mine.

[paraloco]

Around here, we are 'emergency workers'. I guess that means journalists are media workers.

[VentMedic]

Around here, we are 'emergency workers'. I guess that means journalists are media workers.

Journalists can be represented by the Media Workers' union and the term can be used as a collective title for some.

http://www.mediaworkers.org/

[triemal04]

Ventmedic...I'm really not sure how you're coming up with some of your replies and why you have such an issue with this. Getting more exposure for EMS is wrong...why? Starting a relationship with local media is wrong...why? It won't be worth it...why? My only point is that working with the media, giving out press releases, letting them know that you exist will more than likely pay off in the end, and, if done properly, be a large benefit down the road in helping to make changes with EMS (that's way down the road).

And no, people in my area aren't extremely educated about EMS, and I'll go ahead and say that people in Florida aren't either; where do most people get their info from? TV and to a lesser extent newspapers and the internet. If the media is misrepresenting what is done in EMS (which they are) then how do you expect people to actually learn more? And if people don't know anything about something, then why should they care about it?

This isn't about knowing that an ambulance has paramedics on it, but about knowing what paramedics can actually do and why they are needed, as well as what an EMS agency does, how it's funded, etc etc etc.

You've got way to much faith in the average person's knowledge about emergency services in general I do believe.