WHY EMS?

[THE_DITCH_DOCTOR]

At the request of CO, here's a new poll thread.

Why did you get into EMS?

[9C1EMT]

I had to voted other because my girlfriend at the time asked for help with some of the material in the EMT course, but I didn't know the first thing about emergency medicine, so I signed up for the EMT course in order to understand what she needed help with...and then we broke up so I said f- it, I'll just keep doing this gig because I like it.

[ladyfirefighter36]

Just kinda got thrown into it at first, it was a family thing. Then my husband was made fire chief and I figured if I ever wanted to see him, I better join and go also.

Now, I do it because I love helping people. We have a mostly "Senior" population, and I have grown up knowing must of them. I want to be able to assist in their need. Many do not have families and we are the ones they turn to for help. Sometimes they just need a friendly face. I think that is the greatest reward.

[Cookie]

My husband's family has been involved with the local Volunteer Fire Department since its inception. It was a given thing that when a Rescue Squad was added that members of this family would do that as well. Its all part of being an integral part of this small community.

Its about a lot of things, helping others, obviously its not the pay as we are all volunteers, but its giving to the community in a very different way which is hard to explain. We also have a need for EMS services since some sectors of our County has seen a explosion of businesses whose target is the semi trucks and other vehicles traveling on the interstate highway. We also have an aging population and their medical needs are increasing. Being a rural farming community, having a location along a major interstate and a whole lot of other factors, there is a definite need for people who go the distance and get educated in the field of EMS to take care of most of anything that is thrown at us.

Cookie

EMT B

[Richard]

I'm sure I posted this elswhere on this forum, but I originally got into the field because I get off on adrenaline.

As time goes on, I guess I'm forced to reevaluate why I like it again.

As much as I like the rush, and I do, I've found it isn't everything.

I've never been a hugely compassionate person, but I've found that patching up little kids scraped knees is every bit as rewarding as jumping out of a helo into a lake and humping 500 miles across the arctic looking for the guy that crashed his cessna. (I exxagerate a little, but you get the idea)

I always thought that being good at something like this meant being as hard and hairy chested as possible. Recently, I have discovered that you have to be a human being too. Who knew?

Anyway, my point is, The new and improved reason I am in EMS is for the challenge. Mental, physical, and emotional. I see something broken and try to fix it, or at least patch it up.

I figured I wouldn't last long riding the adrenaline wave alone.

[emt_hound]

Chicks...I do it for the chicks. A Type III is a babe-magnet!!!!

Just Kidding...

[Tibby]

When I first starting taking classes, it was for Fire. But now, I think I'm going to get into some other medical career through it, instead, so I put that.

[vs-eh?]

Honestly it was totally a last minute thing (literally, last day to get my application in at the provincial college center and last pre-testing day for my school, it was the only school I applied for).

I was studying palepanthropolgy at university and with a PhD staring me in the face in order to do any real/respected work, I quit in 3rd year. I don't remember why I actually applied to paramedic school, as none of my friends were paramedics, and none were in any type of medical field period. I was very lucky to get in (see above), very competitive 1700 apps for 60 spots. I ended up doing well, graduating with honours following the 2 years (yes, BLS is a 2 year gig in Ontario).

Like Richard I am not a very compassionate person by nature. I never had any first aid/cpr/life guard/nothing prior to becoming a paramedic. I enjoy the autonomy, the problem solving, the variety, and the social interaction. Helping people is just an added bonus. In a large city like I work in you can go from pediatric struck by a car, to car door slammed on my ankle, to cardiac arrest all in one day (as was my Friday).

It's a good job, and I enjoy it.

[Thad]

Naturally, it has to be for the fame, glory and great pay!! (Can you feel the sarcasm?) Actually, I kinda fell into it by accident....I had started volunteering at my local VFD when I got laid off. There was a ff rookie school coming up at the same time and I figured....what the heck, I got the time now.....as part of rookie school, we received EMT training and I loved it, now I work full time for a paid service and have about two semesters left to get paramedic....I only wish I had found this line of work fifteen years ago!!

[Eng542ine]

My wonderful volunteer fire department has decided that instead of going to paid EMS, we'll just lower training standards to keep the ambulance rolling with volunteers. Currently they require CPR, Bloodborne, O2 Administration (just added), and basic first aid.

I started out as a firefighter that wanted nothing to do with the ambulance (who said young = stupid!). Under these training requirements, I found myself in the back of the bus alone, trying to treat a sick, SICK patient, with no ALS units available. Thankfully our patient pulled through. At this time I decided that I was going to seek the highest level of training I could... now here I sit 5 years later with 4 years as an EMT and waiting for Medic school starting in September.

No matter how many times I tell others in the department that this training standard is WOEFULLY inadequate... we're in NJ and we're volunteer (not a first aid council squad) so we're not regulated by the state... scary ain't it??? :roll:

Mike