Hello. So where are you a EMT or medic?

[DFIB]

We roll the same for all calls. I am on the clock and it really doesn't matter who the patient is, unless of course it was Jennifer Aniston.

[Emergency Laughter]

I was an EMT in Washington State, the State of Hawaii, the coastal and international waters of Alaska's Bering Sea, and the international waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Oh, and the State of Poverty. Actually, right on the border of Poverty. Come to think of it, there were thousands of EMT's who lived in, or around Poverty. We didn't make much back in the 80's and into the 90's. Lot's of fun, lot's of great life experience, not much money.

[sweetemt]

Hi, I'm an EMT in DFW Metroplex

[chbare]

Really? How come that? How do you do this?

Just wondering if that's really in your "job description" or if I just don't understand something.

BTW: I see my task in EMS to

• safely get to the scene dispatch already was suspicious enough to assign a valuable resource (my crew & my ambulance) to,
• assess the situation and
• decide if it's either an emergency to be treated immedeately, an issue which has to be transported to hospital or a doctor's office, something we "just" need some ambulatory help (and call a doctor for house visits or point to an open doctor's office - they have to provide 24/7 coverage here), another thing we may offer help (lift patient back into rolling chair, call police, ...) or nothing at all (false alarm, ...).
• Doing whatever my findings in #2/#3 needs.
• Preparing for next call. Goto #1.

Glad, my system has all those options in #3 and let me decide (if the public or dispatch didn't before). This opens a bunch of possibilities to provide the needed level of care, and yes, you have to be very sure about what you do. Maybe this system is close to this community paramedicine thing mentioned here, just that it's not me who provides that but the regional physicians association.

Oh, to answer the OP's question: I'm neither an EMT nor a medic, technically, since those job titles don't exist in my country. I'm a german Rettungsassistent (2 years education, highest level of non-physician emergency care in Germany, so somehwat compareable to a Paramedic in the U.S.). Living in Germany's most southern state: Upper Bavaria, near citiy of Munich. So much for my excuse for lack of understanding, bad grammar and funny spelling. In english AND german...

Actually, public education should be an important component of EMS. Injury prevention, public outreach, public health issues, disaster management and other areas are important and working in the "field" gives us unique perspective and can allow us to being said perspective to the public. If anything, public outreach is sorely lacking in the United States at least. This may be as simple as teaching CPR and first aide courses or complex as working with the public to develop a comprehensive community disaster plan.

[rock_shoes]

I'm a Paramedic working targeted ALS in Vancouver BC. I'm registered in both BC and Alberta.

[MariB]

Actually, public education should be an important component of EMS. Injury prevention, public outreach, public health issues, disaster management and other areas are important and working in the "field" gives us unique perspective and can allow us to being said perspective to the public. If anything, public outreach is sorely lacking in the United States at least. This may be as simple as teaching CPR and first aide courses or complex as working with the public to develop a comprehensive community disaster plan.

YES!

I have a dietitian at work who I was talking with the other day. She had a display of heart healthy snacks out for the students and I had approached her and mentioned that maybe we could get together and have her with us while we did blood pressure screenings, Heart Health, Heart attack signs and Stroke sign Awareness some evening.

Now? I cant contain her!

[paramedicmike]

A Registered Dietician? Or someone who claims to be a "nutrition expert"?

[MariB]

Registered dietitian.

Apparently she has a masters degree in dietetics and nutrition