You want to be me? Ask yourself this question...do you have it? What exactly is "it"? Those two letters have such broad definition these days. "He's got it." "That's it!" "We did it!". When it comes to my profession "It" refers to several things. It means an iron stomach, for when you have to stare at the bloody remains of a crime or suicide victim. It means nerves of steel, to perform under pressure and not let the outside environment or even other people get in your way. It means a somewhat ice-hearted demeanor, for those times you have to describe your most serious calls, or tell a person that their loved one has died without a hint of emotion, complete professionalism. It means having a sharp mind, to clear your head after a serious call and hit that "in service" button on the truck computer. BTW I'll get into ambulances themselves a little later. Most importantly, It means being...human.
EMS is a rough life. Anyone ever see Star Wars? Episode 1? "Becoming a Jedi is not an easy task. And even if you succeed, it's a hard life". We are not cyborgs, we are human beings. We have heart, lungs, eyes, hands, feet, livers, appendixes (well most of us have those, anyway lol). Just because we possess the skills to reverse a cause of death and prolong somebody's life doesn't make us any different than my next door neighbor. If he'd gone to the same school as me, he'd be the same way. Constantly changing hours, low pay (again it's pride, not paychecks!), inferior equipment (those damn spare ambulances never get checked!), a heavy workload (hey Mr. Corporate Executive. You try lugging 5 people down narrow circular staircases in 4 hours!), being exposed to the most dangerous diseases in mankind's history (MRSA, VRE, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, and the worst of them all, AIDS). Still want to do it? All the power to ya, and go for it! We could certainly use the help!
Heroism can be defined as going above and beyond the call of duty. "It" doesn't take a hero. In EMS, that happens on almost every call. Don't pin a medal on my chest. I don't need it! I can survive with the satisfaction that I made a difference. A medal on my chest for a patient who died a week later in the rehab facility? No thanks. The only heroes I know of are the ones you find on a deli menu. I'm just doing my job, sir. We fixed you up, be on your way. And by all means, DON'T TIP ME! Money may be in short supply in my business, but please...it's against my morals and ethics...maybe lol.
So, enclosing, It means a lot. For those of you who think they can deal with the substandard and dangerous working conditions that EMS people go through...keep thinking! By all means, I'm not telling people to stay away, God knows EMS is shorthanded and overworked as it is. But be warned that whatever recruiting poster you may look at...the actual job is a lot different than what you see on a piece of paper.
EMS is a rough life. Anyone ever see Star Wars? Episode 1? "Becoming a Jedi is not an easy task. And even if you succeed, it's a hard life". We are not cyborgs, we are human beings. We have heart, lungs, eyes, hands, feet, livers, appendixes (well most of us have those, anyway lol). Just because we possess the skills to reverse a cause of death and prolong somebody's life doesn't make us any different than my next door neighbor. If he'd gone to the same school as me, he'd be the same way. Constantly changing hours, low pay (again it's pride, not paychecks!), inferior equipment (those damn spare ambulances never get checked!), a heavy workload (hey Mr. Corporate Executive. You try lugging 5 people down narrow circular staircases in 4 hours!), being exposed to the most dangerous diseases in mankind's history (MRSA, VRE, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, and the worst of them all, AIDS). Still want to do it? All the power to ya, and go for it! We could certainly use the help!
Heroism can be defined as going above and beyond the call of duty. "It" doesn't take a hero. In EMS, that happens on almost every call. Don't pin a medal on my chest. I don't need it! I can survive with the satisfaction that I made a difference. A medal on my chest for a patient who died a week later in the rehab facility? No thanks. The only heroes I know of are the ones you find on a deli menu. I'm just doing my job, sir. We fixed you up, be on your way. And by all means, DON'T TIP ME! Money may be in short supply in my business, but please...it's against my morals and ethics...maybe lol.
So, enclosing, It means a lot. For those of you who think they can deal with the substandard and dangerous working conditions that EMS people go through...keep thinking! By all means, I'm not telling people to stay away, God knows EMS is shorthanded and overworked as it is. But be warned that whatever recruiting poster you may look at...the actual job is a lot different than what you see on a piece of paper.
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