Anyone who has worked in EMS knows it. It's all over the news papers, on the TV and in the movies. You always hear "fire fighter this" and "rescue personnel that". Pictures in the news papers show several people in turnouts and one or two people in blue uniforms hovering around an accident victim. The title reads "fire fighters tend to victim of car accident". Public service ads run on the TV to support your local law enforcement and fire department. But what about the EMT's and Paramedics working for the private ambulance? Does anyone ever mention them? Does their hard work ever get recognized?

Obviously public recognition of EMS professionals working in the private sector is nowhere near the caliber of public entities. No one wants to make movies, tv shows and half-naked calendars about "those ambulance guys". But why is that? Why cant everyone share the spotlight?

You can blame the fire departments, you can blame the police, or you can blame the public, but the real answer lies within the EMS system.

Ambulance services do not operate like fire departments. For example; an ambulance shows up to the scene of an accident, loads the patient and leaves. All of the real work is done en route to hospital in the privacy of the patient care compartment. No cameras and no reporters. Fire departments on the other hand, have more work to do once the ambulance leaves. Their job does not stop with patient care. This leaves time for the news to show up and interview captains and battalion chiefs. If private ambulance providers were sitting on scene talking to the media, they would never get their jobs done.

As an EMT or a Paramedic, what would you do if a reporter showed up at the hospital and asked you what treatment you performed and how the patient turned out? Well if you enjoy having a job you tell them that you can't answer those questions due to privacy laws. The media knows this, so they don't bother.

I have worked in private ambulance for quite some time now. I have felt the frustration. I know what it feels like to think that nobody cares. Although something happened to change that. I got recognized for a call I responded to in 2007. I was interviewed several times on TV and in the news papers. They sent me to our state's capitol to meet legislators and receive the "Star of Life" award. It was a great experience, but at the same time it seemed like a bit much. Here I was getting all the credit, when the only thing I really did was be in the right place at the right time. Any reasonable paramedic would have run that call just like I did had they been there instead of me.

It was at this point that I realized that I don't do the job for the recognition. I know the value of my work and I know the impact I can have on peoples lives. All of us our here to do the same job. We help people in their time of need and get them to definitive care.

So in conclusion I say this. When you see other people taking credit for the work that you are doing, don't worry about it. The people you helped know exactly what you did and you know exactly what you did. That is all that truly matters.

Thank you for your time, and please e-mail me with any questions, comments or stories. Thank you!



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