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Devin Greaney

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The Associated Press Stylebook is used by many media outlets. The take suggestions and I sent this in ...


“The media often refer to "ambulance drivers" in articles and broadcasts.

For the most part this is an archaic term like "firemen" or "policemen" as women in the ranks are now commonplace.

Today there are few people who are strictly "ambulance drivers." Those people who are strictly drivers and used primarily for non-emergency transports such as to and from doctor appointments and even in those cases those in the back with the patient would not be an ambulance driver but an emergency medical technician or emergency medical technician- paramedic ( generally just called a "paramedic").

Since the early 1970's most states have licensed people as EMT's or EMT-P's ( paramedics). There are also EMT-W's ( wilderness, for people such as park rangers) and EMD's (emergency medical dispatchers).

EMT's have a semester or two of training and paramedics have EMT training followed by another two or three semesters.

As you see, ambulance drivers are a small part of the EMS system and in almost all cases of a news story involving a 911 call for an ambulance, EMT's or EMT-paramedics will be the ones handling the call.

In a historic context "ambulance driver" would be acceptable since EMS/EMT's/Paramedics were terms not used until the early 1970's. So Ernest Hemingway was an ambulance driver in World War I, not an EMT.”

Think I made my case well ?

Devin Greaney
Memphis TN
 
Every place that I've heard of that allows ambulance drivers only allows it for volunteer 911 operations. Where, exactly, is it that IFT companies are using a driver with an EMT?
 
There are several places in Indiana that use driver only. They are required to have a CPR cert and valid driver's license, but nothing else.
 
I am familiar with using a driver for non-911 calls like taking people home from the hospital and nursing home transports. My point is, that a 911 call will almost always involve an EMT and a paramedic or, in some systems ( Austin, TX comes to mind ) two paramedics.
 
JPINFV said:
Every place that I've heard of that allows ambulance drivers only allows it for volunteer 911 operations. Where, exactly, is it that IFT companies are using a driver with an EMT?
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IFT companies in Maryland are allowed to use First Responders as drivers on BLS units.

Regarding the OP, unfortunately, no I do not think you made your case well. When one is writing to the publisher or author of a style guide, one should endeavor to make sure that one's letter exhibits proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, and is in all ways well-written.

The problem with your letter is the recurrent use of an apostrophe before the final letter s of a plural word or term. For example, 1970's, EMT's, etc.

To reference the collection of years from 1970 to 1979, the correct way to write that is 1970s with no apostrophe. To reference a collection of Emergency Medical Technicians using the abbreviation, the correct way to write that is EMTs with no apostrophe. An apostrophe in both of these cases indicates a possessive form, not a plural form.
 
Point taken on the apostrophes. It is AP.( Associated Press). Did I call it OP, too? Oops!!

Devin
 
Devin Greaney said:
Point taken on the apostrophes. It is AP.( Associated Press). Did I call it OP, too? Oops!!

Devin
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No, I meant "OP" as in "Original Post" to indicate that I was now redirecting my attention to what you wrote, as opposed to what JPINFV wrote.
 
Devin Greaney said:
Point taken on the apostrophes. It is AP.( Associated Press). Did I call it OP, too? Oops!!

Devin
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It's incorrect even under AP guidelines. See http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/735/02/

dates, months, years, days of the week

Commas are not necessary if only a year and month are given, but commas should be used to set off a year if the date, month and year are given. Use the letter s but not an apostrophe after the figures when expressing decades or centuries. Do, however, use an apostrophe before figures expressing a decade if numerals are left out. Examples: Classes begin Aug. 25. Purdue University was founded May 6, 1869. The semester begins in January. The 1800s. The ’90s.
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Seaglass said:
It's incorrect even under AP guidelines. See http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/735/02/
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I think the OP (original poster) thought that when I wrote, "Regarding the OP" (meaning original post), I had meant to type "AP" (to mean, "As far as the Associate Press is concerned..." and he was erroneously correcting me based on his misapprehension. I don't think he meant to say that the apostrophes are correct as far as the AP is concerned.
 
I am an Emergency Medical Technician. If you think I am only an ambulance driver, I could always circle the block a few more times...
 
I never understood why people get hurt by being called an "Ambulance driver." There are far larger issues with WHY we are being called ambulance drivers as compared to being hurt by the term.
 
I know of a another BIG fire department within the county I work in, and they use contracted ambulance drivers, for the most part many of the medics I know from that department won't let them take vitals, they just make them do their job whisch to load the gurney and drive.
 
Lfd128 said:
I am an Emergency Medical Technician. If you think I am only an ambulance driver, I could always circle the block a few more times...
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Hooray for old thread revival.
 
Lfd128 said:
I am an Emergency Medical Technician. If you think I am only an ambulance driver, I could always circle the block a few more times...
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Do you not drive the ambulance? You sir/ma'am are an ambulance driver.

I know I did a whole lot of driving while I worked as an EMT, hell there are some medics that do a whole lot of driving while the EMT attends...just sayin'

If you got into this job for public recognition you really need to pick a new career. Not singling you out Lfd, that goes for anyone and everyone.
 
NVRob said:
Do you not drive the ambulance? You sir/ma'am are an ambulance driver.

I know I did a whole lot of driving while I worked as an EMT, hell there are some medics that do a whole lot of driving while the EMT attends...just sayin'

If you got into this job for public recognition you really need to pick a new career. Not singling you out Lfd, that goes for anyone and everyone.
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It's called humor. I know it's due to the ignorance of the public. I usually just politely correct them and move on...
 
atropine said:
I know of a another BIG fire department within the county I work in, and they use contracted ambulance drivers, for the most part many of the medics I know from that department won't let them take vitals, they just make them do their job whisch to load the gurney and drive.
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Sounds like the county i work in. Although it has been getting better now that were on 24's and work with the same fd guys every shift
 
Lfd128 said:
It's called humor.
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I understand humor, I'm full of it just ask anyone I work with. Sorry I failed to see the humor in your post...
 
NVRob said:
I understand humor, I'm full of it just ask anyone I work with. Sorry I failed to see the humor in your post...
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Sory i was short. I'm just so used to making wise a$$ remarks like that at my department. The chief isn't mean it's just the mustache, he's violent try O2 therapy (tank to head), frequent flier call mutual aid instead. That kinda $hit.
 
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