Do you think EMS should be paramilitary?

medic417

medic417

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So what do you think? Should we try and be paramilitary or should we focus on being Pre Hospital Medical Professionals? Do you feel paramilitary helps you be a better medical professional or do you feel it distracts?
 
I am gonna be out for a bit but i am interested to see how this one goes
 
I wouldn't mind carrying flashbangs around everywhere.
 
I honor those that chose to enter the military. I chose not to. Should respiratory therapist, public health nurses be paramilitary as well? Could you see home health or hospice nurses being such? Again, why should EMS?

We are NOT public safety. We are NOT enforces of anything! Even the badge is ludicourous, as it has no authority at all.

Should we be in shape to perform our job, should we demonstrate professional traits such as a sharp clean uniform, being organized, a definite yes. Do we have infrastructral ranks?... Yes, supervisors, FTO's, Directors, etc.. Should we stand at attention or have PT (who has the time on duty?) for inspections, or salute or have the hazing usually associated with such organizations? No!

We should be medical professionals. My peers are just that. Peers. They are not my brothers, sisters, cousins, etc... When they get injured or die I mourn, but it is because of the individual not his/her job choice. Should we honor their service to EMS? Yes, but alike any other professional.

Look at this way. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) has one of the most Paramilitary Patrol Academies in the nation and models itself as a paramilitary organization. Is it working for them? ......

R/r 911
 
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Ridryder911 said:
Look at this way. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) has one of the most Paramilitary Patrol Academies in the nation and models itself as a paramilitary organization. Is it working for them? ......
R/r 911
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check and mate


hahahaha
 
just...um...to clarify...why would you even ask? i mean, what sort of scenarios are you worried about that bring this to mind?

*curious*
 
Oh heck no.
 
Hell no. We are a medical field, having nothing to do with the military. If we want more respect from the medical community, that kind of bull:censored::censored::censored::censored: needs to stay with the fire service. It has no place in medicine, either paramilitary or the fire service.
 
I've often referred to EMS having militaristic similarities, and I think there's something to be learned from how the military handles certain things. Logistics for example. And perhaps labour allocation.

Also, on the education side of it, I think there should be a certain amount of thought put into how you prepare students for stress and emotional trauma. The army is well versed in such matters. Training people to apply complex theory in high stress, uncontrolled situations is what they do and any knowledge on that front might also be useful in EMS.

Physical fitness is important for everyone, no harm in it being a requirement for the job, given that certain elements can be quite taxing.

But if you're actually referring to EMS being paramilitary, then NO. Never and forever.
 
paramedics as paramilitary? too many paras.
 
This is one of the reasons I think we should definitely be a separate entity from fire services. Police have criminals to fight, and firefighters have fires, chemicals, falling hazards, and how many other things that require a well organized system that works in a militaristic fashion.

We, on the other hand, are medical. We have to deal with people in their most vulnerable of times. We don't have to fight anything but the inevitable cold hand of death.

Yes, there are certain situations where a hierarchy and structure make sense. MCI's, fire standbys, possible airline or seafaring rescues... that kind of stuff. But by and large, having a bunch of protocol, saluting, and boot snapping just gets in the way and puts distance between us and those we are trying to help and put at ease.

I left the police department because I didn't like the distance between me and the public. I don't want my new field to put me in the same spot.
 
Well, some say the earliest form of EMS was soldiers being carried off the battlefield so one could use that as an argument for EMS being paramilitary. As for me, I say absolutely not. It's a medical profession, not a form of protection or enforcement so why would EMS need to be considered along the same lines as the Marines?
 
Ridryder911 said:
I honor those that chose to enter the military. I chose not to. Should respiratory therapist, public health nurses be paramilitary as well? Could you see home health or hospice nurses being such? Again, why should EMS?

We are NOT public safety. We are NOT enforces of anything! Even the badge is ludicourous, as it has no authority at all.

Should we be in shape to perform our job, should we demonstrate professional traits such as a sharp clean uniform, being organized, a definite yes. Do we have infrastructral ranks?... Yes, supervisors, FTO's, Directors, etc.. Should we stand at attention or have PT (who has the time on duty?) for inspections, or salute or have the hazing usually associated with such organizations? No!

We should be medical professionals. My peers are just that. Peers. They are not my brothers, sisters, cousins, etc... When they get injured or die I mourn, but it is because of the individual not his/her job choice. Should we honor their service to EMS? Yes, but alike any other professional.

Look at this way. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) has one of the most Paramilitary Patrol Academies in the nation and models itself as a paramilitary organization. Is it working for them? ......

R/r 911
Click to expand...

I think this pretty much covers it.
 
I think that EMS is a cross between Medicine and Public Safety. If we want to be considered mostly or all medicine then require all providers to have complete a college/university course at least 2 yrs in length. Ideally our training should be at least a 4 yr bachelors degree like other health care professions. We need to increase education. Because with increased education come increased scopes of practice.
 
Melclin said:
I think there should be a certain amount of thought put into how you prepare students for stress and emotional trauma. The army is well versed in such matters.
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ima bluntly disagree here. i have a GOOD friend who joined the marines and i have to say about him and his co-workers (w/e you want to call them)...they're INCREDIBLY cold to the point of near complete emotional detachment.

NOT desirable in a profession which is based on care and compassion methinks :wacko:
 
Double-E said:
ima bluntly disagree here. i have a GOOD friend who joined the marines and i have to say about him and his co-workers (w/e you want to call them)...they're INCREDIBLY cold to the point of near complete emotional detachment.

NOT desirable in a profession which is based on care and compassion methinks :wacko:
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It's something the military does well.


Ask anyone that's ever been to Marine boot camp. After every order, you are required to say "Kill". Desensitization is the primary reason.

Another thing they do is not allow you to react to loud noises. Fire alarm go off in chow hall? You better keep eating.
 
fortsmithman said:
I think that EMS is a cross between Medicine and Public Safety. If we want to be considered mostly or all medicine then require all providers to have complete a college/university course at least 2 yrs in length. Ideally our training should be at least a 4 yr bachelors degree like other health care professions. We need to increase education. Because with increased education come increased scopes of practice.
Click to expand...

What do you think many of us have been fighting for/working towards for years? ;) Four year degrees need to be required for entry level EMS work.

-be safe
 
JonTullos said:
Well, some say the earliest form of EMS was soldiers being carried off the battlefield so one could use that as an argument for EMS being paramilitary. As for me, I say absolutely not. It's a medical profession, not a form of protection or enforcement so why would EMS need to be considered along the same lines as the Marines?
Click to expand...

And some would say the early firefighters were nothing more than gangs of men representing insurance companies, selling out to the highest bidder, many times escalating to violence on the scene.

Because it is how we may have started does not mean it is how we should be...
 
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