Who cares?
I know it's almost blasphemy to suggest in todays PowerPoint society that some things might be more important than uniform color, newness of pager, flashiness and frequently of lights, and god help us if we don't have a new patch... but perhaps they could think of a method to keep all of the uneducated, fat whacker types off ambulances? Or to open the field only to those interested in patients and medicine, not ding-dings and woo-woo's on the big truck, or a raise in their department of "pour water on hot stuff".
/misanthropy
I can see your point and largely agree.
But I think it is a bit more nuanced.
Let's face it, sewing a patch on a unform shirt doesn't really look geat, but it is a tradition that is not going away anytime soon.
Since it is hanging around, it is important that it confers some level of provider satisfaction. There is lots to complain about in EMS, little that is going to change, and whatever you can do in the way of creating comraderie/pride or harmlessly stroking egos a little may go a long way to slow the brain drain in EMS until solutions are forced upon it by outsiders.
(It is clear those in EMS can't solve the problems or it would have been done already)
As for the "fat whacker types" Because the ability for humans to have easy access to food has outpaced our biological evolution to determine need or efficently metabolize it, "Fat" is going to be the norm across the modern world for the next several generations at least. Might as well get used to it, one of the predominant diseases of modern man. (I don't like it, but I cannot stop wind nor tide, I'll fight another battle that can be won)
There have always been whackers, there always will be. In every profession, not just EMS. You should see some of the crap my classmates get, it would rival any volunteer fire/ems person and costs easily the same.
From medicine, to nursing, to various therapy fields, and even non medical ones, even on this board, the best people EMS has to offer move on or have a "real" full tme job not related to EMS. (like firefighting)
I don't eally care for the messenger, but the message is true:
"You don't go to war with the army you would like. You go to war with the army you have."
-Donald Rumsfeld
I constantly see an increase in undesirable people entering EMS, but for reasons identified ad naseum, EMS can no longer attact good people. Good people used to sign up figuring they could change things from the inside, having seen the futility of it, not only did they leave, but now people like them don't even consider applying to begin with.
US EMS doesn't have the collective will to adapt to modern needs and realities, as such, you are watching the reality series in real time, it is being marginalized.
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