The public would be shocked if they knew...

[MMiz]

What would the public be shocked to find out about EMS?

Here are mine:

• How little EMS personnel make
• How little education is required to become an EMT

 

[OnceAnEMT]

The little education is a good one.

Songs being played while driving code 3.

At least for cheapo IFTs, the nastiness of the "base"...

 

[One Confused EMT]

Don't let anyone know how little education you need to be a basic! EMT's will be even more laughed and called "ambulance drivers". Its our dirty secret!

 

[Ewok Jerky]

What my partner said about your daughter as we pulled away from the ED.

 

[Carlos Danger]

The outcomes associated with many EMS interventions.

 

[NomadicMedic]

How poor the working conditions are.

The public thinks we sleep in cushy firehouses and eat steak dinners around the big table. While in reality, many EMS workers are camped out in an idling truck in a gas station parking lot, eating a C-store microwave burrito and drinking red bull.

 

[Aprz]

They are shocked to find out that not all ambulances (in my area) respond to 911 calls.

Then when I talk to people about what interfacility transport is or transport decisions, they are shocked to find out that a lot of hospitals can't fully treat the patient or are not well equipped and staffed to do so. I think a lot of people imagine that you can walk into any hospital with any problem and they'll be able to resolve it there.

They are shocked that there are different types of ambulances: BLS, ILS, ALS, NICU/PICU. Especially in interfacility transfers, they can be frustrated when a BLS crew is sent to a call that requires an ambulance that is more capable to transport the patient. Sometimes they (the patient, the patient's family, and/or hospital staff including the register nurse) are upset because an ambulance is already here and do not understand why they have to wait for another ambulance.

People already mentioned minimal training, low pay, and poor working conditions too.

 

[BlueJayMedic]

The public would be most shocked to find out that a 911 call doesn't bump you to the front of the line in the ED.
Also, in our area anyway, the amount of money the FD and PD departments get allotted compared to EMS.
Finally, the fact that we are not considered an essential service.

 

[BlueJayMedic]

What my partner said about your daughter as we pulled away from the ED.

or wife**

 

[NomadicMedic]

or wife**

... Or your mom.

 

[One Confused EMT]

What my partner said about your daughter as we pulled away from the ED.

Ouch..

 

[medicdan]

The disparate ways emergency medical care is provided. That the standards for dispatch, primary response, availability of advanced life support, and QA oversight varies so greatly, and changes simply by crossing a city/town, county or state line. For all the "standards" out there, there are a lot of differences in the care delivered.

 

[Tigger]

How much time I spend doing things at work that are in no way related to my job.

How little we actually drive lights and sirens.

That for whatever reason, the firefighters think it's important that every medical call have at least six people with at least two being paramedics.

 

[Jim37F]

They are shocked to find out that not all ambulances (in my area) respond to 911 calls.

Or that when they walk up to the ambulance sitting in the gas station parking lot and ask directions to some specific little address that I don't know exactly how to get there off the top of my head (heck even in my city after a year here I'm just more likely to be able to find it on the map lol)

The public would be most shocked to find out that a 911 call doesn't bump you to the front of the line in the ED.

QFT This needs to be a PSA in my town (along with mandatory CE's and retesting every two years to maintain a drivers license)

That our medics aren't a hospital in a box and can give you whatever obscure medication to "make them feel better" so they don't have to be bothered by going to the hospital

 

[EMTT760]

How our rigs sit outside and have to use " E-start" in the morning. More or less horrible condition.

 

[socalmedic]

How poor the working conditions are.

The public thinks we sleep in cushy firehouses and eat steak dinners around the big table. While in reality, many EMS workers are camped out in an idling truck in a gas station parking lot, eating a C-store microwave burrito and drinking red bull.

I am going to steal this, with your permission of-course.

 

[TattooedNay]

Songs being played while driving code 3.

This!!!!

 

[ZombieEMT]

That an ambulance is capable of making a turn, versus driving in a straight light..... As in, the lovely drivers that are kind enough to pull to the side of the road, but do not think its necessary to stop. This then turning into them, still blocking an intersection when attempting to turn.

 

[Mthom]

That our medics aren't a hospital in a box and can give you whatever obscure medication to "make them feel better" so they don't have to be bothered by going to the hospital

^This. I'd rather the public underestimate EMS than think that way. They'll be far less disappointed when the ambulance rolls up.

 

[SandpitMedic]

The amount of **** we talk about those mutants!