With the large influx of EMT's....

Dominion,

It is difficult to see where the support is when Rid's generalizations reflect somewhat of a loathing distaste for the folks who go out there each and every day. He even insults T-shirts...as his photo displays his white coat and scope. Like that isn't a glaring see-me-now statement! It says he's proud though. Why not advertise EMS? The more EMS emblems are seen, the more people know we're here to stay! EMS is a growing, evolving as a profession. It will continue to spread its wings but, like every profession, it takes time. Positive changes are occuring everyday.

Think about it...It hasn't been all that long since Doc's and nurses were trained on the job and paid in chickens! Police officers were once thought of as just thugs who were expendable....they too had to evolve in order to gain credibility. Firefighters were just a bunch of guys with water buckets once upon a time. Now look at the field! In the last 3 decades we've seen EMS has move along at a pace that is allowing it to evolve faster than a lot of other professions. I'm very proud of where we started, how far we've come and excited about where we're going.
 
rescue99 said:
He even insults T-shirts...as his photo displays his white coat and scope. Like that isn't a glaring see-me-now statement! It says he's proud though.
Click to expand...

Thought I'd get it in before someone else does it... differently:


Rid's avatar is of Dr. Cox from the show Scrubs. It's not actually Rid.






Though they really are one and the same at times ^_^
 
It is difficult to see where the support is when Rid's generalizations reflect somewhat of a loathing distaste for the folks who go out there each and every day. He even insults T-shirts...as his photo displays his white coat and scope. Like that isn't a glaring see-me-now statement!
Click to expand...

Dude.. that's not Rid, that's Dr. Cox from Scrubs...
 
Linuss said:
Though they really are one and the same at times ^_^
Click to expand...

I think you're right.

Exhibit A.

RR.jpg
 
rescue99 said:
Dominion,

It is difficult to see where the support is when Rid's generalizations reflect somewhat of a loathing distaste for the folks who go out there each and every day. He even insults T-shirts...as his photo displays his white coat and scope. Like that isn't a glaring see-me-now statement! It says he's proud though. Why not advertise EMS? The more EMS emblems are seen, the more people know we're here to stay! EMS is a growing, evolving as a profession. It will continue to spread its wings but, like every profession, it takes time. Positive changes are occuring everyday.

Think about it...It hasn't been all that long since Doc's and nurses were trained on the job and paid in chickens! Police officers were once thought of as just thugs who were expendable....they too had to evolve in order to gain credibility. Firefighters were just a bunch of guys with water buckets once upon a time. Now look at the field! In the last 3 decades we've seen EMS has move along at a pace that is allowing it to evolve faster than a lot of other professions. I'm very proud of where we started, how far we've come and excited about where we're going.
Click to expand...

I see the point you are trying to make but there are too many people in this profession who are in it for the woowoos and playing with cool skills. There isn't enough education, screening, and there is certainly a large level of apathy with most paramedics. As it stands paramedics can do all the 'cool stuff' so why :censored::censored::censored::censored: with that. Why change something when it might get to take away something cool you get to do.

As far as 'making fun of emblems', there are two sides of this in my humble opinion. You have what I have, an office that has some EMS and some fire stuff. Pretty much a few things here and there, my achievements, and some model fire trucks that are replicas of my cities old fire service (the trucks and the ambulances) which I collect because I am VERY proud of my city. I have one star of life sticker on my car. It's very unobtrusive and is about 2"x2". A friend gave it to me and I've had it for over a year, I don't use it to say "LOOK AT ME I DO FIRE AND EMS AND I'M A HERO!!" I put it there because I'm proud of what I do and I've met alot of people who are also in EMS while traveling when they see my sticker and out of state license plates.

The other side is the unprofessional side, the side that most of us have seen. For example of the people in my paramedic class most of us have an EMS decal (which is required for one of the services POV's for parking at the main station) and that's it. However we have had 2 'whackers' in class decked out with the lights and sirens and giant back window sized fire emblems, bumper stickers that say "We ain't skeered, we fight the fires!", "Heroes till the end", blah blah blah with mixed fire and EMS decals and emblems. While you don't see POV's often on the scene of an accident, you do see these while driving around town.

Where I'd look at one car with just a simple star of life, I'd think "Oh cool, that person is either in EMS to or married to someone, or their children are in EMS". I see a car decked out in Fire and EMS regalia and all that other nonsense the first thing that comes to mind is ridiculous. It promotes unprofessionalism. I see shirts all the time on the local fire squads and ems services (off duty and sometimes on duty with the fire services) that say things like "All Men Are Not Created Equal, Only the finest become Paramedics", "Paramedics Save Lives, EMTs save Paramedics", "Don't Piss off the Paramedic, he has sharp objects", etc.

When is the last time you were walking around or at a doctors office and saw something like "Doctors Save Lives Nurses Save Doctors".... Ithink you get the point here. I can think of maybe 2 or 3 instance in the last 10 years I've seen that from another medical profession like a nurse. But I can think of 10 instances in the last 5 days when I've seen decals or T-shirts.

This is a debate for another time but in my opinion it stems from the fact that EMS is still attached to fire in many parts of the country.
 
In all honesty, while I don't condone the way some people promote what they do, to think the majority of the public really cares that much is a bit naiive. The old saying "vocal minority" always holds true.


Before I even knew what EMS was, if I saw a Star of Life I thought they were in medicine. Nothing more, nothing less. Same goes for the fire emblem, or a police badge/star.



If I'm driving, and I see a "CPA's handle your money!", I don't think "Wow, that guy is unprofessional". I just think it's yet another bumpersticker on someones car, just one of millions, and does not influence my views on way or the other on my idea of a CPA.


If their car is painted "CPA 4 life" and money signs all over and crap like that, and it's not promoting a certain agency, then yes. But honestly, anyone who thinks a sticker on a car makes you unprofessional, I'm sorry, but I disagree.
 
Dominion,

LOL..I'm married to a FF but he retired his woo-woo lights over 20 years ago when he left the volly service for full time. Wish I could say something negative but it would mean dissing a whole lot of our friends in the service.

On another note; I do understand the vast differences in educational standards across the country and even across counties in many cases. Standardizing and increasing requirements in programs will change that, albeit it won't be over night.
The great thing about being in the field in this era.....We've only just begun to see how far EMS will travel.
 
Linuss said:
In all honesty, while I don't condone the way some people promote what they do, to think the majority of the public really cares that much is a bit naiive. The old saying "vocal minority" always holds true.


Before I even knew what EMS was, if I saw a Star of Life I thought they were in medicine. Nothing more, nothing less. Same goes for the fire emblem, or a police badge/star.



If I'm driving, and I see a "CPA's handle your money!", I don't think "Wow, that guy is unprofessional". I just think it's yet another bumpersticker on someones car, just one of millions, and does not influence my views on way or the other on my idea of a CPA.


If their car is painted "CPA 4 life" and money signs all over and crap like that, and it's not promoting a certain agency, then yes. But honestly, anyone who thinks a sticker on a car makes you unprofessional, I'm sorry, but I disagree.
Click to expand...

Even before I ever considered getting into EMS I would look at those cars covered in stickers and wonder "what the hell are they compensating for". I guess it's expected of fire guys to be like that, maybe I'm wrong. A fire emblem, an ems emblem, maybe the area they work for. Cool I don't think that's bad at all, that's just showing you are proud of the area and divisions you work for. But to have a car plastered with things just says LOOK AT ME!

I feel the same way about all bumper stickers and emblems. I feel it's just people who want attention and crave that attention.

There is a fine line between what I feel is acceptable and what I think is unprofessional. Like I said, some emblems saying where you work, etc. Unobtrussive and what not I think is fine, just plastering your car with silly sayings etc.

Can you honestly tell me if you saw a car driving down the street with a bumper sticker that said "Don't piss off the paramedic, he has sharp objects" that you wouldn't think "wow that's kind unprofessional".
 
Not at all. I'd think it was mainly an inside joke to those in EMS. Same as "Don't mess with the cop... he has cuffs" or "Don't anger the firefighter, or he'll cool you off". Just another attempt at a corny joke. Doesn't change my view on anyone.


If it's for something such as a SoL just so others in the business know who you are, that's perfectly fine.



But if it's mean as offensive or elitist, then I'm totally against it. None of that "I'm a medic, take off your clothes" or "I'm in EMS, pull over".
 
Maybe I'm just being a bit too judgmental. Who knows. I have not known many who has these styles of stickers, and the ones who did were the stereotypical types of ego maniac EMT's. I guess I can't say that every person who has those styles of slogans on tshirts/cars/etc are bad medics or are ego maniacs. It is unfair but it is a stereotype that has proven itself many times over. I've yet to meet a single EMT/Firefighter/Paramedic with slogans on their :censored::censored::censored::censored: that didn't think they were gods gift to the profession.

I can see your point, maybe they just think they're funny corny jokes.
 
Hey, I'd be one to laugh at the "Don't anger the medic, he has sharp objects" thing.


Heck, if I could make a bumper sticker for my car it'd read:

"You mean people trust me with needles and drugs?!"^_^
 
Linuss said:
Hey, I'd be one to laugh at the "Don't anger the medic, he has sharp objects" thing.


Heck, if I could make a bumper sticker for my car it'd read:

"You mean people trust me with needles and drugs?!"^_^
Click to expand...

Haha, I hate to say it but more than one of my friends from highschool (graduated in 03) has said "They let YOU in and let YOU have needles?!"

I wasn't exactly the most amazing student in HS :>
 
I often got the "One of the brightest kids I know, but doesn't apply himself" from the teachers and the "Too smart for this grade" from the peers. I just didn't care in HS, because it truly did not interest me in the slightest to learn what I was learning.
 
Dominion said:
Haha, I hate to say it but more than one of my friends from highschool (graduated in 03) has said "They let YOU in and let YOU have needles?!"

I wasn't exactly the most amazing student in HS :>
Click to expand...

my medic classmates are still trying to fathom how they let me have needles especially after I nearly passed out giving my first IV and earned the nickname the blood god.
 
Linuss said:
Almost passed out GIVING an IV?


Do tell.
Click to expand...

I didn't feel I had enough practice with the dummy arm and they were forcing me to try on another student. I was in tears because I didn't feel ready and didn't want to hurt him and so nervous I almost passed out. my instructors logic on forcing me to do the IV? "You're gonna hurt people in EMS, you might as well get used to it"
 
Not looking forward to my first real stick on a pt during clinicals...

"This will hurt a bit"



"She's unconcious"


"It wasn't me, I swear!!!!"
 
Sasha said:
I didn't feel I had enough practice with the dummy arm and they were forcing me to try on another student. I was in tears because I didn't feel ready and didn't want to hurt him and so nervous I almost passed out. my instructors logic on forcing me to do the IV? "You're gonna hurt people in EMS, you might as well get used to it"
Click to expand...
Just remember, you did better than one of my classmates who needlestuck herself (with a clean needle) during her practical skills examinations and THEN fainted.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top