Tnaemt94
Forum Crew Member
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EMS obviously plays a vital role in the healthcare world. It is even in the name. Emergency MEDICAL Services.
We are also in close contact and interaction with fire, rescue, and law enforcement personnel in the field. And often times, fire, rescue, and law enforcement officers are cross trained to perform emergency care (ex. FF/EMT)
But EMS on its own, not including those cross trained to perform other functions, are we also considered "public safety"? People, especially the general public, like to tie us in with police and fire. After all, we respond to emergencies and go lights and woo woo to people in peril (at least EMTs and medics that work on an ambulance out in the field). But with EMS, the services we provide are usually billed to the patient, creating more of a business-like model. While the services law enforcement provide and fire provide are included with tax revenue. Plus, law enforcement and fire focus on the public as a whole, especially on a prevention aspect, while we are focused more on the patient amd the injuries sustained more than resolving the root safety issue itself.
If you look at physicians, nurses, and allied health staff that work in the ED, they also help the public and provide emergency care too, but usually only in a controlled environment and not out in the field.
Of course, EMTs and medics can also work in the hospital setting too and not just in the field (ex. ED tech)
So are EMTs and Paramedics linked to the
"public safety" profession or not? And what really distinguishes EMS personnel from other healthcare professions that link them to public safety more so than the others?
Again, this was just a thought that came up and I started over thinking it more in depth. It does not matter in the long run anyways, I love my job as an EMT.
We are also in close contact and interaction with fire, rescue, and law enforcement personnel in the field. And often times, fire, rescue, and law enforcement officers are cross trained to perform emergency care (ex. FF/EMT)
But EMS on its own, not including those cross trained to perform other functions, are we also considered "public safety"? People, especially the general public, like to tie us in with police and fire. After all, we respond to emergencies and go lights and woo woo to people in peril (at least EMTs and medics that work on an ambulance out in the field). But with EMS, the services we provide are usually billed to the patient, creating more of a business-like model. While the services law enforcement provide and fire provide are included with tax revenue. Plus, law enforcement and fire focus on the public as a whole, especially on a prevention aspect, while we are focused more on the patient amd the injuries sustained more than resolving the root safety issue itself.
If you look at physicians, nurses, and allied health staff that work in the ED, they also help the public and provide emergency care too, but usually only in a controlled environment and not out in the field.
Of course, EMTs and medics can also work in the hospital setting too and not just in the field (ex. ED tech)
So are EMTs and Paramedics linked to the
"public safety" profession or not? And what really distinguishes EMS personnel from other healthcare professions that link them to public safety more so than the others?
Again, this was just a thought that came up and I started over thinking it more in depth. It does not matter in the long run anyways, I love my job as an EMT.