Why Are You an EMT?

I watched Emergency! with my dad as a kid. Ive always wanted to be a firefighter since I was about 3 years old. I started as a Explorer at my local fire station for 5 years and fell in love with Fire/EMS, form there I went to EMT school and passed and started working for a ambulance company that does BLS IFT's. Now I'm about a month out from taking my CPAT to become a reserve firefighter. I also want to be a firefighter/medic because my dad is a cop and I love busting his balls about it :cool:
 
I had always planned to do something medical when I got sick of cooking, and that day came sooner than expected. I liked being hands-on, the energy and teamwork in kitchens, but thought it would be more pleasant if the vagrants, junkies, and drunks were my patients rather than my coworkers :rofl:

There's something great about being in a profession where you're working together to help people. It's led to me working with some of the most bright, compassionate, and positive people I've ever met. Plus, if EMS isn't for you, there are a ton of other options that you can pursue in the medical field with some transferable knowledge and skills. It's been a great change of pace for me.
 
You really have to be a Paramedic to make somewhat decent money and do stuff that's exciting. If you work as an EMT, you are lucky if you make a living wage, and more than likely you will be a taxi service for people who need a stretcher. That's just the reality in most cases. There are exceptions Im sure.
 
I love the rush that comes with the job! There's nothing more exhiliratin than responding to an emergency. :P

Not too many EMTs here in the Philippines. Most of the people here equate rescue personnel as first aider only and that the real heavy lifting happens in the hospitals. :sad:
 


Nah, but in all seriousness...I began recognizing s/s of burnout in myself while I was working as a cop, so I quit and went into private contracting. After more than a few years of that, I saw myself heading down the same path again. In the back of my mind, I'd always been interested in EMS, but I'd never considered it as a career option. The interest stemmed from a long-ago incident where, as a new cop, I was first on scene of a really horrific incident, but since no one needed CPR (all the training we had), all I could do was preserve evidence and start the suspect identification process. Nothing like feeling completely helpless to motivate you.

Nowadays, having the resources, I took the plunge and went back to school. Now, I work part-time as an EMT in my area while still making a living in a familiar field, and I'm loving every minute of it.

I originally went into LE because, as everyone says, I wanted to help people. Now, I can feel like I actually AM, as opposed to barking questions to a victim/patient while someone else works on them.
 
Thanks for the responses. It seems like most of you guys got into it for a lot of the same reasons that I am. I don't mind being a bit underpaid while while I get EMT experience and try to work my way up to paramedic and/or other things in the medical field.

Stoked said:
I originally went into LE because, as everyone says, I wanted to help people. Now, I can feel like I actually AM, as opposed to barking questions to a victim/patient while someone else works on them.
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Being a police officer has crossed my mind once or twice, but I think I would feel the same way you did if I actually got into it. I would rather be helping people who are having medical problems, and I feel that having to hand out speeding tickets and send people to jail would start to get on my nerves(not saying that cops don't help people or the community, I just feel like the cons would outweigh the pros for me.)
 
meloabreuu said:
Being a police officer has crossed my mind once or twice, but I think I would feel the same way you did if I actually got into it. I would rather be helping people who are having medical problems, and I feel that having to hand out speeding tickets and send people to jail would start to get on my nerves(not saying that cops don't help people or the community, I just feel like the cons would outweigh the pros for me.)
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Oh, don't get me wrong; I loved being a cop. I got to do a lot of fun things, including being a school resource officer and DARE instructor, running fast and shooting things. It just got to the point where I saw myself exhibiting the same symptoms of burnout I saw in older guys, and wanted to pop smoke while I still had some semblance of enthusiasm for the job. I'd even consider going back into it at some point, but to be honest, I make far more in the private sector :rofl:
 
meloabreuu said:
Anyway, I'm just curious about what lead some of you guys to deciding to start a career in emergency medical services, if the job was what you expected it to be(or wasn't,) and what your favorite and least favorite parts of the job are.
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Well, I've posted this a few times, so older members, feel free to skip my post ;)

I didn't intend to get into EMS in the beginning. I am a licensed vet tech (hence my screen name and avatar) and when I was unemployed, the local career center suggested I pad out my resume with volunteer work. I've volunteered in animal shelters before, but had to stop because I kept taking the critters home.

Then a friend of mine pointed out that animals are affected by house fires and car crashes too, so I met with my local fire chief to see about volunteering with them to help provide first aid to the four-legged family members. He said they didn't have much call for that, but the department could use some more women on the rescue side. I said I'd try it out, so I started as a chaperone for 'female problems' when there was an all-male crew. I then took AVOC and became a driver.

Two years later I got asked if I wanted to go to school to become an EMT. I said sure. I was liking the work I did with the department. So I go, I get the top grade in my class, and now I'm an EMT with two local departments. And as far as the four-legged patients, I've only had 1 in the almost 4 years I've been with my local department.
 
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Umm.

Nobody is in for the pay. That is true, and I am only a student so don't take everything I say as definite, but all of my class mates have been on a rotation where absolutely nothing comes in, and they sat around all day clicking away on their phones. Also not everyone respects EMT's, and Paramedics. After all we are only called when people are having some of the worst days of their lives. But people who enjoy the field like it because its always different, and it takes more then a High School Diploma. It needs a certain mind set, I hope I have what it takes, and hopefully you do too. :)
 
There is no better feeling, in my opinion, than coming into someones life when they are having the worst day of their life and knowing that while you were together for however short of a time it was, you made their day just a little bit better. May it be a NTG treatment to take away their chest pain or a reassuring grasp of the shoulder or hand. It's a wonder what a warm blanket can do sometimes.

As most will tell you, nobody gets into this field for the thank you's or the cheers from onlookers but when it happens, the feeling is pretty damn good.

AND, if you're lucky enough you will have a partner or crew who is halfway decent to pat each others backs. ;)

Good Luck!
 
Cuz 12 years ago the thought of going to 4 years of school to be a nurse after just finishing high school wasn't appealing. Neither was the thought of working inside all the time but I still wanted to do something with medicine.
 
Because nursing school had a waitlist to get in


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 
For the $$$
 
I'm motivated to become a doctor, but I didn't want to wait to help people. That's my passion, helping people out during one of the worst days of their lives.

The experience is priceless.:D
 
Mostly for the guts and glory. I like to be a hero.

And for the women. But that doesn't even need to be said.

;)
 
Well it certainly isn't for the money or the respect.....though on occasion I have had the random person come up to my partner and myself, thanking us for all that we do. It's kind of nice when that happens and you truly hope that you don't have to see her in a professional capacity.

For me, it was because the field itself is ever changing. There will always be something new to learn, something new to apply. Whether it be an intervention, or simply an assessment tool that you learned from a seasoned medic, or class or wherever. That and it's a solid field.....as long as there are........people you'll still have a job.
 
25 years ago I took my EMT class for the simple reason of wanting to help the community in which I live. I have been both paid and a volley over the years. Never been interested in being a medic as this was most of the time a part time job. Never was sorry for doing what I did. I have had to have a "normal" day job over the years because we all know it's hard to raise a family on the EMS income. :cool:
 
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