They Said What?

So US News & World Report has declared EMS to be one of the top jobs of 2012. Even though EMS was classed as one of the ten WORST jobs of 2011, growth in the field, relatively decent pay and "excitement" all played into the decision to move us to the "A" list for this year. I'm thinking that magazine researcher might also be a good choice. It apparently doesn't require any particular effort or knowledge of the subject you're "researching". I don't want to scare anybody away from the field. I love it, after all, but the article paints a wildly inaccurate picture of the field. Let me give you a more accurate picture.

First off, if you're looking for excitement and glory, try pro sports. Sure, we have our moments. Some calls really ARE exciting, but most aren't. Let's face it, we very rarely get the chance to really save a life. Most of the calls the average ambulance runs are nowhere near "emergencies". We get a lot of calls from people that simply got scared, and just didn't know what else to do. Are they sick? Sure they are. Is it an emergency? Not really, but it could be if they don't do something about it fairly soon. That's where we come in. It's not that we can actually fix the problem, but we can reassure the patient while we take them to the hospital, where they CAN fix it. Seeking glory? Stay away from me. Those people are the ones that get themselves or their fellow responders killed. If you see my picture in the paper, it means I didn't see the photographer in time to duck behind a firefighter or hustle the patient to the truck. I like my anonymity, thank you very much. The glory hounds don't last long, for some reason they think hosing puke out of the back of the truck at 3 A.M. is beneath them.

Money? Right. Now in all fairness, my agency pays at the top of the scale for Kansas, so I don't have any real room to complain. Would I like more? Of course. But if you're looking at the field as a career, you need to remember that the vast majority of EMS providers in the United States are volunteers. They either don't get paid at all, or receive a small (VERY small.) payment for responding to calls. Sure, volunteering is a great way to build up experience and/or get noticed by the full time agencies, but there are a lot of areas that haven't got any full time ambulance service. Private services tend to pay poorly. My first job as an EMT paid $7.50 an hour, and we ran our asses off for that money. Public agencies tend to have the best pay and benefits, but you need to remember that you're dealing with a fixed budget every year, and a lot of government agencies have been forced to implement hiring and pay freezes recently.

Something the U.S. News article didn't mention is the conditions we work under. Most people have no idea what our job is like. TV either depicts us as incompetent bunglers, or as sociopathic burnouts. Occasionally, the burnout is allowed to experience some kind of redemption, and show some emotion in the form of that one subtly macho tear rolling down your cheek as the closing credits roll. It ain't like that, folks. There are days you'll see stuff that makes you want to puke, or scream obscenities with your middle finger extended to the sky. We deal with things that no human being should ever have to see. And when we're done, we clean up and DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN. No time outs, no commercial break, no fortuitously timed appearance by the world renowned brain surgeon who just happens to know the one obscure technique that causes the patient to miraculously make a full recovery. Nope. In the real world, that patient dies. And we get to stand there and watch it happen. Helpless. And then we move on to the next one. Every time.

Given all that, why the hell would anyone EVER want to do this for a living?

Because it's really a great job. Your coworkers will become like family to you. You'll laugh, cry, and everything else together. You get paid to hang out with your friends. If you look at the hours we get paid for versus the amount of that time we actually spend working, it seems like really easy money. Out of a 24 hour shift, we probably only actually "work" 4-6 of them. People respect you. They want to see you around, and they're glad you're there. Every so often, you get the chance to really make a difference. I've had quite a few people come up to me at the gas station, or in the grocery store, or in Walmart, and tell me that they remember the day I saved their life, or their child's life, or even a complete stranger. I don't remember it, of course. It's just another call to me most of the time, but it makes quite an impression on them. And that's a good thing. It means they'll tell that story to anyone that will listen, and eventually the whole community will know that no matter who they are, or where they are, or why they call, they CAN call, and we'll come get them.

I don't really care what some magazine I never read says about my job. I don't care if I have one of the "top" jobs in the country. That label, like most labels, is ultimately meaningless. What I know is this: This isn't a job, it's a calling. If you want in, you have to get in all the way, or you won't make it. It can be tough, and it WILL change you. But it's rewarding in ways most people will never be able to understand. so is it one of the top jobs? No. It's THE top job in my book.