Culture

The video in this post is very graphic in nature. It is not recommended for those with heart conditions or weak stomachs. It definitely is NOT a video for children, and probably is not safe for work… although I think that some work places should require its viewing like taxi companies, UPS, FedEx, and Public Safety Agencies

Today starts the beginning of another holiday weekend. I’m sure some of you will be traveling, if you haven’t started to already, and there are others of you who will be working to ensure the safety of those who are traveling. I saw this video first on Facebook, and I felt the imagery was so powerful that I want to share it here as a reminder that your life can change in an instant because of impatience or inattention…

So now that you’ve seen the trainwreck… have a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Last week during EMS Garage Episode 91: Fava Beans, Jamie Davis was kind enough to play the Australian PSAs regarding calling 9-1-1 for emergencies. I often find myself unable to fully support the whole issue of being able to refuse transportation for those who call 9-1-1.

I have both the same reservations as Kelly Grayson and I have the fear that by telling people when they do call 9-1-1 that their condition isn’t an emergency, when they truly do have an emergency they won’t be calling 9-1-1 again.

What I would ideally like to see is an educational initiative. Something where we can educate the public voluntarily as opposed to these hard line transport refusals and elongated ETAs for conditions that are not deemed life threatening by a dispatch center. We need to stop treating the public like a liability to our cause, and more as an asset to help us accomplish our mission. While the Australian PSAs are a great example, we already have some great examples right here in the good old United States…

That billboard was set up by Lake-Sumter Emergency Medical Services in Florida. The website WhenToCall911.com is full of information in an easily consumable format for the average citizen to help them make the correct decision when and when not to call 911. Most notable, on the bottom of every page it reads:

Make the right call. If it’s potentially life-threatening, or you’re in doubt, don’t guess… call 911

I think creative billboards that are backed by deeper information are one option to educate the public. Audio and video PSAs are another option. These are the types of community outreach programs we should be doing year round, and not relegated to one week in May.

Hey, if other groups can put some effort into educating the public on safety related matters…

… then why can’t we try to educate them on subjects that affect EMS?

What do you think is holding us back?

Many of you have already heard about (and if you haven’t then you’re about to so pay attention) some of the great portable EMS audio netcasts available on the internet such as the EMS Educast, EMS Garage, EMS Office Hours, and of course the MedicCast. As EMS created media evolved we then saw the rise of The Chronicles of EMS and their online video series. So what’s left?

Portable video netcasts of course.

Thanks to MedicCast TV we have now evolved to that second to the top tier in content. MedicCast TV is available on iTunes, for Zune, and as an RSS Feed. In this episode host Jamie Davis gives his opinion on the Super Sexy CPR video…

I think it’s a great format, very similar to Geek Brief TV (minus Cali Lewis and her psychedelic blue screen) for viewers with short attention spans… which is pretty much all of us. I’m subscribed via iTunes, and you should be too!

Some of you may be wondering what I would consider to be the “top tier” for EMS created media. A timely 30-60 minute daily show that offers both audio and video formats (not necessarily streamed live but that’s definitely an option) is truly the current top tier of content for any niche. You may think its going to take awhile before we see that… but I think otherwise… I’d say before the end of the year which gives us something to look forward to. MedicCast TV is definitely a step in that direction.

Be sure to check back tomorrow when I highlight the Super Sexy Abdominal Thrust video and talk about what all the critics seem to be overlooking

I’m an ardent supporter of EMS Professionals taking the proverbial public relations/education bull by the horns and doing what the agencies and multiple organizations that represent the industry continually fail to do effectively. One group of those professionals are the guys over at The Chronicles of EMS. Ted, Justin, and Mark are dedicated to creating compelling educational content for both the industry professional as well as for the average person, and have pitched the series throughout the entertainment industry.

While pitching the series to entertainment executives they received some valuable feedback, specifically that the tagline “The Reality Series” should be changed to something more… entertainy. In order to do that they have turned to the community and are running a Name the Show Contest. Since it’s a contest, there must be some prizes, right? There most certainly are…

The Grand Prize winner wins an iPad 16GB WiFi + 3G AND a round trip flight and accommodations at a future Chronicles of EMS filming location where they will appear in the episode!

Now there are some rules and regulations to the contest, but if you aren’t already a member of the Chronicles of EMS Community, shame on you!

So even if you don’t have a creative bone in your body, but you want to get involved in helping with the success of the project, you can Vote for Chronicles of EMS on OWN TV (which is the Oprah Winfrey Network if you didn’t know) and please be sure to share that voting linking on both Facebook and Twitter.

Justin Schorr posted a music video by FDNY Paramedic Farooq Muhammad called EMS Anthem. Farooq is also the Paramedic behind last year’s “Call 911″ FDNY video.

Personally, I like his latest contribution better than the first one and am glad to see him still expressing his creativity through pro-EMS content. I do wonder though why it seems that every EMS song I see or hear seems to be a rap song. I mean sure, 911 Is A Joke may have spawned Bodies R Hauled Off, but aren’t there any other EMTs or Paramedics who write songs in other genres about EMS?

Well, thanks to the power of Google, I found another!

This is from the video page for Angels In An Ambulance:

“Angels In An Ambulance” by unsigned BMI licensed Nashville recording artist country singer songwriter Don Mathews is another great EMS song by Mr. Mathews. It is one of his three new songs out of Nashville, TN.

What about you? Do you have a favorite EMS themed song from an artist (signed or unsigned)? If so, please share it in the comments…

Today is the first day of EMS Week 2010! Here is an “oldy but goody” video I found on YouTube that was created by Steve Berry of I Am Not An Ambulance Driver fame:

I hope you have a good, happy, and especially safe EMS Week…

In an interesting interview with CNNMoney, Jack Dorsey (one of the co-founders of the Twitter) credits working on a database of ambulances and police cars in New York City along with mapping as the inspiration for the conception of the social network:

It makes you wonder what EMS is going to inspire next…

The start of EMS Week 2010 is a meager 5 days away. Sure there will be the usual donuts and coffee breakfasts and pizza lunches. There will be gift giveaways of water bottles or pillows. Yet, I often wonder how much those things actually mean to EMTs and Medics anymore. I know when I first started, it was awesome! I didn’t have to bring my lunch with me the entire week and that ultimately saved me around $40. Over the years though, the consciousness of society’s eating habits have changed along with the seeming growing girth of our providers.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve gone up 16 pant sizes in 15 years in EMS… and I know that I am not alone. Doing a job where the quickest and most available food is often also the unhealthiest will indeed take its toll over time. It’s also important to remember that EMS Week is for community outreach and to show appreciation for the work EMTs and Paramedics do out in the field… and that especially includes the appreciation of their supervisors, managers, and directors. Really, without the field EMTs and Paramedics, what would we do otherwise?

So I say let’s break the old habits of stuffing fried, fattening food down the gullets of our responders and show our appreciation for them in different ways…

Five Ways To Show Appreciation Other Than Food

• Chris Kaiser published a great sample letter of appreciation. I think letters like his are good, but I think they need to be personalized and hand delivered to be accompanied with a few words of honest praise. I see that as the way to take a good letter and make it great as opposed to just handing out the good letter or posting it on a bulletin board
• Ceremony – while I think intra-organizational ceremonies are a great thing, how about a more public acknowledgment of the work your EMTs and Paramedics are doing? There are city council’s, civic meetings, and community association meetings all of which would be great places for you to attend with your finest. The best part about this is that it isn’t limited to just during EMS Week
• Job Swap – Everyone from the field EMT to the Dispatcher to the ALS Supervisor thinks that they have the hardest job and the other one does nothing. Why not give them the opportunity to prove it? Arrange a “supervised” job swap so the field EMT can see the stresses of the dispatcher, the dispatcher can see the difficulties of operating with bad information in the field, and the ALS Supervisor can see it all. Now I’m sure there will be those who will say, “That’s where I came from, I don’t need to see it!” and to you I will say, “There’s a reason we go to refresher to keep our cards, so we should be refreshing ourselves in the actual experience and not just the classroom materials!” Really, think about the type of thrill an EMT would get by being named “Chief For A Day“, and you’ll see why this is a great way to both show your appreciation and motivate your responders to further their commitment to EMS.
• Car Wash – Every Supervisor wants to see their crews washing the ambulance. Hell, I’ve even heard these stories of directors in suits cleaning an ambulance to try and make a point to the crews about keeping the vehicles clean. I think a better way to show not only your appreciation for their work, but also to exemplify that squeaky clean image, wash their personal cars. For those that may lack a personal car, then you can substitute their ambulance
• Shoe shine – Everyone likes to see their responders in crisp sharp uniforms. Why not show your appreciation for what they do by helping them out with a shoe shine. There’s just something sweet about your Supervisor shining your shoes for you… isn’t there?

So, what is your agency and its supervisors/managers/directors/chiefs going to do for its responders that does not include increasing their cholesterol count or their pants size?

One of my current roles is that of a hiring manager. I schedule and conduct interviews with candidates looking for a position as an EMT. One of the things I like about it is that I know who is going to be reporting to my garage before they do so. One of the things I hate about it is the canned responses I get to subjective questions that have no real right answer. So it’s time to dispel one of those myths that persist over time.

The Myth

My interviews are always straight forward affairs. The first question I ask is where they went to EMT school, because believe it or not that does indicate how well you were (or weren’t) trained. The second question is about who the instructor was, because if you can remember their name then the chances are good that you remembered what they taught you. The third question is how you liked the class, a completely subjective inquiry with no real right answer.

The fourth question is another subjective inquiry asking why you became an EMT. There is no right or wrong answer, but you would be amazed (or maybe you wouldn’t be) at the number of candidates who ultimately feel that EMS is the answer because they want to “help people”. To be honest, the answer is one that I expect but at the same time I think it’s a myth that we continue to perpetuate in our current education models of both the untrained public as well as those starting out in the profession.

The Broader View

I help people everyday. The thing is not one of them goes to the hospital, nor do I fill out a call report for them, and very few of them have any medical issues. They are people who are inundated with packages or a linen cart going through a door, or they need to find the actual entrance of Madison Square Garden, or are completely lost and need to be pointed in the right direction to make their appointment on time. Considering the most common problems people seem to have, does it make you wonder whether you need to become an EMT or Paramedic in EMS to help people?

This job is not about helping people.

The Reality

This job is about changing lives.

We’re called to come and effect a positive change in a patient’s life during what may be their most worst moments of a medical crisis. The type of job we are able to do in effecting that change may be critical to their future and its quality, both immediate and long term.

We change lives everyday. Sometimes we change their life by bringing them to the hospital for necessary treatment, whether it be emergent or ambulatory, that will lead to less symptoms, complications, or pain. We have helped to effect change on their quality of life. Sometimes we change their life by bringing their family member home from the hospital, allowing a sense of normalcy to return. Sometimes we change their lives by providing hope (or the audacity of it) and other times we change them by being the bearer of grim news.

This job is about changing lives.

What Gets Left Untold

Yet it isn’t just the lives of the patients, their family, and their friends that get changed. Our lives get changed too. When I was originally writing this post over the weekend I inadvertently was leaving that little fact out and Kelly Grayson was kind enough to remind me of that fact.

Sure, we help people. We help people everyday. Yet sometimes we are so blinded by the notion that this job is about helping people, that we forget to help those who are most important to us as well as ourselves. It’s comedic tragedy at its finest.

This job is about changing lives. It’s about changing theirs as much as it is about changing our own. Some of that change will happen as a natural scientifically rooted fact, while other aspects of that change are within our grasp to shape and mold.

This is something we need to realize, and something we need to meet head on as both individuals and as a profession.

One of the reasons that EMS Week community outreach is becoming more important is the slew of Social Media being created that represents us in a less than fashionable light.

Here is a video from two PROCare Mobile Response employees that is on YouTube that came up as a related video for another video about EMS:

So let’s take a quick look at how PROCare Mobile Response has seemingly failed to inservice their employees about safe behavior, let alone Social Media:

• The partner is not wearing a seatbelt
• The use of foul and offensive language doesn’t help their professional image, that of PROCare Mobile Response, or EMS as a whole
• The driver is operating the vehicle while videotaping his partner, which is a classic example of unsafe distracted driving if ever there was one

Do you want to know the really scary part of this video? It was uploaded in March of 2008. It makes me wonder how much negative and unprofessional media is actually already out there. More importantly, how much media with negative overtones will be created without EMS Agencies providing their responders with proper guidance?

Does your EMS Agency have a Social Media Policy? If not, here is a Social Media Guide For First Responder Agencies