A thought on profit, public, private, etc

[Guest guest]

I just wanted to pose a question (albeit perhaps a rhetorical one) to all of

you. When we talk about the profit/loss debate, the public/private debate, the

hospital/fire/private/PUM/third service debate, we sometimes jokingly say the

public gets the EMS service it deserves. I'd suggest that we've failed in our

role as care providers and patient advocates. We have failed to inform the

public about who we are and what we do. I've told some of you stories about my

own family and friends knowing virtually nothing about EMS until I got involved

in EMS. I'm sure we've all experienced similar things. The fire and police

departments have us beat, hands down, at public education.

What is your EMS agency doing to educate the public? I'll be the first to admit

that we could be doing more here.

-Wes Ogilvie, MPA, JD, EMT-B

Austin, Texas

[Guest guest]

Hear hear!

TEMSF was founded on the ideals of public education, and EMS provider

education. To date, the current leadership of TEMSF has done little

other than let the organization fall apart and become sycophants to

EMSAT, another failed attempt (because it doesn't represent " Joe EMT "

where " Joe EMT " needs representation and education most, at the local

level).

Those successful EMS organizations (Austin, WillCo, Beaumont, etc.)

are the ones that have grabbed onto public education and public

health, and built a solid public safety organization to protect its

citizens while teaching them how to not need EMS in the first place.

Mike

> Fire and Police Departments have been operating for lifetimes longer

> than EMS. They have had the benefit of countless years more public

> service than we have. They have had the benefit of being a public

> service in a time where people understood what was meant by

> service. We haven't had that luxury. We began in a time of war,

> polictics and times where people don't want to be responsible for

> their own actions. Where will we be in a hundred years? The answer

> is, we will still be a hundred years behind the fire and police

> departments. We can do better and I think we are. Educating the

> public should definately be near the top of our priorities.

> Worrying about where our police and fire departments are in

> comparison to us only serves to be self defeating.

>

> Matt ,

> EMS Administrator

> Texas City EMS

>

>

>

>

>

> >

> > I just wanted to pose a question (albeit perhaps a rhetorical one)

> to all of you. When we talk about the profit/loss debate, the

> public/private debate, the hospital/fire/private/PUM/third service

> debate, we sometimes jokingly say the public gets the EMS service it

> deserves. I'd suggest that we've failed in our role as care

> providers and patient advocates. We have failed to inform the public

> about who we are and what we do. I've told some of you stories

> about my own family and friends knowing virtually nothing about EMS

> until I got involved in EMS. I'm sure we've all experienced similar

> things. The fire and police departments have us beat, hands down,

> at public education.

> >

> > What is your EMS agency doing to educate the public? I'll be the

> first to admit that we could be doing more here.

> >

> > -Wes Ogilvie, MPA, JD, EMT-B

> > Austin, Texas

> >

> >

> >