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