With EMS Week approaching soon in May, I thought it would be fun to share a few interesting things about the EMT’s and paramedics who dedicate their lives to helping others. Unless you are in EMS or married to someone in EMS, you probably never knew these tidbits.

10 Interesting Things About EMT’s and Paramedics

1. 1. Paramedics always notice how IV-friendly your veins are, even if you are not their patient. You think he’s looking at you in a romantic way? He’s probably thinking about how your veins would be great for a 14-gauge needle.
  2. Rarely do those in EMS have the pleasure of finishing a meal while on duty. Inevitably, the tones will go off to dispatch the crew to a call just as their food has finished cooking. This is why those involved in EMS can eat a five-course meal 2 minutes flat.
  3. Paramedics have a warped sense of humor. The longer they are in EMS, the more twisted their humor becomes. After seeing so many horrific things, this dark sense of humor becomes a protective mechanism to handle the unbelievable stress that comes with the job.
  4. EMS workers bring their work home with them. Yes, their shift may end, but they can’t just erase what they saw.
  5. Most EMT’s and paramedics have a second (or third) job. Because the pay is so low, those in EMS are often forced to work another job to support their family. Often these extra jobs are also in EMS with another ambulance service.
  6. Paramedics are among the most ingenious and resourceful medical professionals. Because of limited budgets in EMS, all of the needed resources aren’t always available. However, paramedics become a medical MacGyver to derive the tools needed to treat their given patients.
  7. Because EMS shifts are long, sometimes, more than 24 hours long, sleep is a necessity. You can bet as soon as an EMS worker falls asleep, they will be abruptly awakened and dispatched to a call.
  8. Paramedics are extremely autonomous. While they do have protocols in place by a physician, they are very efficient at treating most life-threatening medical and traumatic conditions without needing direct guidance telling them what to do.
  9. The quickest way to make a paramedic mad is to call him an “ambulance driver.” Next time you are in pain or have a life-threatening condition, do you really want a “driver” to come to your rescue?
  10. No topic of discussion is off limits at the dinner table. EMS workers have seen the nastiest of the nasty. They have been in the most disgusting homes on Earth. They learn to tune out the nastiness of the topic at hand and still enjoy eating their food at the same time.

Now you know a little more about some of the challenges EMS workers have to face during and after their shifts. Be sure and show your appreciation to EMT’s and paramedics during EMS Week in May. Please help support EMS Week by donating gifts that are branded with your company logo and giving them out as tokens of appreciation to your local EMS personnel.