So, in EMS, we rarely see the press during any of our calls. Why? Well, usually whatever has happened is something bad that requires us to get the patient(s) out and to the hospital as quickly as possible. They have never beat us (or at least me) to a scene...except once about a year and a half ago...
As the story goes, there was a shooting in a rather rough neighborhood where I work. I show up with two ambulances, a chase car, a supervisor the medical director and clinical affairs chief in tow. Of course, we had the fire department there and the police department (they were marching around with fire arms strapped around their body...very intimidating (I'm glad I'm on their) side. There were the usual bystanders there trying to figure out what was going on. But there was someone else there...the press. Not just one news crew...but 2. And some people taking still photographs. It was a party and I felt like I was running late.
As I'm doing my work, most of it is inside the house where the shooting occurred but I was going in and out a few times and they always seemed to manage to get pictures of me. We took the patients to the hospital and when we arrived back at the station, another crew was sitting in the day room and were watching the news. They informed me that I had been on the news...and in more than just a passing shot. The next day, I found my picture (doing patient care stuff) on the front page of the newspaper.
It's not that I mind the pictures...but I would love for people to understand exactly what we do, why we do it and that we're not just some high school graduates who don't have any training. No, we didn't go to medical school but we know a lot. And we're going to do everything we can to help you if you call. (But please...emergencies only. That, however, is another post.)
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