I winced when I saw this story break this morning. In some ways I wasn’t surprised that EMS has come up short again on the public awareness stick.
We’re not celebrities; most of us do not crave the limelight. We like to think that we do our jobs quietly and without notice. While admirable, there are consequences for not being visible within our community.
We would do well to take lessons from our fire-based brethren and our fellow law enforcement colleagues. Through education and awareness campaigns that have lasted decades, they have woven themselves into the fabric of their neighborhoods. EMS remains more of a shadowy element in the public safety net, even though the chances of someone needing emergency care is great compared to a fire suppression or law enforcement response.
For the moment, consider donating to the West EMS service — they can use your help. Then, think about your own agency — how do you promote your services? How do you stand in your community? EMS1 columnist Josh Weiss has a few easy and inexpensive ideas for developing public relations.
We serve our communities proudly. Let’s set up circumstances so that we can depend upon their help when we need it.
