To kick off a new year of EMS events is this story about a couple of EMS providers overstepping their authority by stopping a driver, law enforcement style. It turns out the driver was the daughter of the local police chief. The incident serves as a not-so-subtle reminder that you never know who you might contact at any time while on the job.
What’s interesting is that this occurred eight months ago, and it took some time before there was any disciplinary action conducted by the service. Moreover, it appears that no one is taking responsibility for their actions.
Along with authority comes responsibility, something that’s a given if you are a professional. I mean, everyone’s human, right? The driver probably did something that was bone-headed, and it’s maybe natural to be a bit hot-headed and respond in an asinine way. Unfortunately, when you drive a vehicle that is readily identifiable as part of a public safety entity, it violates the public’s trust. The problem is compounded when the agency seemingly fails to follow up in a timely manner and transparently investigate the issue.
Any EMS agency operates in public view, and has a responsibility to ensure that its integrity remains intact through due diligence and publicly reporting its findings. Whether it’s a career or volunteer service is not relevant. Professionalism of an organization begins at the top and is seen throughout its structure. With it, incidents like these are rare and are manageable when they occur. Without top-to-bottom professionalism an organization can become a three ring circus when it comes to managing the consequences of unprofessional behavior.
