Recently a friend of mine read my (unpublished) book on EMS safety and asked, “As a manager who came from the field, I was amazed at just how ignorant I am to the Risk and Safety aspect of EMS, even with a college background. Furthermore, I am now curious why more attention is not brought to the subject matter in the journals and other trade media outlets.”
Perhaps the recent decision by the NFL helps explain why safety is not spoken of as often or as loudly as other EMS topics. Let’s take a look.
In a very rare move, the National Football League (NFL) postponed the game between Philadelphia and the Vikings in December due to weather and ‘safety.’ In part the announcement reads as follows, “Due to public safety concerns in light of today’s snow emergency in Philadelphia, tonight’s Vikings-Eagles game has been postponed. Because of the uncertainty of the extent of tonight’s storm and its aftermath...”
Philly’s mayor was in agreement with the decision. Pennsylvania’s Governor was not. Is the Governor really saying he does not appreciate the safety of his voters? In several online polls that ask the question, ‘Did the NFL make the right decision,’ typically less than 15 percent of respondents agree with the NFL.
By a vast majority, people respond that football has been played in much worse weather and we (the fans) like to watch games played in such extreme conditions.
In many cases the viewing public expects EMS as well as fire and police to work in extreme conditions and to put it all on the line. In many cases we too share the same thoughts.
If people think that it is OK to risk lives on a football game, what hope is there that people will put our lives ahead of the 911 caller or the innocent driver with whom we share the road and whose life we endanger? It has been only a few weeks since the roof of the Vikings stadium (Metrodome) collapsed due to snow. At the time it collapsed the stadium was empty — no fans, no game. But what if the roof collapsed on a full stadium, hours later with a game in progress? What if lives were lost? Would there still be such debate over this recent decision?
Safety is often not talked about because there is no consensus as to what is the appropriate balance between safety and necessary risk. When does speed become too fast? When is a patient too heavy? When is response time the most important factor? Who has a greater right to live — the 911 caller or the responder? When did ‘Do No Harm’ and the obligation to act with ‘Due Regard’ take a back seat?
In the case of the postponed game no one can say with absolute certainty that, “three lives and 17 injuries were prevented as a result of this decision.” It’s not possible to count the event that never happened. It’s also another reason why safety improvements are sometimes difficult to achieve. There is always the person who demands proof of something that did not happen.
I agree with the NFL’s decision — safety always trumps entertainment. I agree with decisions which put the lives and health of the responder first — always. I salute those who take on the difficult task of making a difference in EMS safety.
