KPRC
HOUSTON —Houston paramedics and EMTs receive between 700-800 calls for help every day, but among the shootings, stabbings, heart attacks and strokes are those who abuse the 911 system.
“We get called for people with blisters on their feet,” said Houston Fire Department Senior Capt. Andrew Moore. “Honest to God, you know, I’ve been called for paper cuts.”
Moore said these type of repetitive calls for non-emergencies is a leading reason for burnout among paramedics and EMTs. “That’s the most frustrating thing my medics have to deal with,” said Moore. “They’re just worn out getting called by folks that don’t understand or the folks that do understand and don’t care.”
Full story: High-tech program helps to curb unnecessary ambulance rides