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These people are called by many names: ambulance squads, paramedics, or even the more cumbersome pre-hospital emergency care practitioners. But whatever the label, we're talking about the members of emergency medical services (EMS) — a system that provides critical medical care before patients reach a hospital.
Unless you have someone in your personal circles who works in EMS, most of what we think we know about them comes from TV shows or movies, and we can only guess how reliable that is. So to give you a more authentic glimpse into their daily lives, we've collected a series of pictures from the Facebook group 'EMS Humor,' each showing the challenges, surprises, and realities these professionals face on the job.
More info: Facebook
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#1
Auntriarch 2 months ago
Similar joke about a policeman catching a burglar on Sauchiehall Street
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Paramedics often work long shifts in high-stress environments. Due to the physically and psychologically demanding nature of the job, they frequently burn out.
Jason Hernandez, a paramedic from Texas who was awarded the American Ambulance Association's Star of Life award for his dedication to his work, told The Atlantic it takes a lot of thought.
"It's different every time; there's no monotony to it," he said. You can have two patients with almost identical symptoms but completely different problems. But typically, "the most frequent calls are a toss-up between psychiatric or chest pain."
#3
Beth Wheeler 2 months ago
LOL. When I had .my oldest, turned into an emergency c-section. One of the nurses told us thatv1 time a guy was there with his camcorder...welllll he fainted, 1 nurse caught him and another nurse caught the camera.
#5
Jaya 2 months ago
Except for toys that are specifically designed to be safe for that, have as much fun with those as you want.
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"For psychiatric calls, you never know what’s going on. It could be anything from somebody calling for a medication refill—where they just want to go to the hospital to get their medication—to a schizophrenic episode," Hernandez said.
"For chest pain, which is another really frequent one, those are harder to diagnose. It could just be acid reflux, or a heart attack, or an asthma attack, or a blood clot in the lungs. There's no sure way of fully diagnosing it in the field. You’ve got to use all of your knowledge to figure out as best you can what they've got going on."
There are plenty of things that paramedics need to worry about at any given time, from violent people to safety on the road. Uncertainty is a frequent partner as well.
"As far as not being sure what's wrong with a patient, we will pick the worst thing that we can possibly treat if we're not 100 percent certain," Hernandez said.
"A heart attack is typically going to be the worst thing that we can treat. The medications that we give for it are relatively benign: aspirin to prevent the blood clot from getting any larger and nitroglycerin, which dilates the blood vessels to allow blood flow back to the heart. If I am in doubt, I run every test that I can. If it still could be a heart attack, I'll go ahead and treat for that because it's not going to hurt them to get aspirin and nitroglycerin—but it could save their life," the paramedic explained.
As for the pressure, everybody's got their own way of dealing with it.
For Hernandez, it's talking to friends and family about what he's seen that day. "We lighten the situation with jokes. Primarily, my wife is the one who gets to hear about it," he said.
"When I get home from work, I'll tell her about how my day went. If there was a particularly stressful call, I'll tell her about that one. There have been times when I've had to go see a therapist just to talk about it."
#16
Roshan Kassan 2 months ago
my mate got punched by an EMT - his fault, he was drunk AF and was getting handsy
Hernandez explained that, for the most part, his life has to bend around his job. When he's working, it means 12-hour shifts, and he usually can't do much else unless he sacrifices sleep.
To him, EMS feels like half of his life—more time is spent sitting in an ambulance than with his spouse. “It's almost like having a second marriage," he joked, adding that it's become one of their running jokes.
#19
David 2 months ago
Paramedics are the ones that earn decently, EMT's earn low, Para's get much more training. But in most places even EMT's get more than min wage, though 42k a year average salary for a EMT isnt a lot, but its 150 hours of training, which some places get you trained in just 3 weeks. Paramedic is between 1200 hours of classroom with 600 hours of clinical/practical's, and they get paid better bc they are a rarer specialty. I know both EMTs and Paramedics, and while official national average for Paras is $60,000/y, the ones I know say that is base and they bring in 30% or more than that (bc of "supervisory duties" which are paid separate), unlike EMT's where it is just base and overtime pay. Though where I live EMT's average $22.50/hour base + overtime and Paramedics get $33.50/hour base +overtime+supervisory adjustment
However, people seem to value paramedics.
In a survey of more than 5,000 Americans, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 99% of respondents had confidence in the abilities of EMS clinicians who would respond if 911 were called.
Over 90% of respondents considered EMS an essential government service.
#22
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 2 months ago
Actually, the average human body contains more than one skeleton due to pregnant women
#23
Inservio Smurf 2 months ago
Nope, mislabelled. The inverted nutter is the dirtbiker. The girl next to her clearly telling her that's going to end badly, THAT is the paramedic.
#24
#27
Inservio Smurf 2 months ago
I don't understand. As usual acronyms make the sentence incomprehensible.
#31
The Darkest Timeline 2 months ago
My dad was once an EMT and a volunteer firefighter. I wonder if he ever argued with himself this way? I’ll send him this and see what reaction I get.
#32
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 2 months ago
My Nan always used to say, whenever we saw or heard an ambulance, ''I hope someone's having a baby and not a car accident''.
#33
Shark queen 🦈🦈🦈 2 months ago
I think this applies to all professions and just waking up in general.
#35
Beth Wheeler 2 months ago
Somebody didn't remember to. TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN! And now that ambulance engine is trashed from water in the i take, etc.
#37
Forrest Hobbs 2 months ago
As I understand it, emergency services drivers are taught "It's better to arrive late than not at all". 🤷
#40
cerinamroth 2 months ago (edited)
My haematologist always compliments me on my veins. It's the little things in life.
#42
#45
April Pickett 2 months ago
This job can work you to death, or bore you to death. I'd opt for the second one.
#50
Susan Reid Smith 2 months ago
There are occasions when an adequate answer at the time is better than the most correct answer made after time to consider it.
#51
Beak Hookage 2 months ago
Last time I had to go there I ended up sitting around like a spare shirt until the shift changed and next thing I knew a bunch of interns were gawping at me. I wasn't even there for anything all that interesting! I decided to be a good sport and showed them my injury.
#55
Inservio Smurf 2 months ago
If you build a better mousetrap, And put it in your house, Before long mother nature Will build a better MOUSE! There is no such thing as idiot-proof. There is always a mightier idiot.
#57
#58
Inservio Smurf 2 months ago
I never realised Twinkies had a mascot. Who is the grinning woman behind the muppet clearly making a fleshlight joke with a cigar in his mouth?
#59
Yrral Spavit 2 months ago
Lived in a small town. We joked that if the FD, ambulance, police and Search and rescue were all called out the same 6 people would show up.
#61
Laura Lawson 2 months ago
I am a phlebotomist (professional vampire) & the number of people with awesome veins who INSIST on a butterfly needle is absolutely insane. How bout you let me do my job, ok? I don't go to your workplace & tell you how to do something I know nothing about! ( yeah, rough week, I'm venting)
#67
Inservio Smurf 2 months ago
The murican healthcare system. This meme is closer to a documentary than a joke.
#70
Grumpy old man 2 months ago
Fun fact! You know how DOD gave all the police MRAPs? We use ours in Texas for flood rescues.
#71
Beth Wheeler 2 months ago
This pic makes my hand hurt. It hurts like hell when they put it in the hand or barely above the wrist. When I went for my cholecystectomy the nurse was trying my hand and I made him stop and use my forearm. When anesthesia came to give me a little happy juice to head to the OR I told him it hurt. The IV was infiltrated, we'll do another in there. Before the nurse could put the plastic thing on it blew so I had to get stuck a 4th time and I have good veins.
#74
cerinamroth 2 months ago
She looks like she could do with a cuddle and a hot cup of tea, poor lassie.
#77
#79
Inservio Smurf 2 months ago
This behemoth of a nose should be illegal in non-freight traffic. It's literally a childmower.
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What do you think ?
Forrest Hobbs 2 months ago
Educational, in that decoding the humour teaches you something about what it's like working as a paramedic.
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SkippityBoppityBoo 2 months ago
EMTs, Paramedics, Fire.. All First Responders are unsung heroes. The operators at the end of the phone too... They deal with the worst people, violent people, see and help people at their end of life... How they deal with it? I don't know. I've nothing but admiration and gratefulness for them all.
Forrest Hobbs 2 months ago
Educational, in that decoding the humour teaches you something about what it's like working as a paramedic.
Load More Replies... SkippityBoppityBoo 2 months ago
EMTs, Paramedics, Fire.. All First Responders are unsung heroes. The operators at the end of the phone too... They deal with the worst people, violent people, see and help people at their end of life... How they deal with it? I don't know. I've nothing but admiration and gratefulness for them all.
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