Our 2010 "Why EMS Matters... to You"
Essay Contest Winners
In honor of National EMS Week, and to provide members with the opportunity to voice their pride in their profession, NAEMT introduced a new essay contest: Why EMS Matters... to You.
The following three 2010 essay contest winners shared why EMS is their calling and passion, and the difference that they make in their communities.
Prizes are gift certificates to www.amazon.com.
Here are the winning essays.
First place: Kelly Buddenhagen
“EMS matters to me because we answer the call no one else hears.”
As people pass on the street with their nose to the grindstone, their ears plugged into the latest app, their minds racing on how to get ahead, we answer the call.
Buildings crumble, cars crash, people fight and children cry. In EMS, we train, we respond, we serve, we care.
The call comes in, we respond. The door opens and we are welcomed in“ no questions asked.” It is taken for granted that our service will be the best. We are entrusted with life in all its fragility, intervening with gentle hands, sharp skills, and encompassing knowledge... taking into account the experiences of those who have come before us, all the while knowing it’s this patient’s first time. Holding a hand, brushing away a tear, gently listening, comforting the lonely; all make a difference in the world one life at a time. EMS is about taking the opportunity one moment at a time to show another person gentle reassurance that someone is there to help them.
I am honored to work in a profession whose members know what to do when they walk into someone’s life at the worst time, under the worst circumstances and remind them we are all worth saving. The power of our interaction with our patients, their families and bystanders oftentimes shapes their perspective of the event. We become the “if only” in so many people’s worlds. Because we came, because we tried, because we cared, we have the potential to change the ”if only” to ”everything that could have been done was done.”
From all the textbooks and from all the training, the most important skill we bring to the scene is the human factor that we care enough to work in EMS. We care enough to work the long hours, sacrifice our family time, and relentlessly train and retrain to become the best provider for the worst scenarios. And, we pray that the worse scenarios never happen.
The honor to serve others is the reason EMS matters to me.
Second place: John Wilbanks
"EMS matters to me because every day is an opportunity.”
Every call is an opportunity to serve my community and help others, often in a moment of crisis. Some calls are exciting while others are fairly routine, but all are gratifying as a patient receives the best care possible both in the field and during transport. Seeing long hours of training transform into effective treatment is rewarding and motivates me to continually learn and refine my skills in a variety of areas. I enjoy the excitement and challenge of applying both knowledge and practical skills in new ways as calls present unique medical situations or environmental obstacles.
Going home at the end of the day, I know I have accomplished something and have touched lives both physically and emotionally. Perhaps a life has been saved or maybe an injury was treated that led to a better outcome for the patient. Other times a patient was reassured or a family member was calmed and comforted. Going the extra mile in everything I do gives me a sense of satisfaction in a job well done and I am proud to help others when they are confronted with some of the worst moments of their lives.
On a larger scale, EMS has a unique role as we go wherever we are needed in order to calmly and professionally provide high quality medical care as well as reassurance for everyone involved. We are often the ones who set the tone for the family and we can provide them with the comfort of knowing everything possible was done for their family member. A quick response combined with quality care and compassion gives individuals and the community confidence in an EMS service that cares and will be there for them whenever they are needed.
Every dispatcher, EMT and paramedic is given multiple opportunities every day - opportunities to give their time and talents to serving others, and to make a difference in their community and in the lives of those they help. Those of us in EMS see things that most people never see, both good and bad, and have to choose daily to go back into the field with an open mind and a compassionate approach.
I believe EMS truly makes a difference and I hope I never take for granted the opportunities I am given.
Third place: Arron Paduaevans
"EMS matters to me because I am blessed to be an EMS provider.”
I feel blessed for countless reasons; I’m thankful for the opportunity each day to do what I dreamed of as a child and worked so hard for as an adult. What makes a tough job so much easier is the camaraderie I find with my fellow medics as I’ve found in no other career field. We share a bond that lets us know at any time, whether at two o’clock in the afternoon or two o’clock in the morning, we are there for each other. I know without asking or looking that my partner is there for me, without question, and shares the same value of maintaining quality of life for patients at all times. I know that my partner's objective is no less than mine, to do whatever it takes to increase the survival rates and reduce complications of injuries and illnesses in critical patients to save lives.
Most of all EMS is so important to me not just for what I give to my patients, but what they give to me. I know that for that one terrifying instant, that one brief ambulance ride to the emergency room, that one interminable moment on a busy, rainy, and cold freeway in the middle of a ten-car pileup, my patients trust me, sight unseen. It is my responsibility to care for each and every one of them as I would care for my own child, my wife, or my mother. It is the feeling I get when I look into the eyes of a patient in pain, fearing for their life, or a frightened mother of a sick child. It is then that I know that my job is to make it all better, and to make it better now.
There’s no time for second thoughts, consultations, tests, research, or trial and error. There is only time for prayer and the use of the knowledge and skills that I have learned and practiced time and time again, not only on patients and in the classroom, but in my head, over and over, in preparation for this very moment when my patient needs me.
This feeling, above all else, is why I will always strive to go above and beyond the call for my patients, my community, my partners, and myself.