National EMS week

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Alexis P. Docherty
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs

National Emergency Medical Services week kicks off May 22.  

As an essential public function, EMS practitioners are a vital component of emergency medicine. However, their life-saving services are often overlooked.

National EMS week, established in 1974, serves to honor EMS practitioners and their contributions to families and communities across the United States.

Holloman’s EMS practitioners work 24-hour shifts. The most basic function of their job involves responding to 911 and flight line emergencies, which can range from simple ailments, such as headaches, to serious, traumatic injuries, like broken bones or a scalping. They also work with police officers and firefighters on-scene, to treat patients or transfer them to a hospital.  

Licensing to become an emergency medical technician requires formal training at the EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate or EMT-Paramedic level. Training programs are offered at emergency medical service academies and other educational institutions.

The desire to become an EMT is often driven by a calling to serve the community and people.  

“I think we do it because we like to help people, we like to be there for them when they are in their time of need,” said Annette Dunlap, the 49th Medical Operations Squadron area project manager and paramedic. “It is very gratifying for me to know that I am there for someone at their worst possible moment--helping them get through the day.”

Oftentimes, EMS practitioners are not updated on what happens to their patients after they have treated them or transported them to the hospital.

“You only get to see these patients for a short amount of time, and most of the time we do not find out what happens or what the end result was,” said Hector Maldonado, a 49th MDOS EMT-Intermediate. “There are very few times or instances when that particular person or their family member comes to you and expresses their thanks. You do as much as you can, you do everything you are able to do, to the best of your abilities--but at some point, you are just blind to what happens.”

Though, not knowing what has become of a patient can be challenging, every EMT must learn to live with the uncertainty. Responding to death calls or having a patient die can be one of the most difficult aspects of an EMS practitioner’s job.

“If the patient has died, your next concern is the family, friends or the people with them,” Dunlap said. “You must have good people skills, because now they are your patients-- you have to make sure they are okay, and that they are going to be able to function and do the things they need to do. It is tough because you want to save them all, but deep down we know we cannot, it is just not in the cards sometimes.”

Public education regarding proper use of emergency and ambulatory services is lacking. As a result, many people call 911 for non-emergency purposes.

“911 is primarily for emergencies, and I think EMS week is a good opportunity to show the public what an actual emergency is--when to call 911 and when not to,” Maldonado said. “Hospitals get flooded with non-emergency type calls all the time. People do not know what their options are. When we arrive on scene and try to explain the options, it is a fine line between explaining those options and sounding like we do not want to take them. They take it like, ‘What are you guys doing? Why don’t you want to take me?’ We are just like, ‘We will take you, but there are other options that might be better for you and less expensive.’”

This lack of education can also affect the way EMTs and their capabilities are perceived by the public.

“There is a huge misconception that we are just ambulance drivers,” Dunlap said. “Back in the day, that is how it used to be. We would come pick up a person and take them to the hospital and there were just very minimal treatments that we could do. But now, we do so much more than that.”

Depending upon their level of training, EMT practitioners can perform a variety of medical tasks, from installing airway devices to administering medication, all of which can be effective in the life-saving process.

National EMS week helps to thank EMS practitioners for the physical, mental and emotional sacrifices that many are asked to make.  

“We are not here for the thanks, we are here to help people,” said Jillian Barker, a 49th MDOS paramedic. “There are times when you respond to the really bad calls, and there is absolutely no thanks at all because it was a horrible call. You know you helped out, but you are kind of overlooked by everyone else because the main focus is on the patient, which is where it needs to be. It is a hard job at times and you have to deal with a lot of hard things and hard situations. Not many people will understand everything that we have to deal with or see on a daily basis.”