Emergency Medical Responders

Adrian Moreno

Mr. Thomas

Composition/Search for Meaning

April 17, 2013

Adrian Moreno

Comp/Search

Mr. Thomas

January 29, 2013

Emergency Medical Responder Research Paper The first thing we usually do when we get into any serious accident or when we’re in need of help is we pick up the phone and dial 911. An emergency medical responder (EMR) is the first medically trained person to arrive at the scene of an emergency(Emergency Medical

Responder5). EMRs in other words are the people who show up to an accident and provide the help you need in order to keep you alive. Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are health professionals and they usually work in ambulances and help you while you are transported to a hospital. I really admire these people because we have to trust them with our life if we are ever in any serious injury, because with their experience and the care they give us, that can determine whether we make it out alive or not. This is why my research paper and senior project will be focused on Emergency Medical Responders. I will speak about the different types of EMRs, what an emergency medical system is, how EMRs help our society, and why this topic interests me.

The job of an EMT or paramedic is to respond to emergency calls, perform medical services, and transport patients to medical facilities(Emergency Medical Responder5). There is a process for this, which takes you step by step on what to do from when you get the emergency call, and to when you transport the patient to a hospital or a medical facility. As a healthcare

Moreno2 provider, EMTs must obtain a lot of responsibilities and roles. Before becoming and being certified as an actual EMT you must take a First responder course which teaches the basics of what to do at the scene of an accident(Bureau of Labor Statistics). Once that course is passed they take another course which is the actual EMT course, where more about medical care is taught than in the First Responder class. An EMT is a First Responder due to the fact that they provide medical care to people. An EMT has a few different specific jobs besides helping people. They complete specific rescue jobs. They must answer an Emergency call from dispatch, which is how they know how to get where it is that an injured person is waiting(MedlinePlus). According to(WiseGeek) many times an EMT does his work from his ambulance with about one or two partners. For every ambulance an EMT must be well trained to be able to conduct it to the scene of an accident or injured person, and they must be aware of their safety first, once getting to the scene they are being called to. Another important key factor to keep in mind is that an EMT should be physically capable, and in shape, to be able to move and lift the patients that are hurt.

EMTs work in whatever type of weather condition it is, and they can also be exposed to deadly diseases when they help a patient that might have one which is easily contagious(Steinberg). As you can see an Emergency Medical Technician has a lot of responsibilities, and it’s necessary for this type of first responder to be well trained in giving medical care because they’re care from when they get to the scene and until they transport the patient to the hospital could determine if the patient makes it out alive.

Moreno3

Another type of EMR is a police officer. Law enforcement officers are classified as

EMRs because they help people, and they get called to accidents, or to where there’s an injured person. People assume that a police officer’s job would be “to protect and serve” or “to maintain law and order”(Police In Society3). Police officers put their lives at risk whenever they are on duty and there is something serious going on. They do this not only because it’s their job but because helping an injured person is their main priority. As first responders for a law enforcement officer data acquisition is very important and knowing that the area around them is safe as well(Altavian). Police officers have are in danger the most because they have a higher risk of getting shot at or hurt by a criminal while at the scene of an accident. They’re job is to make sure everyone is safe so they put their lives at risk, since they’re trained, while protecting a patient and a lot of times paramedics who are at the scene where someone is armed and dangerous.

The next type of first responder who also has a really dangerous job would have to be a firefighter. Firefighters put their lives at risks everyday when they have to face dangerous situations in scenarios while on the job. Many times the job of a firefighter in one department can be really different from the job of a firefighter in a different department(FireRecruit).

Fighting fires is just one responsibility for a fire fighter, they have many others as well such as;

Emergency Preparedness, community education, public service work, building inspections, personal development, and station and apparatus maintenance(City of Olympia). Many firefighters are also paramedics. There is always at least one paramedic in a fire truck because mainly there is always someone injured to where a firefighter is being called up to. Being a

Moreno4 firefighter is one of the most dangerous jobs out there, but I admire these people because they risk their lives for us every day.

The EMS system is the system that provides emergency medical care once it’s activated(EMS). The system was created because it was proven that patients who reached the right medical care before getting to a hospital had a higher chance of surviving from a serious accident or injury(Emergency Medical Responder). There are five main steps in the EMS system, and those five steps are; reporting, dispatch, first response, EMS response, and hospital care(Schottke). The reporting is the first step and that is what activates the EMS system because someone calls in need of help. After that is done first responders are then dispatched to the scene of the accident or to where an injured/sick patient is waiting. Then comes the first response, which is when the first responders come to contact with the patient for the first time. EMS response then follows which is where an emergency medical vehicle shows up to attend the patient; this is normally seen as the patient’s second encounter with the EMS system. The last step is hospital care which is after the patient has been transported the EMTs and paramedics hand the patient to a medical facility. Many times the EMT or paramedic’s help from when they got to the scene of the accident and to when they transported the patient, can determine whether the patient survives or not. The EMS system is really important to society, because of it; many people have survived from accidents and incidents with the medical care from the first responders.

I read an article which really touched me about a fireman who lost his life by acting out as a hero while on the job when he answered to the call after the twin towers were hit

Moreno5 in the year 2001(ABC News). Firefighter Timothy Stackpole lost his life while on the job. The sad part about it was that he died a terrible death a day after he was made captain. Stackpole quoted in a public service announcement that “The greatest high you can get in life is by helping somebody”. This kind of bravery that individuals such as Stackpole show astonishes me because the fact that they do their job helping people, knowing there’s a chance they might not make it alive is unbelievable.

EMTs don’t really risk their lives because they aren’t supposed to do anything dangerous such as fight a fire, or try to stop an armed robbery because they aren’t trained for that. They do however help people stay alive when they’re injured or extremely sick. I read an inspiring story of a young EMT who saved a man’s life on his first shift(BU Today). The reason why this story was inspirational to me is because the fact that it was only his first day of working as an EMT this young man, Alex Su, had the courage to place this man’s life in his hands. The man, Kevin

Field, had suffered from cardiac arrest and fallen during his daughter’s graduation. Su used the tools and knowledge he learned and saved his life. Honestly I don’t know where society would be without these EMTs who help so much with their medical care.

There are many reasons why I look at first responders as an interesting topic. One reason is because first responders to me are classified heroes in society. There are many great inspirational stories out there where cops, paramedics, or firefighters have helped an injured patient and saved their life. Although it’s extremely devastating, many individual first responders have lost their lives in return for saving someone else’s. They are what inspire me to making something out of myself and helping and giving back to the community.

Moreno6

First responders interest me so much to the fact where I might actually consider being one. There are a few first responder options but if I had to chose I would chose to be a paramedic. Learning all the medical care that I need to give people would be pretty amazing and exciting; especially with the fact that I can use that towards my friends and family if they are ever injured or sick. First responders are heroes to society, and they don’t need a cape or an award to recognize the fact that they saved someone’s life because that’s what they live for each day when they wake up and go to work.

There are different types of EMRs, there’s an emergency medical system, EMRs help our society, and I find first responders really interesting because of all they do for society. I have learned so much on first responders and I learned interesting stories as well where first responders lose their lives on the job, or save someone’s life that came so close to dying.

Whether it’s a cop, EMT, firefighter, or paramedic it doesn’t matter what type of first responder as long as they are giving back to society, and making it a safer place to live is all that matters to which they get the honor of being labeled as heroes. With all I have learned I honestly think that after high school I could possibly look into being a paramedic. If there’s anything I enjoy it is definitely helping people, the fact that I could be seen as a hero in my society would be an amazing feeling. I would learn all about the EMS system and how to give proper medical care.

Saving the lives of people each day would be the most amazing feeling in the world because I would feel like I accomplished something, and that I’m doing good here on earth. I would feel like as a first responder I’d actually be someone important.

Work Cited

Altavian. Frankel Media Group, n.d. Web. 2012.

industries/law-enforcement-first-responders>.

Bureua of Labor Statistics. United States Department of Labor, 29 Mar. 2012.

Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

emts-and-paramedics.htm>.

BU Today. Caleb Daniloff, n.d. Web. 2012.

student-emts-save-a-life/>.

City of Olympia. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.

city-services/fire-department/fire-employment/what-do-firefighters-do>.

EMS. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. . FireRecruit. Steve Prziborowski, 2 Sept. 2009. Web.

"Heroic Firefighter's Story." ABC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2012.

MedlinePlus. N.p., 16 July 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.

Occupational Outlook Handbook. Gary Steinberg, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.

The Reference Shelf. Ed. Terrnece J. Fitzgerald. N.p.: n.p., 2000. Print. Vol.

72 of Police In Society. 2 vols. Schottke, David RN. "Preparatory." Emergency Medical Responder. Ed. Andrew N. Pollak. 5th ed. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 5-16. Print. Jones and Bartlett Learning.

WiseGeek. Erin J. Hill, 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. .