Ambulance or bus?

Don't mean to always use jems.com articles as blog fodder but this one made me pause to think:

An ambulance is not a bus

I don't totally agree with David Becker on this one. I think that professionalism comes from many different areas, most specifically our education, how we treat our patients, how we treat our colleagues and how we are perceived in public. To a small extent Becker may have a point on perception.

But in the grand scheme of things, whether we call it a bus or rig or flying shit heap, this is very, very small compared to the bigger issues facing EMS. We aren't doing enough of our own research, we whine instead of making meaningful change from within and we need strong national representation.

Like Mr. Becker, I am also an old-timer. But I believe we must merge the spirit and passion of old with the professionalism we desire now and in the future. We can't forget our past as we move forward.

"Dispatcher, we need another bus to the scene..."