In every community around the United States there is a pre-hospital system that exists to have first responders come to the aid of people who are ill or injured. It all starts with a call to 911, but then it is usually the fire department that is dispatched to respond to the need.
There are two general classes of responders who have medical response skills. Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. In this
Disaster Zone podcast, “Understanding What Paramedics do To Save Lives,” we explore one paramedic’s perspective on the difference between the two skills and also much more information on what a paramedic can do to help people medically, in the field, before being transported to the hospital.
Remember, the system can have significant variations across the the USA. There are approximately 3,000 counties — each can be a bit different.
I appreciated my guest’s admonition to maintain good personal health habits and seek medical attention if you have a chronic illness — before it becomes a crisis and you have a paramedic standing over you.
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.
