Inside EMS: The Emotional Toll On EMS Providers

In the most recent episode of Inside EMS, co-host Chris Cebollero and I discuss the upcoming second anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings, and the lasting emotional toll it has taken upon the responders.

In the news, we discuss a Canadian case where a paramedic was held not only civilly liable, but criminally liable for the death of a patient. Reading the story, one wonders why no one else involved was even punished, and whether the paramedic’s inaction meets the standard of criminal liability. Sounds like this poor guy was made a scapegoat.

We discuss the proposed “religious freedom” bill before the Michigan legislature that many on social media are screeching will allow an EMT to refuse care based on religious grounds.

TL;DR version: Bad idea that should be immediately voted down, but most of the social media reaction is pure hysteria. There are too many other laws in place to assure that EMS fulfills its duty to respond. EMTs refusing to care for patients on religious grounds wasn’t ever gonna happen.

Lastly, we discuss the case of three Florida dispatchers fired for not passing on information to responders that a gunman was on scene, threatening to kill first responders. One deputy was killed, and another wounded.

Tree. Rope. Some assembly required.

Some poor schmuck in Canada gets thrown under the bus -civilly and criminally – for the inaction of a whole handful of responders, but three dispatchers in Florida get a cop killed, and all they lost was their jobs.

These three people belong in jail.

Give us a listen, and let us know your thoughts.

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