I Just Gave These People $49. Here’s Why You Should, Too

I just joined the Association of Texas EMS Professionals. The yearly dues are $49.

I don’t live in Texas. I don’t work in Texas.

But I am licensed in Texas, and if I am going to walk the walk in advocating taking ownership of our profession, then organizations like ATEMSP will get my membership dues and my support.

Now, I realize that for most of EMS, when asked the question, “What’s the biggest obstacle to EMS professional development, ignorance or apathy?” the responses would be pretty evenly split between, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

For those folks, the first question they always ask is, “What do I get out of it?”

Professional ownership, that’s what.

EMTs like to bitch. They do it so much, if the IRS knew how much we engage in it, they’d tax it as an employment benefit.

But if you’re going to bitch, you’ve got to have skin in the game. Otherwise, you’re not an EMS advocate, you’re just another EMS malcontent. It’s just like bitching about politicians, but never exercising your right to vote.

If there is one thing I have learned in 23 years in EMS, it is this: You can either learn to play EMS politics to your advantage, or you can forever be at the mercy of EMS politics.

There is no middle ground.

You. Have. To. Play. The. Game.

The Association of Texas EMS Professionals proposes to do just that. Their focus is legislative advocacy, and they have already managed to get two pro-EMS bills passed through the Texas legislature despite opposition from far larger and more well-organized nursing advocacy organizations.

And they did it with six fired-up medics and a grassroots social media campaign organized in just two weeks.

Imagine how formidable a force they’d be if even half of the EMS professionals in Texas were members.

Your strength is in numbers, and the only way to gain that strength is by joining and voicing your concerns. If enough of us join, it will be a relatively short leap from entering a legislator’s office and being greeted with “Now who are you again?” being warmly invited in and asked, “What can we do this year for the Association of Texas EMS Professionals?”

Which response you get is entirely up to you.

If you’re a Texas EMT or paramedic, you need to lend these guys your support.