EMT's and EMS Stress Management

In a perfect world, violence, plane crashes floods and other disasters would not occur. Disease and illness would be non-existent. Emergency medical services would not have a basis for fruition. Unfortunately, the world is not perfect place. EMT's and other EMS workers are vital to all societies globally. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, the definition of an emergency services is, " Emergency services are those health care services provided to evaluate and treat medical conditions of recent onset and severity that would lead a prudent layperson, possessing an average knowledge of medicine and health, to believe that urgent and/ or unscheduled medical care is required." The following pages will illustrate the struggles of an emergency medical technician and other emergency medical service workers.

Deciding to become apart of an EMS workforce is a life changing decision. One must take into consideration many factors that may hamper one's effort to perform the job correctly. Violence against emergency workers continues to emerge (Anderson 1991). In recent years, EMT's and EMS workers have become targets in urban areas. EMS workers enter urban war zones daily and face many man made dangers.

One peril an EMT may face is the continuing growth of gangs. Gangs have branched out from big cities into smaller towns (Staten 1991). Frequently, EMS responders are attacked without provocation. In most cases, the EMS workers are responding to a call when they are ambushed by a variety of things. It has been documented by the Emergency Net New Service that fire bombings on EMS workers and their vehicles have increased in at least ten major U.S. cities (Staten 1995).

In addition, EMT's and EMS workers are faced with the dangers of driving into already volatile situations. For example, after the Rodney King verdict, cities such as Los Angeles, California and Atlanta Georgia erupted into massive riots. EMS responders were thrust into physical danger. Both cities were set afire and gangs of people rushed to loot local stores (Feiner 10). EMT's and other EMS personnel put their lives in direct jeopardy to perform their jobs.

Besides rioting and gang violence, EMS personnel are often faced with other more maniacal acts of violence, such as domestic terrorism. The most gruesome example of this is the case of the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The direct targets for this disaster were the civil servants that worked in the building.