NAEMT President Pushes Government for Equal Recognition of EMS
The president of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) will be the first one to admit that he's on a mission. And, he won't stop until it's completed.
What Ken Bouvier is demanding is respect and an equal playing field for EMS providers.
"We should be recognized on the same level as police and firefighters," he said, adding that he told President Bush just that as he showed him around his hurricane-ravaged hometown in New Orleans.
Bouvier said equal recognition for EMS is long overdue, and it's imperative that prehospital care providers not only have a say in policies and procedures but also get their fair share of grant money.
"EMTs should be eligible for public safety officer death benefits if they are killed in the line of duty. We should have safe work environments."
After watching the sacrifices of crews who worked for weeks without a break to assist victims in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Bouvier said the world should realize that EMS personnel are the true first responders.
Bouvier, the EMS special events coordinator in New Orleans, said it was an honor for him to be involved in the "national mutual aid" effort that took place last fall. "Our greatest gift was the men and women who came to help us. That response was just overwhelming."
Although they had disaster preparedness plans to deal with major storms, what Katrina dealt left them scurrying to adjust. With no communications, crews were operating independently in various areas of the city. "Nothing worked. Everything was under water."
Bouvier said his organization has spoken out on the importance of communications in the past, and last season's brutal hurricanes only accented those concerns. NAEMT and New Orleans officials went to Washington last week to testify about the need for vital enhancements.
Never in his wildest imagination did he ever think his hometown would be in such dire straits. He'll never forget standing on a bridge, looking out into the darkness and hearing people yelling for help. "We knew they were out there fighting to stay alive."
EMS personnel worked day in and day out to help, and often for the most vulnerable citizens, the elderly and children. Bouvier said he and commanders soon realized that their providers also were in need of assistance. The majority had no idea if their own families had survived the floods.
"The mental health of EMS providers has always been one of our major concerns at the national level. Think about what they are exposed to - child and domestic abuse, traumatic injuries, violence, death."
Bouvier said he will be back on Capitol Hill next week to again push for legislators to formally recognize EMS. "I will keep going back until they do."
