Don’t forget dedication of EMS volunteers

CT Post: Published 4:20 pm, Monday, August 30, 2010

Many people often wonder what the difference is between a volunteer EMS member and paid EMS employee. The only difference is at the end of the week one gets a paycheck and the other doesn’t. Every member requires the same certifications, classes and licensing to do the job, whether volunteer or paid. When you call 911, you get a professional who is ready to help.

As a volunteer for the Stratford EMS department for almost five years, I live each day hoping for change. Recent articles have had some truth in them, but have not captured the most important thing, the dedication of the volunteers. For many years the unique thing about Stratford EMS is that we still have volunteer members who come to work every day to do the same job that many people do for a paycheck. I have worked with these volunteers for several years now and I have never met such a dedicated and outstanding group of people. Our volunteers put in a lot of hard work and many hours of their own time each year. Most of them have full-time jobs and families, yet they still find the time to give back to their community by helping to save the lives of others. In EMS, you never know what call you will respond to, or what your day may bring. It could be as simple as a person having the flu to something as serious as a life-threatening trauma. These volunteers leave behind their family each day and report to duty to help others, never knowing what obstacles they will face or if they will return home again safely.

It seems that EMS is often treated like second-class citizens and viewed as a nuisance, rather than a respected organization of life-savers that is a vital link in the town’s public safety plan. This takes a toll on the volunteers’ morale to the point of sometimes not wanting to admit which town or service they work for. It seems that the negative light shined upon Stratford EMS often comes from rumors that are spread around by people who barely know how EMS functions or what takes place at EMS headquarters. It is easy to jump to conclusions and assume that it is solely a management issue or a volunteer issue, but it is not any single individual’s fault. EMS has been left to fend for itself for 30-plus years, housed in the basement of the police department, with little or no resources from the town budget. You can’t change the way things are if no one is willing to recognize the organization, and listen or assist in helping get things done to effect change. As a volunteer, it is hurtful and demeaning to read the rumors that are published, without validation, and spread around by people ignorant of the facts.

Volunteers put in countless hours every year to help save lives and better the quality of life of Stratford residents. We could not cover a majority of our calls if it wasn’t for such hardworking and dedicated volunteers. This dedication often goes unnoticed and unappreciated and this makes morale suffer in even the most dedicated volunteers. Volunteers are tired of receiving false hope and lies from our local politicians and leadership. I think it’s time that someone listens to the voices and concerns of the volunteers and make some real changes that benefit the town residents, as well as the department of Stratford EMS.

It is very easy to read an article and make judgments about the workings of EMS and who is at fault. But it isn’t about fault; it is about the lives of the people we work for — the people of the town of Stratford. We are hopeful that we finally have received recognition that things need fixing, and our mayor has taken a stand to begin changing them. At the end of the day, EMS isn’t about numbers, reports or money, it is about saving lives and making a difference for the people of Stratford. This is the only reason the volunteers exist and continue to volunteer despite all the issues before us.

Diana Dias

President

Stratford Volunteer EMS Association