JEMS | Adapting to Survive EMS Workplace Shortages, Part I
From the Journal of Emergency Medical Services on February 1, 2024
Why are females and individuals who identify as Black, indigenous and/or People of Color underrepresented in EMS?
Tag: diversity
EMS Profiles | Meet Maryam Boyd
Maryam Boyd
Paramedic Crew Chief
Mecklenburg EMS Agency (Medic 911)
Charlotte, NC
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How did you come to be in EMS?
I’ve always loved science and medicine. And after losing one of my brothers in a car accident I knew there were no words to express my appreciation for the Paramedics and hospital staff that worked on him. I wanted to pay it forward and be there for people the way the Paramedics were there for my brother.
I know I have no control over the outcomes of the people I care for, but I can show up for my community and try to help in people’s worst moments like so many did for my brother and family.
What do you love about working in EMS?
There is never a day in EMS that is the same as another. There is always more to learn and more to do. It is a very raw, intimate, and humbling experience to be able to meet so many different people in different situations and come together as a team to try and help. This job makes me grateful for my blessings every day.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming an EMT or Paramedic?
Make sure you take time for your hobbies and self-care. A work-life balance is crucial. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Make sure you have someone you can talk to on the hard days. I have yet to find any other role that compares to this one. This career can be heart-wrenching but it can also be absolutely exhilarating and incredible and not once have I ever felt like it wasn’t worth it.
Anything else you’d like to say?
Regardless of the outcome, what you do matters.
EMS Profiles | Meet Michele Bracken
Michele Bracken
Training Officer
Wendover Ambulance
West Wendover, NV
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How did you come to be in EMS?
I had a good friend ask me if I wanted to work on an ambulance with her. I said yes and she said ok you gotta take this class. So I enrolled in an EMT class and fell in love with it from the first day.
What do you love about working in EMS?
I love being able to help people. I love the team environment and the amazing people I get to work with every day. It’s so rewarding to be a part of a team that really makes a difference in the communities we serve.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming an EMT or Paramedic?
Do it! I absolutely love coming to work each shift. Work hard and ask all the questions you can in your EMT classes and during your probationary time on the ambulance. It’s the best job in the world!
EMS Profiles | Meet Randy Murry
Randy Murry
Director of Mississippi Operations
Pafford Medical Services
Clarksdale, MS
Randy Murry is a 2023 EMSNext honoree.
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How did you come to be in EMS?
I started as a volunteer firefighter, just like many other 18-year-old first responders. I was immediately attracted to the fast pace of the work environment and the sense of fulfillment that came along with EMS.
What do you love about working in EMS?
Every work day presents something different. Today, as an EMS leader, I get to influence up-and-coming providers and contribute to the foundation of their success as both professionals and as people.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming an EMT or Paramedic?
EMS is a very dynamic profession. With change comes opportunities for growth and development. Learn and grow every day. You will get out of your career exactly what you put into it.
Being an EMT or Paramedic is fun, challenging, and rewarding all in one. Truly, EMS is one of the absolute best professions.
Anything else you’d like to say?
Countless lives have been saved by the rapid interventions that are being performed in pre-hospital settings. Pre-hospital providers are the safety net of their communities nationwide. Doctors don’t make house calls anymore, but EMTs and Paramedics make them every single day.
FICEMS DEIA Statement Now Available
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EMS Profiles | Meet Elissa Schilmeister
Elissa Schilmeister
Paramedic
Westchester EMS
Chappaqua, New York
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How did you come to be in EMS?
I have always been interested in helping others and fascinated by science. I followed a different career path and studied Biodiversity and Conservation Conservation Biology. After working as an Environmental Educator Educator, Volunteer Coordinator, and becoming a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator, I was approached by a member of my local volunteer ambulance agency. I started volunteering and quickly became an EMT and officer. The more involved I became the more I fell in love with EMS.
What do you love about working in EMS?
What I love about EMS is that there is always something new to learn, always a new situation. I like meeting new people and being able to make an immediate difference.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming an EMT or Paramedic?
Ask questions. Make the most of every situation, including interfacility transfers. Go with your gut feelings.
EMS Profiles | Meet Brett Zingarelli
Brett ZingarelliLieutenant
Saint Francis EMS
Wilmington, Delaware
Saint Francis EMS
Wilmington, Delaware
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How did you come to be in EMS?
My grandfather passed away from cancer when I was 12 and I wanted to find a way to help people. EMS was the first way I found to help at a young age.
What do you love about working in EMS?
Every day is different. No matter what happens I know that I’ve affected someone’s life for the better when the shift is over.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming an EMT or Paramedic?
There is no other feeling in this world like helping other people. If you come in and do your best every day is rewarding.
Anything else you’d like to say?
There is a place for everyone in EMS. Follow your passions and you will find the career rewarding.
EMS Profiles | Meet Rosetta Scott
Rosetta Scott, NREMT
Emergency Medical Technician
Saint Francis Hospital EMS
Wilmington, Delaware
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How did you come to be in EMS?
My father suffered a heart attack at home and as I waited for 911, it felt like forever. I decided I never again wanted to be without the knowledge of how to help others.
What do you like about working in EMS?
I love the opportunity to interact with diversity in our communities. It is an honor to help people of various populations.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming an EMT or Paramedic?
My advice to future EMS professionals is to be easy with yourself and continue to ask questions. Never stop learning, even after you earn your certification.
EMS Profiles | Meet Jarlicia Islandriana Scott
How did you come to be in EMS?
I found myself searching for a career in the healthcare field and discovered a local EMT training program. I didn’t know much about EMS at the time I applied. As I got deeper into it, I became more and more interested. I enrolled in the Paramedic program to further my career and continue my education.
What do you love about working in EMS?
What I love about working in EMS is the thrill and the excitement—the whole experience. I love the fact that I can tell people outside of the profession that I’m a Paramedic.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming an EMT or Paramedic?
Treat each and every patient as if they were your family member.
Anything else you’d like to say?
EMS is a fun and challenging career. It has its moments but every call makes you greater. My primary goal is to provide patients with excellent pre-hospital care.
EMS Profiles | Meet Jameson Fernandez
Jameson Fernandez
Emergency Medical Technician
Cataldo Ambulance
Somerville, Massachusetts
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How did you come to be in EMS?
The light and sirens going by first caught my attention as a young child. That love only grew as I got older. I would watch and ask for all things that had to do with first responding. I loved it all, and imagined serving as police, fire or EMS when I got older. Over time during these growing years I eliminated fire and law enforcement as just not for me. EMS was the winner across the board.
I found myself at the age where I asked, ‘Self, what do you want to do?’ and, ‘What is the career of my dreams?’
The answer was EMS.
What do you love about working in EMS?
What I love about EMS is there is literally never a dull moment! Nothing day is the same, no call will ever be the same. EMS and standing orders are always evolving and trending up. We are always there when you need us.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming an EMT or Paramedic?
My advice is to go for it! Buckle up and enjoy one of the most rewarding career paths that can simply not be duplicated in other professions.
I recommend EMS for the skillset development. It hits such a wide variety of life lessons in just one shift. As an EMT, you’ll see the do’s and don’ts to life as a whole, and it gives you the ability to help people from the community.
You are continually educated and truly the sky is the limit in emergency medical services. Being an EMT opens so many doors in so many directions in the medical field. You can start EMS like me from fleet maintenance, where I learned about the vehicles, to a chair car, to communications and dispatch, to the road as an emergency first responder, and then on to an EMT certification. The future is full of next steps, and I’ve already done a lot. You can even get your advanced EMT, then your Paramedic then do a bridge program and go into nursing. The possibilities are endless and attainable.
Anything else you’d like to say?
EMS is the way to go. Get started!
EEOC Weighs in on SCOTUS Decision On Affirmative Action Programs in Education
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HHS OCR Settlement in FL to Improve Access to Care for Communities of Color
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CMS Webinar on Addressing Healthcare Inequities
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SAVVIK Foundation Study on Diversity in EMS
Diversity, equity, and inclusion in the emergency medical service community.
Delaware State University has teamed with the Savvik Foundation, a non-profit representing
emergency medical service (EMS) to assess equity within the EMS profession. We have created a tool to assess equity in the EMS profession.
Participants will be eligible to receive a $20 Amazon gift card upon completion of this survey. This information is confidential and anonymous. We will not be using your name in any publications regarding this process.
By responding to the questions, you are permitting us to use this information to guide
our recommendations and share our findings in articles.
If you have any questions regarding your participation in this study please contact the
principal investigator, Dr. Knolan Rawlins, at krawlins@desu.edu or Ms. Chanel Haman in
the Office of Sponsored Programs at 302.857.6834 or chaman@desu.edu.
Thank you,
Dr. Knolan Rawlins
AAA Seeks Perspectives on EMS Diversity & Inclusion
As the demographics of our nation change, it becomes ever more essential for emergency medical services to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace more representative of the communities that we serve. To support this mission, the American Ambulance Association seeks tips, ideas, and perspectives from our membership on best practices for attracting, recruiting, and retaining the EMS workforce of tomorrow.
For this project, we are using the word “diversity” to refer to characteristics including—but not limited to—race, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic class, disability, and/or age.
While we are truly appreciative of all responses, AAA especially welcomes the perspectives of those who are themselves members of groups historically less represented in the EMS workforce.
If you would like to contribute your thoughts to this project, please complete our short form below. You do not need to disclose your identity if you do not wish to do so.
ACA Section 1557: Final Rule Published that Affect Healthcare Providers
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ACA Section 1557 | Final Rule Published that Affect Healthcare Providers
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