It’s great that we are having parades for many of the first responders during this pandemic.  One group that seems to be ignored is the EMS paramedics.   Even the state shunned them when they passed a bill that expanded workers’ compensation benefits for first responders who suffer from emotional and mental impairments that result from being on duty.  Paramedics were not considered first responders in this bill.  Yet I often hear police call into the radio to “step up the medics” in some of the more traumatic calls.

To give you some perspective of what paramedics are feeling,  here is a  message I received  from a paramedic regarding working during the pandemic:

“Today I am a little better. But I have to work tonight. There is anxiety with working I have never felt. But I push on. I push on because people need our help. My fellow first responders are ALL dealing with this. We need to ALL rise up and do what we need too. Stay home. Protect each other. As I type this I listen to all the cars in the road thinking where are they going? Nothing is open. “I am struggling today. I have been an EMT for decades and today I’m scared more than I ever have been. I’m run down. I don’t have a fever or symptoms but exhaustion. I’m scared because I don’t want this virus. Scared that simply doing our job will make us ill and I will give it to my kids and family”.

Maybe we can give them a word of encouragement or a prayer in the comments below.  Maybe just like this post to show them you care.  Or better yet, contact your legislators on including them in the first responder’s worker’s comp bill when the return to the legislative session.