Camaraderie In EMS, Why It Is Important

If you are not a Paramedic or an EMT and you have ever been out with a group of us, our behavior may shock you. We have a penchant for the inappropriate, and a flair for twisted humor with a dash of darkness. We are generally a handsy bunch with a lot of hugging and we share openly about many parts of our lives with each other. This flies against the mainstream ways many people behave, but it is important and necessary for us to behave this way. It's no secret that the work that we do can take a toll on us and as that toll builds it is necessary to find ways to cope with that stress.

At first glance inappropriate behavior and twisted humor might not seem like much of a coping mechanism, but it is very important for us. This camaraderie is a relationship that grows quickly and it becomes strong. It is not something that needs to be feared. It may seem strange to you as a non medical professional but I assure you it keeps us sane. The things that we are forced to see on a day to day basis create a bond. We work closely with our partners for 12 hours or more per shift. We live in the cab of our ambulance and in busy centers rarely see halls or have any time apart. When faced with things that no one else should see it is important for us to be able to get those thoughts and feelings out of us. Enter the camaraderie of EMS. When we get together we may not talk about that difficult call right away, but we will often get as many hugs as we can.

Overall it's a small thing that gives us an outlet for our feelings that we may not voice in the moment. A lot of those feelings don't necessarily need to be voiced, they just need to be hugged out. Our dark humor on the other hand can come across as offensive. In today's "Let's be offended by everything" mentality I worry for the future generations of Emergency Services Personnel. For the most part we try to keep our dark humor out of the public eye, but if you are at an event with Emergency Services there is a chance you will hear it. I urge you to not judge, and I assure you this does not mean that we don't care about people. We do this job because we care about people. When we let those bits of dark humor out with each other, and usually we are unaware if it happens in front of people that might not understand, it's again just a way of letting out the feelings that take a toll on us.

Overall our camaraderie is what keeps us gong in this career. If we are unable to joke, and be inappropriate and spend time with each other the toll on our psyche could be devastating. If you are dating or the spouse of an emergency services member I encourage you to promote them spending time with other emergency services people and having that good time unhindered and free from judgment. In the long run this will give us longevity in our career and have us bringing less of our "stuff" home, "stuff" that no one should be subject to or burdened with.

Please share this post with your loved ones and friends so that our camaraderie can continue to thrive and keep us serving the public good.