Paramedics

It is no different in Urban areas. I work full time for the busiest EMS system in the U.S. per capita...Detroit EMS. People that call for BS and silliness all the time live everywhere, not just in the country.

While we may not do transfers as we are a 911 service only, we still get the same lousy calls although we do get a LOT of violent calls, but none the less, we too are a taxi service for the ignorant.

I also work in an urban area and I wouldn't write off rural EMS personel. Sometimes they have skills that far excede that of their urban counterparts because when they have a pt. close to death they actually have to be able to perfrom as opposed to just hauling but to a hospital 5 min. down the road. Just giving a little credit to the rural guys/gals.

As someone who works rural EMS in Sask. I feel I should say something. As it has already been pointed out, bullshit calls happen everywhere. Lets keep in mind that those calls are what keep our call volume up so that we have ambulance services in many rural areas. And although we may not actually "save lives" on a daily basis, we do "make a ... See Moredifference" in many peoples lives. Even if it is minor in most cases. I almost agree that anyone can do our job, as long as they are relatively strong for lifting and they can deal with vomit/blood/gore (blood and gore happens everywhere eventually).