Friday, February 1, 2008

EMS lady will be gunning for me!

If you haven't read my last post - you might want to do it now so that this one makes sense - we'll wait....

So, I have been in email contact with the director of our County's EMS! I stewed and stewed over the EMS lady's attitude toward me in the middle of a medical emergency. A situation that she is supposed to make better, not worse.

I wrote two emails, one thanking the ER for their help, and another to the Fire Service Paramedics thanking them for their prompt assistance. As it happens, the fire service email arrived at the Director of the whole County's Emergency Services, Ambulance and Fire service, so I had the opportunity to raise the not so good part of my experience with them this week.

As a friend put it to me, I was 'diplomatic' in my explanation of what happened, and I made it clear that I wasn't pleased at the interaction I had with this woman. I said that I contacted them not to complain, rather for my experience to serve as a reminder to anyone answering a 911 call, particularly one involving a child, that a little compassion and understanding for the parent's position would perhaps be more helpful.

I feel better having got it off my chest, but here's hoping I don't need 911 any time soon - I'm not sure EMS lady will be in a mood to help me if she happened to be the paramedic on duty!

4 comments:

Girlplustwo said...

good for you. and i'll bet somehow this isn't her first complaint!

Dea said...

Good for you Annie! If anyone needs customer service training you think it would be these people!

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you complained. So often we stew about these things and don't say anything. Hopefully something will be done about her behavior.

-andi

Iota said...

If a doctor tells you to call 911, you should definitely call 911. You absolutely did the right thing. With breathing difficulties, you don't have a lot of time, and you have to make quick judgements. It sounds to me as if you made all the right ones. And yes, you should be treated with respect and consideration - that's just an extra anxiety at a time when you don't need it. I think you dealt with all this really well - you focused on the important things at the time, and after the event, you have done something responsible about the way you were treated.

Hope you don't have to face this stuff ever again.