Emergency Responders Badly Need Our Help

Emergency Responders Badly Need Our Help

By Matthew Wallace

Emergency responders are heroes who walk among us. They are the lifelines for people who are facing catastrophic illness or injury. Our survival can often depend on the training they have received and the grace under pressure they exude.

But emergency medical services (EMS) is an industry in crisis, both in Connecticut and across the country. There are not enough people in the field right now to meet the growing demand, and it is difficult to convince people to enter into a field where the hours are long, the pay is substandard and the situation is often one of life or death.

At a recent event at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, a brilliant new documentary by former “60 Minutes” Producer Bryony Gilbey named “Honorable But Broken: EMS in Crisis” was aired, with a panel discussion that followed consisting of state lawmakers and EMS workers.

At one point in the documentary, an ambulance worker looks into the camera and states the truth plainly:

“We want people to know that this is a crisis they need to pay attention to.”

Honorable but Broken: EMS in Crisis

Where do we go from here? How do we protect this vital, life-saving service before it gets too late?

Read the full Op-Ed on the Danbury News Times.