Inclusive Language Recommendations for Government Officials and the Media when discussing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers, Paramedics & EMTs, healthcare providers, and first responders.

The use of proper inclusive language matters when talking about EMS, first responders, healthcare providers, and public safety. Often in public speeches there is mention of doctors and nurses, or firefighters and law enforcement, but there is little to no mention of EMS providers or “Paramedics & EMTs.”

Statement of Inclusive Language addressing the Inequity of EMS in Public Safety 

Please urge elected officials & the media to use the correct language, recognizing “EMS providers” or "Paramedics and EMTs” who are on the front lines dealing with this pandemic.  Using these terms would convey to our EMS providers that they and their work are respected, and they are not seen as the third-class citizens in our public safety and public health systems.

The use of the term “ambulance driver” should never be used to reference a crew member who may have cared for a patient and then driven to the hospital.

Addressing the Pay Disparity and Inequity of EMS in Public Safety & Public Health Systems

Not only do government officials fail to mention EMS providers, over the last year it has been brought to light by NBC news^[1] that there is a vast pay disparity between Emergency Medical Services and Law Enforcement & Firefighters. “Despite the growing burden on EMS personnel, the median earnings for EMTs or paramedics in the United States is $34,000 per year — which is a third less than firefighters’ average annual pay of $50,000, and little more than half of police officers’ $63,000, according to 2018 Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

According to a 2017 study^[2] of EMS-related violence published in the American Journal of Public  Health, “The average EMS worker is just as likely as a firefighter or a law enforcement officer to be killed on the job, and more likely to be injured.” 

According to a 2020 study^[3] shows that in FDNY during the first eight months of 2020, the risk of occupational fatality for EMS clinicians was 14 times higher than the risk for firefighters.  

EMS, during normal circumstances, are not treated as essential services by the government and it is not until times of crisis that their value and importance are realized. We encourage the investment in building strong EMS systems in their communities and to help support our EMS professionals as they have served the public for decades with little recognition, funding, or equity.  

Updated December 2, 2020