I am a former EMT and have not worked on the streets since 1989. So you can say I’m out of touch and my opinions are dated. But I am also a professor of neurology actively working to develop diagnostics and treatments for neurologic emergencies applicable in pre-hospital settings. So I work hard to keep an eye on the activities associated with ambulance personnel. I therefore believe I can cogently say that NBC’s Trauma will have negative ramifications for the EMS world and should be cancelled. This is not said capriciously but in the best interests of the EMS profession.

The lay society gets an enormous amount of ‘education’ from ‘entertainment’ and Trauma will be seen as a real life reflection of EMS work. So the viewers who are not on the job will believe that when they call an ambulance that the personnel will be able to stick with the patient in the ER and on the way to surgery. Equally it will be expected that the paramedic who worked on a patient will be involved in informing the family of postoperative outcomes. Unfortunately, when in real life an ambulance turns over a patient to medical control that the family may feel abandoned. They will want that same level and type of care from EMS as portrayed on Trauma. It is already well documented in criminal trials that juries expect to see all the technology they have seen on CSI and those of us who are real scientists know that much of what is on CSI is fiction.

A great concern that I have regarding what Trauma may do to the profession is that the lay person with aspirations to enter medicine and EMS will think that every day is like an episode of Trauma. Obviously we all know that a normal day on the ambulance is 90% mundane and 10% adrenaline. Everyone wants the compassionate and caring EMT, not the adrenaline junkie. We can expect that new trainees will start wanting to give versed to agitated patients without repercussions and that you can run into a non-secured shooting or fuel spill scene without police or fire on hand. This cowboy mentality will get newbies killed someday soon. Fire, police and ambulance are a team and should be shown as working together not autonomously as is the case on Trauma.

While I have expressed an opinion on the show I feel compelled to try to give mention to some of the positives. I do appreciate how the show and its characters appear to be human and emotionally bound to the patients. Although one particular scene erroneously had the character staying with the patient and patient’s family through the hospital system. Speaking of emotional bonds, it is interesting that the writers appear to be trying to show how some on the job compartmentalize their lives from the job, however the statement where one character tells another, “you can ask anything about the job, but no questions about my life” goes a bit far. From my experience people on the job including police, fire, ambulance and ER often hang-out together.

I think that my biggest problem with the show is that they use real life places and services. That, in my opinion, tends to legitimize the events and actions. Some people may think that the EMS services involved endorse the activity seen and could come to expect the same activity from their local agencies. If the producers want this to be entertainment then you should not have linked yourself to a real agency. If you want the BRANDING associated with that city you should have listened to your technical advisers associated with EMS and been factual. All I can say to the producers of Trauma is: SHAME ON YOU for trying to capitalize on EMS and SFFD when your actions will end up hurting them. You will be fortunate enough to walk away from the fallout that they will be stuck with. My main hope is that you walk away soon.