EMS: The Value of the Provider or the Recognition — Which One Becomes More Important?

Did the soggy hot dog you grabbed from the break roomreally satisfy your hunger to help others?

Did the thirty-two-cent alarm clock wake you up with a sense of purpose?

Did choosing between a faded lunch box and a cracked cooler make you excited to head into work?

EMS Week was authorized by President by Gerald Ford in 1974. It is meant to recognize those of us who are often overlooked. But when the effort to celebrate is minimal or completely absent, it can feel worse than doing nothing at all.

We do not do this job for recognition. But the truth is, recognition matters. It motivates us. It validates us. It reminds us that what we do is seen.

This is not a “thank me for my service” post. That is not the mindset we should have. But sometimes, especially in the quiet moments between calls, it is worth reflecting on why we chose this profession in the first place.

The Beginning

I was 19 years old. I had been in the fire department for about a year when someone asked me if I would join the squad. To be honest, I was volun-told. One of the people who nudged me toward EMS was a friend. I was not completely sure about the path, but I saw it as another way to serve my community.

So, I signed up for the class.

In the beginning, I was apprehensive. I stuck with it because I was going through the process with a friend. Then came the lecture on mass casualty incidents. It took place on September 10, 2001.

The next day, September 11th, I was at Giants Stadium, watching a sea of ambulances prepare to head into New York City. The squad I volunteered with was called up. I was ready. I wanted to help. But I was told I could not because I was not certified yet. I was still in training.

I have never felt more useless in my life.

I sat there in the parking lot, watching my ambulance pull away without me. I never wanted to feel that way again.

The Drive Forward

Shortly after I finished my class. I became a certified EMT. I started working as a paid provider while continuing to volunteer. It did not take long to realize that EMTs can only do so much. So, I enrolled in paramedic school. I wanted to do more.

That moment at Giants Stadium still drove me. I was nervous, but I pushed through. I succeeded.

I spent years working as a full-time paramedic at the agency where I started. I picked up a second EMS job for a time, before eventually becoming a full-time firefighter.

Interestingly, at that second EMS job, EMS Week gifts were fantastic. I felt appreciated. In fact, I made more as an EMT there than I did as a paramedic elsewhere. That feeling of being valued pushed me to be the best provider I could be.

But I was working two full time jobs. Trying to have a family life. I was exhausted. Burnout was setting in.

Why was I doing this for so little pay? Why keep going while feeling so under appreciated?

The Reality Check

Eventually, I was hired as a full-time career Firefighter. I kept two full time jobs and a per diem one for some time. At one of those EMS jobs, I remained for fourteen years. Yet new hires, albeit with less experience, are making more than I am.

When I asked why, Human Resources told me they offer incentives to attract new people who are taking a risk by switching jobs. I was told that I had played it too safe by staying loyal.  So here I am. Fourteen years of service, and it feels like I am being penalized for staying.  This alone is enough to make anyone, in any profession, to feel under appreciated.

A few more EMS Week gifts: A pint glass, a coffee mug. Just some more to throw in the cabinet.

Does this add to my feeling underappreciated? Absolutely. But I do not do this for a thank you or a gift.

Ten years later, as EMS Week 2025 comes to a close, I still have not received my “EMS Week gift.” However, this year brought something different—and arguably the most valuable gift yet: free classes. While they were Basic Life Support-level courses, I’ll never turn down an opportunity to learn. Even a refresher holds value.

Any chance an employer takes to invest in their employees—helping them grow, improve their skills, and enhance the level of service they provide—is a win-win. Giving staff the tools, training, and resources to be the best providers they can be is a gift that benefits everyone.

The Real Reason We Stay

When I feel tired, burned out, or underpaid, I remind myself why I started.

It was not for recognition from my employer.

It was for the sick patient whose condition I helped turn around.

It was for the anxious person I calmed with just a few words.

It was for the World War II veteran who shared his life story on the ride to the hospital.

It is for me, doing the right thing, helping others so that I am able to look at myself in the mirror and say I did make a difference, even if just for a moment.

So, after EMS Week concludes and it begins to feel like an afterthought, and the burnout starts to settle in, look back at the years you have served. Think about the people you have helped. The lives you have touched.

You did not get into this for the praise. You did it because you could not stand to sit in that parking lot and feel powerless ever again.

You are still here because someone, somewhere, still needs you. And that, above everything else, is what really matters.

The article was written by FF/Paramedic Chris Kannaley

Photo Credit: Tokens of Appreciation - Baudville