As part of my job as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in my local community, I also have the opportunity to participate in hospital transfers as the need arises. I enjoy these transfers and try to help with them as much as I can. One day this past week, I got the opportunity to drive a transfer to Minneapolis. I was available, so I agreed to take it. I was not expecting anything special to come out of it as it seemed like any other transfer.

We left about 2 p.m. after I mentally prepared myself for the long three-hour drive to Minneapolis. The trip was pretty uneventful from my point of view. My main focus as the driver was to drive and make sure we got to our destination. Up until about 30 minutes out, it was going very smooth, then we hit the rush hour traffic.  

I have not driven much in big cities like Minneapolis, especially not in the ambulance. When driving the ambulance around my small hometown, most drivers are very courteous and often pull over for me, even when I don’t have my lights on.

I feel that this is just another example of “small town Iowa niceness.” The situation is very different in bigger cities. I was just another driver on the road to the other motorists. I was cut off and had to drive much more offensive than normal to make sure I didn’t miss my turns. I am not angry at the other motorists for this because I understand this is how driving works here. However, I was very surprised. It seemed there wasn’t much respect for emergency services. 

As we got closer to the hospital, I noticed that we seemed to be going through a rougher part of town. There were broken street lights, homeless men and women on the streets and concrete barriers — presumably from the recent riots and unrest. I also saw houses and businesses completely destroyed or with boarded up windows.

I was amazed at what people would do, even to their own city. As we pulled into the hospital’s ambulance bay, there was another crew already there. My partner and I both noticed they were wearing bulletproof vests. This really shocked me. I had never seen an ambulance crew wearing these before. 

Throughout my trip through the city, I had felt a little uneasy. However, seeing that crew in vests really shook me. Around my town, there is a huge respect for all emergency responders; fire, EMS and police. Everyone pulls over to the side for a vehicle with its lights on. In Minneapolis though, it seemed like that respect was absolutely nonexistent. Maybe it was from the recent events but it could just be the way things are there.

It made me sad to think the crew felt their lives were so in danger doing the job they loved that they felt the need to wear bulletproof vests. I just ask that emergency responders get treated with respect.

As with anything, there are some bad people in this profession, but most are good. The truth is we are all human and there are bound to be some that aren’t. However, I ask that you not let one bad apple tarnish your view of the whole box of apples.