No one’s sure whether it was humorist Will Rogers or author Oscar Wilde, but both are credited with saying, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” Whether it is a first date, a job interview, or your encounter with a patient on an EMS run, this is certainly true. I believe that as an EMS provider, you have 60 seconds or less to make a good, professional initial impression on each new patient and scene—and in most cases those 60 seconds will determine how well the remainder of the call will run.
Your Look
In the Los Angeles County Fire Department in the late 1960s and early ’70s, Chiefs Keith Klinger and Richard Houts were meticulous about firefighters’ uniforms, especially the newly formed paramedic/firefighter position. On every call personnel had shiny boots, uniform shirts with name tags, badge and patches, and belts with a buckle. If you watch the TV show