Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Enter The Browncoat EMT

What is a Browncoat?

In the series "Firefly", Browncoats or "Independents" were named after the simple, brown dusters they wore as uniforms during the War of Independence. The simplicity of their gear was greatly due to the fact that technology and resources were scarce on the Outer Planets. Conversely, the Alliance's soldiers were called "Purple bellies", because of the purple-tinted body armor they wore on their chests.

This may sound a bit "geeky" to some, but to me it has a great deal of meaning. I used to go by a different name when I wrote about my experiences in EMS, but I ran into issues with censorship from my employer. They viewed my blog as a liability to their company and the people working there. They implied that if I were to continue, I would be reported to the state EMS Boards.

This became my "war" for independence. I felt that it was a mockery of sharing and education to not be able to write about what myself and so many others did in EMS. The purpose behind EMS blogging is to see what others do, how they do it, why they do it, reflect on ourselves, and apply that new information. It is about growing as EMS providers. Unfortunately, we are all being monitored and censored in some way, shape, or form. We are led to express ourselves minimally out of fear of what might be done to us by our employers and EMS governing bodies.

The stories and the truths; they must be shared somehow. If this is how it must be done, then so be it. There will be a day in the future when we can express our thoughts and share our ideas freely without fear of outrageous consequences.

Until that time, I remain the Browncoat EMT.

Let's go be Big Damn Heroes.

1 comment:

  1. Yay, Firefly! I look forward to reading more posts of yours.

    And best of luck with your two new jobs!

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