Across the country EMS agencies are facing severe staff shortages and are being forced to fill vacancies with sub-standard care providers. Unfortunately for the public, EMS is viewed as last in line when it comes to health care and other emergency service organizations. When you can work night shift at the local fast food joint and make more per hour than a highly trained medical professional its hard to convince more people to go through the training and remain in the profession. Now thats not to say that excellent paramedics and EMTs dont exist, because they do. I have had the honor to work with many in my career. On the other hand, I have had the disdain of working with others who havent been the best suited for this job. Hopefully this situation, as grave as it is, will push for EMS reform and maybe organizations will begin viewing our positions in the world with a little more importance. At least this is what I can hope for, before another patient has to die due to the broken system we work in on a daily basis.