Hurry Up and Wait
Christopher G. Prener · Fordham University Press eBooks · 2022
One of the overwhelming features of EMS work, even in the busiest EMS systems, is that providers spend a portion of their shifts in anticipatory readiness. During the downtime that punctuates the space between ambulance calls, providers do their best to try and relax, sleep, and pass the time. They run errands, get meals, and watch movies on their ubiquitous mobile devices. Finding a place to partake in these activities can be a challenge for EMS providers working in systems that do not utilize fixed stations. Private Ambulance providers must often occupy specific areas of the city to keep response times low and use on-street parking and loading zones for downtime. Their use brings them into conflict with local business owners who object to their presence and, in one notable case, succeed in evicting them from the neighborhood.