Do you believe there is any truth to this theory?

[IHaveRespawned]

Over the many years, while our fire/rescue departments and EMS services were crumbling, I was dumbfounded as to why our law enforcement partners were viewed in a much better light than our other first responders.

Just recently in my state, for example, I have been placing huge pressure on our state's politicans to classify assaults against EMS and firefighters as a felony, instead of a misdemeanor. In 2021, my state passed the Back the Blue Act which made assaults against law enforcement an automatic felony, but they left out other first responders. Upon reading the amended law, EMS and firefighters were listed in the preexisting assault legislation before it was amended, but they chose to only focus on law enforcement. This in and of itself is a prime indicator that other first responders are excluded in policymaking initiatives. Finally, as we are only one of ten states that do not have felony assault charges for harming EMS and firefighters, our lawmakers are making steps to enhance these charges.

As the years progressed, our fire and emergency services were crumbling more and more, to the point that now it is a crisis. My former paramedic and EMT coworkers always stated they felt unheard and unappreciated many years back. These were the most cynical, miserable, pessimistic people I had ever worked with. That should have been a tall tell red flag alone.

I have a theory:

I believe the leftists were trying to defund law enforcement due to anarchy. I, however, also believe the conservative right politicians supported our law enforcement specifically because they are the armed security detail for them when the shit hits the fan and to enact their police state agenda. Otherwise, any care for our first responders by our politicians are minimal.

Yes

No

See poll

[msc545]

I think it's a little more complicated than that. Most people are afraid of law enforcement and are afraid of police in general because police have the ability and authority to badly injure or kill them. I think on an unconscious level, most people want to appease law enforcement and police to keep these sorts of things from happening. I'm not saying that the police would kill them or injure them deliberately or inappropriately, or that this is even a conscious phenomenon, but I have noticed that people are a lot kinder and a lot nicer and friendlier to police officers than they are to any other first responders. Cops have guns; firefighters don't. Instead, firefighters carry equipment designed to help you stay alive and to protect you and your property. Cops do not carry such equipment, nor do they know how to use it.

[IHaveRespawned]

You make some valid points. Law enforcement can both save lives and take them away. Fire, rescue, and EMS have the only objective of saving lives.

Although you must remember that EMS and fire are not normally armed. They have less mechanisms of defending themselves than law enforcement. You would think they would be top priority in legislation for protection, but obviously this is not the case.

[WindAtMyBack]

I have not heard of this with first responders where I live.

BUT, I know that health care workers are given a hard time. My state passed a law that you can not harass health care works. You can not yell at them, cuss at them, etc. I spent a lot of time in a hospital recently (visitor not patient). They had signs everywhere saying there was zero tolerance. Yell at a worker, even a cleaner, and you WILL be arrested.

[strateguy632]

But attacking a fire fighter is unexpected. Nobody does that ! the guy is here to end the damage.

[IHaveRespawned]

It is more common than you see the news media reporting.
1. The female firefighter/AEMT from Crossville, TN who was assaulted by her patient
2. The firefighters in Idaho that were ambushed responding to a wildfire
3. The firefighters in Memphis who were ambushed en route to a fire
4. The EMT in New York that was assaulted and stabbed by a patient she was caring for
5. The AMR EMT who was assaulted in Knoxville, TN

https://youtu.be/LLdNr1orbFo?si=AojWz_BjSUJ67eEh

[exitseven]

cops are more visible so they get most of the funding. Nobody thinks about the fire dept until they have a fire.

[IHaveRespawned]

Your emergency services may operate differently where you reside. Most fire departments are multi-disciplined, as they do not only respond to fires. They are cross-trained as Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics and first respond to medical emergencies to assist incoming ambulance crews. Many are also trained in rescue operations, such as vehicular extrication, marine-related rescue, and structural collapse rescue.

Many, but most certainly not all, have fire-based ambulance services, where firefighters will often rotate between the fire engine and the ambulance. When they are toned out, they both leave out of the same station with the ambulance trailing behind.

[IHaveRespawned]

... I believe there is also a public misperception because there are so many varieties and approaches, both by municipality and county-level. Sometimes there are county-wide fire/rescue agencies with fire-based ambulance. Then, you have some places thag separate all functionalities to separate agencies. Then you may have city departments with volunteer agencies outside the city. You may have fire departments that are strictly fire suppression only. Then you have ones that incorporate multiple emergency service functionalities. There is no uniformity, which probably increases the likelihood of misperception.

[Dargil]

Blue states will resist this because hate public safety and want to defund all of it. Red states will gradually approve it.