An emergency medical technician or EMT is very much like a closer on the baseball field, as both an EMT and a closer are relied on to act quickly and handle stressful situations. In baseball, the closer is often the relief pitcher designated to pitch the last few outs of the games in which his team is leading by less than three runs. Many famous baseball closers only play in the ninth inning (and are under contract to do just that) with one overriding goal: to make sure they get the final outs so that their team wins. While this important role in the final moments of a baseball game places enormous pressure on the player, a very similar scenario is transpiring in the life of an EMT.
EMTs are often confronted with stressful situations when dealing with an injured person. These technicians, much like a baseball closer, need to be able to make accurate decisions on how to treat a patient so that the outcome is positive. Since the ultimate goals of both an EMT and a baseball closer are to keep the status quo or by all means to save something (whether it's a person or game), there are many parallels that can be drawn between these two very different professions.
EMTs are trained to assess a patient's condition and perform emergency procedures like CPR in order to keep a patient alive. EMTs are often the first medical personnel on the scene of an accident or injury. They also respond to calls for help when dealing with heart attacks, stroke and other traumatic injuries. In addition to stabilizing an injured person, EMTs are trained to control bleeding, prevent shock and place splints on broken bones.
When an EMT is responding to an emergency situation, they need to quickly administer aid to an injured person. This is very similar to the type of pitch a closer has to throw to get the number of outs that he needs. In baseball, if a closer isn't brought in for the ninth inning when the score is close, the team could potentially suffer a loss. In a medical emergency situation, if an EMT wasn't on the scene, a loss of life could occur.
Similar to baseball players who need to stabilize the field by making sure nothing changes for the worse, EMTs are also called upon to ensure that it's a win-win situation for all involved.
