First off, I appreciate the question, because going back to 1981 and the Canada Health Act, paramedics were not envisioned within health care from a national perspective. That's always been one of our long-term visions, I guess, that when you look at health care it will include the paramedic component, as in, right after that 911 phone call, when you start to touch the people who can provide the care, it should be considered within health care. But I know that's another tangent.
I think the uniqueness oftentimes is that paramedics do develop relationships with their patients. That has an emotional context, too, which oftentimes isn't seen with the fire community, for example—although that may not be in the same.... That's what I refer to as us having a unique relationship. Oftentimes there's an emotional attachment—or maybe detachment, however we want to work it.
We are engaged emotionally with our patients in their treatment. We see the ups and downs in terms of our interventions. I think that really does add to the level of complexity, or to what makes so unique the work we do. It's not that we're better than; it's just that it's different.