Preparedness is at the core of every EMS agency’s mission. We check our gear before every shift. We train for the high acuity calls we rarely see. We learn the streets in our district so we can respond quickly when the tones drop. Yet too often, agencies find themselves behind the curve when it comes to telling their story to policymakers, the community, or the press.

Build Your Reputation Before You Need It

As call volumes rise, staffing runs short, and budgets stretch thin, public relations (PR) can feel secondary. But for EMS agencies, PR is not a luxury; it’s vital.

Proactively building a strong reputation is critical to support long-term stability for your agency. Your reputation influences the judgements made about your organization in the moments that matter most, such as when:

  • Local/municipal leaders are deciding your budget
  • Service contracts are being reviewed, renewed, or rebid
  • A critical incident occurs involving your agency
  • New providers are deciding whether to join your team

These are not remote occurrences – they’re real issues that every agency faces. And just like the equipment in your first-in bag, a strong reputation only works if you have it before you need it.

Take the Lead in Telling Your Story

Make no mistake: someone is telling your agency’s story, and they likely don’t know your agency as well as you do.

EMS agencies do great work, provide quality patient care, and serve as a critical safety net for their communities. Yet in many cases, EMS providers are still viewed by the community as simply “ambulance drivers.” This gap highlights a common challenge that agencies across the country face: nobody knows about the great work you do if you don’t talk about it.

Consider also that EMS agencies today are just one cell phone video or traffic accident away from being front page news, and it becomes even more important to proactively build and manage the story being told about you.

Plan Ahead: Develop Your PR Playbook

Building your agency’s reputation starts with having a plan. A basic PR plan should answer the following questions:

  • Why are you telling your story? Outline the goals that a stronger reputation will help your agency achieve, such as a budget increase, improved recruitment, or the renewal of an important service contract.
  • Who is responsible? Identify a public information officer (PIO) – a member of your leadership team who is focused on PR and serves as the point of contact for inquiries from press, policymakers and the public.
  • When will you tell your story? Plan to cultivate a proactive and consistent presence in your community – not just respond when a reporter calls or a crisis occurs.
  • Where will you show up? Define which audiences you need to reach to achieve your goals (city council, leaders of partner agencies, etc.), and which mediums you’ll use to reach them (social media, local newspaper, letters, etc.).
  • What are you going to say? Decide which stories about your agency are going to be most impactful in achieving your goals and then tell them.

Proactively building and managing your reputation is critical to strengthen trust and ensure that you have the support of your community before you need it. For EMS agencies, this isn’t optional – it’s part of being prepared for the challenges your organization will face. And as Mark Twain once said, “the best way to get ahead is to get started.”

If you want to learn more about how The Holdsworth Group can help, click here to get in touch.