After his last appearance on the big screen in 2006, the world has been left to wonder what happened to the “Man of Steel” that we have all grown to love.
Either Metropolis has been free of supervillains, or Superman decided to hang it up and take on a new career. Perhaps he decided to pursue a new line of work in the pre-hospital emergency medical field?
It’s certainly a possibility being that he is no stranger to saving lives. If this were to be the case, then we would have to ask ourselves the big question...
What kind of paramedic would Superman be?
Shifts
While Superman wouldn’t be assigned to work set hours, we all know that he would be available to respond around the clock.
Dispatch
Superman wouldn’t require the traditional radio or quick-call system to be alerted to respond to calls. He has the ability to sense medical emergencies as they are happening. It should also be noted that he would have no problem meeting his response time requirements.
Uniform
We all know that Superman wouldn’t be Superman without the tight blue outfit. The only modifications necessary would be to place a “star of life” on his chest and perhaps “EMS” written on the back of his red underwear. Of course, EMS wouldn’t stand for “Emergency Medical Services.” When worn by Superman it would stand for “Emergency Man of Steel.”
Vehicle
Superman doesn’t do well in vehicles. He would better serve the EMS community by acting as a first responder, given his lightning-speed response abilities. If needed, he could transport patients in a traditional ambulance. However, instead of driving the ambulance, he would carry it through the air to the nearest hospital. It would give a whole new meaning to the term “air transport.”
Radio reports
Radio reports would be obsolete for Superman, given his ability to fly at the speed of light. Instead he could leave the scene, fly to to the hospital to hand off a report, then return to the patient without anyone knowing he ever left.
Hospital staff
For the most part, Superman would be a hit with the nursing staff at the local emergency departments. The only exception would be a disgruntled triage nurse who was also forced to find alternative means of employment in the medical field after the last Superman movie...Lex Luthor. This would create problems for Superman’s ambulance service, as he would use Kryptonite gurneys that would prevent him from offloading and subsequently cause him to have extended wait times in the hallway.
Equipment
Superman typically wouldn’t have much need for medical equipment, being that he has the ability to transport so quickly. However, in the rare situations where he found himself with extended scene times, he would be able to use his superpowers to improvise and deliver quality patient care. For example, his fist could easily take the place of a defibrillator, his laser-eyes could be used to exterminate any disease process, and his ability to create wind be a handy substitute for positive-pressure ventilation.
Conclusion
Given his fast speeds, superpowers, and constant desire to do good, I feel that Superman would be a great asset to the EMS community. As always, I welcome any comments and suggestions in the comments section below.