Should Emergency Medical Technicians Get Paid More?

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I did not finish college until I was in my 30's. At that time, I was able to pursue a career that I had wanted for quite a while - teaching. Finally, I had a career that I truly loved. Next, it was my husband's turn. He had always wanted to be a Paramedic so I encouraged him to go back to school and pursue a field that he enjoyed. He did just that. Most parametics start out as EMT's and then the ambulance company pays for them to attend paramedic school. So, he went off to our local college and took the EMT couse. He passed and is now working as an EMT and absolutely loves it. He works like 70+ hours a week saving lives. In our area, he works the entire time. There is very little down time. He has so much responsibility but enjoys every minute of it. The problem is, EMT's only pay minimum wage. Can you believe it? They have such a huge turnover. Partly because of the hours and partly because of the pay. My question posed in this: Should these hardworking EMT's get more than minimum wage? It is hard work and the responsibilities are endless. I am not sure that I would want someone who is responsible for saving my life to be on the 70th hour of work and get paid the same as those working at the local fast food shop. What is your opinion?