n5296s - I'll take that as a sort of apology for the 'patronising pompous fool' comment - I presumed you would look at how you operate at Palo Alto in light of some of the informed comments on this thread regarding engine failures - I guess I was wrong.
Your dismissal of exposure time is a form of denial - I don't know how high you go on your towering, max-performance transition but I would guess at least 40' to clear the obstacles and you will be in the avoid curve (H-V curve) from the point you pass about 10' in the climb until you have probably 50' and 40 kts (providing you are then over a clear area with no further obstructions) - a bit more than <2seconds per flight - AND you have to do the reverse on the way back in!
I'm sure the NTSB would understand how your instructor, the operation he works for and the airport all feel that increasing the risk to your pink body is more acceptable than upsetting the FW owners; yes downwash can make the flaps and rudders bang about but you can fit control locks, tie the aircraft down or just park them slightly further away. When was the last time all the users of Palo Alto had a flight safety meeting to discuss operating procedures and safety issues?
Flying in the military tends to breed an element of over-confidence in ones own ability - trust me I know - and spending your formative flying years in a high threat environment colours your judgement regarding risk. Your 10k+ vet isn't flying in a war zone any more - as I'm sure he knows - and should therefore be prepared to explain the risks involved and talk you through the consequenses of an engine failure at 40' and 10 kts in a confined area. If he dismisses your concerns out of hand then you have got the wrong instructor.
Just because the EMS aircraft (is it a single or a twin) does it doesn't make it right either - the economic pressures on EMS operations in the US make them take a lot of risks that are unwarranted - see the many threads on pprune about it or ask Sasless.
The bottom line is that just because you can do it in a helicopter doesn't mean you should and having lots of hours doesn't make you good - just lucky
