Emergency Medical Services: What You Need to Know

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Emergency medical services or EMS provide out of the hospital medical care either while transporting the patient or at the scene of the emergency. Locally, they can also be know as the emergency squad, rescue squad, ambulance services, and many other names. EMS provides treatment and/or provide transport to an emergency center at a hospital.

In most cases emergency medical service is called by the public when there’s an emergency through a special emergency number. Some other cases involves physicians or nurses requiring the transport of patients to a more suitable medical facility. Other situations requires them to be in rescue operations like search and rescue, extrication, and water rescue.

Members of EMS needs specialized emergency medical technician training in first aid and life support depending on their roles. Sometimes ambulance drivers needs only basic first aid skill and no medical training. Some providers of basic life support include first responders, ambulance driver, emergency medical technicians, and dispatch personnel. Paramedics and emergency practitioners usually provides advanced life support. Some instances and in some parts of the world EMS includes registered nurses and physicians.

Some History

Early ambulances were used in battles of Napoleon designed by his physician to carry wounded soldiers from the battlefield in the late 18th century. Then civilian ambulances in London, followed by hospital ambulances. Motorized ambulances came in the late 19th century. More advances in providing medical care followed during WWI and WWII shifting some responsibility to police and fire department due to lack of personnel. The 1960s brought in new developments in CPR and defibrillation, more studies, The White Paper, standard ambulance construction, and the equipments the ambulance carry.

EMS Providers

Emergency medical services can be provided by the government, fire and police, volunteers, privates providers, hospitals, and large companies. These providers exists to give first aid and prevent further injury using basic life support and advance life support.

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