EMS Week 2018: The History of EMS

President Gerald Ford authorized EMS Week in 1973 to celebrate the important work EMS practitioners do in our communities. EMS was a fledgling profession at that time and its practitioners were just starting to be recognized as a critical component of emergency medicine and its relation to public safety.

EMS is now well established as a vital component of medical care and an essential public function to local communities. EMS practitioners care for their patients' medical needs and show caring and compassion to their patients in their most difficult moments.

What is EMS?

EMS stands for Emergency Medical Services. EMS practitioners provide pre-hospital emergency medical care. People call EMS when they are undergoing an emergency medical situation and the EMS may provide medical care at the scene of an emergency and on the way to a hospital. Every day EMS practitioners across the nation save lives by responding to many kinds of medical emergencies.

However, EMS is more than an ambulance service. It includes the dispatch center that receives the call and dispatches help, it includes those who respond first (such as police officers and firefighters), an ambulance team of EMTs and paramedics, physicians and nurses who provide advice either by radio or phone, air medical services, hospital facilities, and the agencies who provide oversight.

Who provides EMS?

When a person becomes ill or injured and dials 911 from the city of New Rockford, the call is answered by an EMS dispatcher in Devils Lake. The dispatcher is trained to obtain key information from the caller about the location and type of emergency. The dispatcher also may give the caller patient care instructions while sending emergency responders to the scene of the emergency.

Eddy County has first responders throughout the county so that care can be given as quickly as possible. A first responder can begin giving emergency care and also relay information to the emergency personnel who are on the way.

The training level needed for EMS practitioners is regulated at the state level. Each level of EMS practitioner is trained to perform different skills to assist patients.

EMS practitioners work under protocols approved by a physician medical director, who oversees the care of patients and is knowledgeable about patient care and how EMS systems deliver care. The Medical Director for the Community Ambulance Service is Dr. Rick Geier from CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington, and he works closely with local EMS leaders to assure quality patient care.

EMS is increasingly valued in achieving the nation's overall healthcare goals of improved patient health and lowered costs.