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EMS System Components

Components of an emergency medical service (EMS) include a communication center, health care providers and protocols that determine how to treat patients. Communities rely on the EMS system to receive help when medical emergencies occur. Ambulance companies provide emergency medical services to the residents in their community. EMS providers receive the call for help, provide patient care and transport to the hospital.

  1. Communication

    • Communication is an important component of an EMS system. A system of 911 call centers or dispatch offices collect and relay information to EMS companies. An individual in need of emergency medical attention dials 911 and speaks with a dispatcher who asks them questions about the situation, condition and location of the patient. The dispatcher will contact an EMS company, alerting them of the patient and all information obtained through the 911 call.

    EMS Providers

    • EMS providers treat and transport patients by ambulance to the appropriate hospital.

      EMS providers and ambulance companies are also components of the EMS system. Ambulance companies hire trained EMS providers such as emergency medical technicians, nurses and paramedics to work in the field. EMS providers perform patient care and treatments. They notify the emergency department that they are en route to the hospital and give a summary of the patient's condition and treatments provided during transport. EMS providers work within the scope of practice that refers to the conditions, treatments and procedures they are trained to perform.

    Protocols

    • Protocols are instructions detailing the way to perform specific procedures and treatments. The EMS company's medical director writes these instructions. A medical director is a physician under whose license to practice medicine EMS providers are allowed to function in the field. Protocols give systematic instructions about how to perform patient care. Each level of EMS provider certification will have its own protocol to follow, which will usually include only the procedures and treatment that can be provided under their scope of practice. For instance, air ambulance crews must be more highly trained than first responders to automobile accidents.

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