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As an EMT Instructor I like to give a brief summary to
my new students about where EMS services developed. Actually, the military started taking
care of people in trauma situations long before civilians got organized about it. On the
battlefields of France in the 1790's the French soldiers began transporting their wounded
off the battle fields. Clara Barton started a similar service during our civil war and
later helped start the American Red Cross. In the early 1900's the civilian ambulance
transport service started, offering little care but transport to a medical facility of
some kind. During the 1950's in the Korean Conflict, great advances were made both in
treatment and transport. Patients were "MedEvaced" by helicopter and ground
ambulances to aid stations and M.A.S.H units (yes, just like the TV show). In 1966 the
National Highway Safety Act charged the United States Dept. of Transportation with
developing standards for EMS and helping supply and organize units. That sums up our
humble beginnings. Now, our EMT's must go through at least 100-140 hours of training
(depending upon the state and extra enhancements to the course based upon location), just
to qualify for state testing. Then each ambulance company maintains training standards
that must be followed. At HCAA (Hempfield Ambulance), Career staff MUST
have a valid EMT certificate, valid CPR (healthcare provider course), Valid Driver's
License and EVOC(refresh EVOC safety once a year), HazMat Ops (refresh once a year), &
BTLS (refresh every three years). EMT's can recertify by taking continuing education
credits or by re-testing for the state (written and practical) every 3 years. (I opt for
Con -Ed!
