Chapter 1 Introduction to Emergency Medical Care
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Introduction A. The modern Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system was developed to provide prehospital or out-of-hospital care. B. In this lesson, you will learn about the EMS system and the EMT’s role in the system. The Emergency Medical Services System—How It Began A. The earliest documented emergency medical service was when the French transported wounded soldiers away from the battle scene in the 1790s. B. During the American Civil War, Clara Barton provided an emergency care service and later established the American Red Cross. C. During the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War, medical teams produced further advances in field care. D. Nonmilitary ambulance services 1. Service began in some major American cities in the early 1900s but offered little to no emergency care. 2. Smaller American cities offered ambulance service in the late 1940s. 3. Often the local undertaker provided a hearse for ambulance transport. E. Soon the need for quality care at the emergency scene and the need to organize systems for such prehospital care were recognized. The Emergency Medical Services System—EMS Today A. In 1966 the National Highway Safety Act charged the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) with developing EMS standards and assisting the states to upgrade the quality of their prehospital emergency care. B. In 1970 the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians was founded to establish professional standards. C. In 1973 Congress passed the National Emergency Medical Services Systems Act to implement and improve EMS systems across the United States. D. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Technical Assistance Program has established an assessment program with a set of standards for EMS systems. 1. Regulation and policy 2. Resource management 3. Human resources and training 4. Transportation 5. Facilities 6. Communications 7. Public information...