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Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
The idea of providing emergency medical care to sick or injured people in a prehospital setting is a relatively new one. Mortuaries and funeral homes provided the 1st prehospital emergency care in the form of transport only. The patients received no treatments or care, only transport.
Major Changes
The 1st major changes in the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), as it has become known, came in the Vietnam War. It was the combat physicians who noticed that the care soldiers received in the field often saved their lives. This care was provided by corpsman who were trained to provide lifesaving treatments and care for injured soldiers. This was done in an attempt to prolong their lives until they could be treated in a hospital setting. This thought carried over into the development of the modern day EMS systems.
The premise behind these systems is to provide
- EMT-Basics are able to perform basic airway maneuvers, bandaging, splinting, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and provide oxygen.
- EMT-Intermediates are able
perform the above, as well as starting IVs and administration of a limited amount of medicines. - EMT-Paramedics are able to perform all of the above, as well as advanced airway skills (endotracheal intubation, cricothyrotomy, chest decompression), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), and administer an extensive amount of medications (including pain management).
City Approval
The City of Boulder City approved the Boulder City Fire Department Paramedic Program (with the support of the community) in 1997. This move completed the American Heart Association (AHA) recommendations for improving survival outcomes of cardiac arrest victims in our community.