Role of Ambulance Service Providers as First Responder
The immediate response to a catastrophic disaster, act of terrorism or other public health emergency involves many local public safety, public health and health care organizations. As first responders, America’s ambulance service providers are an essential resource and perform vital services as part of each community’s emergency response system. This was abundantly clear during the recent response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in which over five hundred ambulances, comprised of paramedics and emergency medical technicians, from around the country assisted local EMS agencies in their response to the catastrophic events along the gulf coast.
During the response to a natural or man-made disaster, the role of an ambulance service provider includes patient triage, decontamination, treatment, and transport. Their role also includes hazard recognition, symptom surveillance and reporting, disaster shelter staffing and re-supply, on-scene medical stand-by, and transport and redistribution of patients to better utilize available receiving hospital resources. Many agencies have begun developing “disaster response teams” to effect rapid deployment in support of local, state and federal resources.
America’s 9-1-1 emergency medical services (EMS) providers are a diverse group of public, private, hospital and volunteer-based services. Indeed, many stories of heroism and sacrifice include representatives from all these agencies as they have responded to natural and man-made disasters. Each day somewhere in America, an EMT or Paramedic may be placed in harm’s way to potentially save another’s life.
During a catastrophic disaster or “Event of High Consequence,” local ambulance services providing emergency medical services are an essential resource and a vital part of the emergency response system. In a review of the nation’s largest 200 cities, including those most vulnerable to attack, emergency ambulance services are provided by private, public, volunteer, and hospital-based agencies. Experience has shown that non-emergency ambulance providers also often serve as “first responders” by dedicating essential vehicle and personnel resources within the first hours of a disaster.
About the Author
David A Hale encourages those interested in prehospital emergency medical services to learn more about EMT training. Earning your EMT certification is a rewarding experience and a wonderful career opportunity to assist those in need.