Emergency Medical Services
(EMS) History
1. 1796 , Napoleon Bonaparte's surgeon in chief - Percy and
Jean Dominique Larrey are historically credited with
establishing the Original Emergency Medical Services
System.
2. Trauma patients were evacuated from the battlefield to aid stations ,
using crude makeshift carts , hence as the first Ambulance.
3. Crimean War , 1853 , the EMS System concepts were practiced.
4. 1861 - The American Civil War. The American nation were
shocked facing the neglected wounded soldiers , and only a year
later , the US Army EMS-System had began to operate.
5. During late 19th century , medical evacuation gained acceptance
in the civilian community.
6. In 1864 , the Red Cross Organization was established.
7. During World War I , evacuations of trauma patients took almost
18 hours , although the mortality rate was high , some progress did
occur: Femor bone closed fractures were fixated , a treatment
which reduced the mortality caused by this trauma from 80% to
20% !
8. In 1865 , the first hospital-based Ambulance Service originated at
Cincinnati General Hospital.
4 years later , the first city Ambulance service was established at
Bellevue Hospital in New York City.
9. For nearly a century , those EMS ambulances were staffed by
non-professional teams which could only provide transportation
and limited BLS (Basic Life Support) actions.
10. In 1947 , the New York Port Authority began using Helicopters for
surveillance , transportation
and rescue. The US army reduced the mortality of wounded
soldiers from 4.5% in World War II to 2.5% in Korea war and to
less then 1% in Vietnam.
11. In 1966 , the National Academy of Sciences , medical research
headline was: "Accidental Death and Disability: "The Neglected
Disease of Modern Society". This research had determined that the
pre-hospital care level was low and did not provide the community
medical needs.
They have created new standards for ambulances to be operated by
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).
12. In 1967 , Belfast , Dr. Pantridge & Dr. Geddes , were operating a
Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICUs) for the first time.
The medical staff was based upon the hospital Cardiologists.
13. In 1967 , Dr. Nagel in Miami , Florida (USA) , established the
first Paramedics Unit that provided ALS (Advanced Life Support) ,
and he is considered to be "The father of the PARAMEDICS"
14. In 1973 , EMS & Paramedics Act was authorized by the American
congress. 185 million $ budget was spent to develop the districts
EMS system.
15. In 1982 , there were more than 300 organization which trained and
operated paramedics units.*
*** In 1979 - The first Israeli paramedics course was born.
Paramedic Neomi Zvi - Feb 2000