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National Association of EMS Physicians

What is EMS?

EMS is the acronym for Emergency Medical Services. This term refers to the treatment and transport of people in crisis health situations that may be life threatening. Emergency medical support is applied in a wide variety of situations from car accidents to drownings to incidents of heart attack.

EMS is much more than a ride to the hospital. It is a system of coordinated response and emergency medical care, involving multiple people and agencies. A comprehensive EMS system is ready every day for every kind of emergency.

Visit our committees here to see the many different aspects of EMS.

First Responders and Their Roles

Different types of first responders serve different roles to keep their communities safe. See what each type does in this infographic:

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