EMS OVERVIEW

Departmental Mission
The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Unit  strives to fulfill its mission via fire abatement and extinguishment; comprehensive fire prevention programs; fire investigation; and the delivery of high quality, pre-hospital emergency medical care and transportation in a timely and professional manner.

 

Organizational Structure
The EMS Unit is headed by a Medical Director and is responsible for administering a two-tiered system of pre-hospital emergency medical care and transport, which includes Advanced Life Support (ALS) Units, Basic Life Support (BLS) Units, and First Responder Engine and Ladder Companies. In addition, the EMS Unit assists in formulating plans for Emergency Medicine physicians to respond to the scene of multi-casualty incidents to assist with patient triage, treatment, and disposition.        

 

Click here to view the EMS organizational chart

 

Services
The EMS Unit provides emergency, pre-hospital care and transportation to the citizens of Philadelphia. Citizens in need of its services can dial 9-1-1 for assistance.


Regional EMS
The Philadelphia Regional EMS Office is one of 16 state regional offices, and serves as a liaison between the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), the Emergency Medical Services Office, and the City of Philadelphia. As such, the Regional EMS Office is responsible for the interpretation, implementation, and compliance with the laws and regulations of EMS on the federal, state, and local levels.

In 2010, the Philadelphia EMS Regional Office:

Participated in the planning and preparation for Haitian repatriation at the Philadelphia International Airport. The purpose of this operation was to assist US citizens returning from Haiti after the earthquake in connecting to housing, transportation, health care, and support services.

In conjunction with the City of Philadelphia, PFD, the PA DOH, the PIA, the Red Cross, the SE PA Specialized Hospital/Medical Response Team (SMRT), EMS from the

counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and other agencies the Philadelphia Regional EMS Office participated in the planning, coordination, and preparation for the Haitian emergency medical airlift at the Philadelphia International Airport. The purpose of the airlift was to process and if necessary treat the Haitian citizens with catastrophic injuries sustained during the earthquake who would be flown here by military transport.

 

For more information go to http://www.phila.gov/RegionalEMS

Forms
Release of Emergency Medical Services Report
If you would like to have a Emergency Medical Services Report released to a third party, please download the following form, complete the questions on the form and then return it to the City Department of Records.   Release of Emergency Medical Services Report

 

Application for a Fire or EMS Report
If you would like to receive a copy of a fire report or an EMS report please download the following form, complete the questions on the form, and then return the form with a fee of $20.00 to the City Department of Records.       Application for Fire or EMS Report

 




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The Symbol of Emergency Medical Services is the 'Star of Life'. The 'Star of Life' contains six points and a staff in the middle of the symbol.  Each point represents a component of care.


Point 1 - Detection
Point 2 - Reporting
Point 3 - Response
Point 4 - On Scene Care
Point 5 - Care in Transit
Point 6 - Transfer to Definitive Care

 

The staff stands for  - Medicine & Healing.