ABSTRACT
This chapter covers the history of Emergency Medical Services, a description of EMS services performed routinely and during disasters and terrorist attacks, the role of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in emergency management and homeland security and concludes with challenges and recommendations. In broad terms, agencies in emergency medical services operate at three levels: emergency first responder, basic life support, and advanced life support, which can be comprised of Advanced EMTs and/or Paramedics. Nationally, 60% of emergency medical services are delivered by fire departments, making it one of the many services typically provided by public organizations. It is useful to consider the day-to-day roles and responsibilities of EMS agencies and their training levels before considering their function in disasters and terrorism. In the case of a disaster or terrorism incident, EMS leadership would work together with other responding agencies to ensure that their objectives are part of the Incident Action Plan and that they are appropriately resourced to meet them.
