Scroll through the history of EMS, starting as far back as the Crusades, to modern times.
~1080
The first workers to administer emergency medical aid are believed to be the Knights of St. John, who treated soldiers on the battlefield during the Crusades.
1487
The Spanish use ambulance wagons to provide care during times of war.
1777
Gen. George Washington petitions the Continental Congress to set up a medical corps to serve soldiers in the American Revolutionary War.
1792
The French develop and train the first official army medical group.
1862
U.S. Surgeon General William Hammond correctly assumes that sanitizing hospital camps would reduce death rates, and revolutionizes how wounded soldiers are carried off the battlefield.
1865
The first civilian ambulance service based at a hospital opens in Cincinnati.
~ 1867
Horse-drawn carriages are modified in London, specifically to carry and care for smallpox victims.
1869
An ambulance service at Bellevue Hospital in New York City introduces the concept of speed as a way to save more lives. The service also provided medical equipment and medication, such as brandy, for patient use.
1899
The first motorized ambulance goes into service in Chicago.
1939 - 1945
During World War II, many physicians are drafted to serve in the war effort. As a result, funeral parlors begin transporting patients to hospitals, because their hearses can accommodate those who need to lie down.
1950s
Funeral homes continue to provide nearly half of the country’s ambulance services, an ominous prediction of what will happen as the highway system expands. Unregulated ambulatory programs flourish, particularly among untrained volunteers.
1960
Six states develop standardized courses for rescuers. But fewer than half of all EMS personnel receive minimal first aid training.
1962
Motor vehicle travel increases greatly, and 41,000 people die in car accidents in the U.S.
1966
The National Academy of Sciences releases a landmark report called “Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society.” It lays the groundwork for a system of pre-hospital medical care by spotlighting unnecessary deaths and disability from accidental injuries — in particular, motor vehicle accidents.
1966
Congress passes the Highway Safety Act, which leads to the creation of the National Highway Safety Bureau, the predecessor agency to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A portion of that agency is dedicated to EMS.
1967
Freedom House Ambulance Service is founded in Pittsburgh, the first in the nation to provide advanced life support. It serves a predominantly African American section of the city in need of medical services.
1967
The Federal Communications Commission and AT&T come up with “911” as the universal emergency number in the U.S. because it’s easy to dial and has never been used otherwise.
1968
The first 911 call is made, in Haleyville, Alabama.
1973
The EMS Services Development Act designates a lead agency within the federal government. But subsequent changes allow states to determine their own EMS resources.
1978
In Minneapolis, the first paramedic exam is administered by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.