Mission
The mission of the Emergency Medical Services program in Alaska is to reduce both the human suffering and economic loss to society resulting from premature death and disability due to injuries and sudden illness.
The EMS Program provides leadership in EMS by consensus building, developing and administering guidelines and regulations, and by developing and distributing publications for planning, treatment, and evaluation.
Our Goals
The overall goal of the Emergency Medical Services program is to prevent life-threatening and disabling injuries whenever possible, and to establish a comprehensive, coordinated system of emergency medical services that:
- assures citizens and visitors easy access to services;
- provides an injury prevention component;
- expedites initial response;
- ensures appropriate lifesaving and stabilization measures rendered at the scene; and
- ensures transport or transfer of patients in a timely and efficient manner to facilities capable of effecting maximum recovery and rehabilitation.
Alaska Emergency Medical Services Program
Brief Alaska EMS Overview
Emergency Medical Services in Alaska is provided by a rich mixture of paid and volunteer responders incorporated in seven regions. There are over 4,000 EMS EMTs, EMS Instructors, and Defibrillator Technicians certified by the Department of Health and Social Services, as well as another 347 Mobile Intensive Care Paramedics licensed thought the Department of Commerce and Economic Development. They serve approximately 180 EMS services.
To provide advanced life support services an agency must be certified by the Department of Health and Social Services. Services range in size from small rural agencies providing basic life support to state of the art, paramedic based, agencies in the more populous areas of the state.
The Section Injury Prevention & Emergency Medical Services has facilitated the development of the Alaska EMS Goal document, which provides guidance in the development of EMS in Alaska based on national and state recommendations regarding over 15 core areas of EMS. This reference is used by the state, regional, and local agencies for EMS planning and evaluation. The "goals document" categorizes communities in Alaska by level.
The geography, weather, and vast distances between some communities make the planning, delivery, and evaluation of emergency medical services formidable challenges. Fortunately, the resourcefulness and teamwork of EMS personnel and agencies allow these challenges to be met on a daily basis.