Emergency Medical Services History
Today when San Diegans have a life threatening injury or illness, life-saving help is just a phone call away. It wasn't always that way. The history of San Diego's 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Service mirrors the evolution of EMS throughout the United States when prior to the 1970's, U.S. soldiers on foreign battlefields had a better chance of surviving traumatic injuries than Americans at home because of the military's organized medical rescue teams.
Prior to 1970, the San Diego City Police Department performed basic emergency medical transportation in converted station wagons and vans equipped with minimal medical supplies. The service back then was basic "scoop and haul" - grabbing the patient and driving as fast as possible to the hospital for medical attention. Besides medical transportation duties, the police officers were also expected to perform routine ticketing, suspect arrests and other police work.
In 1972, The U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare designated San Diego County as one of five areas in the nation to become an Emergency Medical Services demonstration project. Over the next five years the County utilized federal funds to plan and implement a new system including:
- Development of a regional trauma center at UCSD (University California at San Diego) Medical Center.
- Establishment of an emergency and non-emergency ambulance system.
- Development of Emergency Medical Technician training at community colleges.
In 1979, the City of San Diego began providing city-wide professional emergency medical services through a contracted paramedic ambulance company. Additionally, The City Fire Department provided some first responder service (first on the scene of an incident) in areas such as Downtown, City Heights and Clairemont.
Over the years, the Fire Department increased the number of communities in which it provided first responder service while the City continued to contract private providers such as Medivac and Hartson for paramedic ambulance coverage.
In the 1980's and 1990's the City moved its EMS program to the forefront:
- In 1980, the San Diego Fire Department undertook a two year program to train all its firefighters as Emergency Medical Technicians.
- In 1985, Fire Department dispatchers became one of the first dispatch groups in the nation to undergo Emergency Medical Dispatch training in 9-1-1 telephone triage and pre-arrival instructions.
- In 1988, San Diego was the first large city in the country to implement an early defibrillation program, placing defibrillators on all first responder engines and trucks providing firefighters a valuable tool in combating heart attacks.
- In 1991, the City placed firefighter/paramedics on select engines in high risk areas (an area geographically difficult to serve with historically long ambulance response times).
- In 1997, because of a history of contracted paramedic companies having
financial problems, the City of San Diego hired a consultant to redesign
the City's EMS delivery system. Based on the consultant's recommendations,
the City placed Firefighter/Paramedics at each of the City's 46 fire
stations. Theoretically, because fire stations are strategically placed
within neighborhoods to provide quick fire protection response, a fire
engine with a paramedic on board can provide faster medical response.
- IN 1997, the Fire Department, now known as San Diego Fire-Rescue Department,
partnered with Rural/Metro of San Diego to form San
Diego Medical Services Enterprise L.L.C., the nation's first public-private
partnership to provide 9-1-1 paramedic service.
Today:
- For the first time in the history of the City of San Diego, Emergency Medical Services are now coordinated between the City's first responders and the transporting ambulance crews.
- Both fire and ambulance crews are using the same equipment and working under the same medical guidelines. San Diego Medical Services Enterprise crews are on the front lines of EMS technology and are currently participating in several clinical programs designed to improve emergency medical services in the future.
The City of San Diego's Emergency Medical Services continue to improve. Through increased training and technological advances, San Diego residents now receive the most advanced mobile emergency medical treatment possible.
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