EMS at the Intersection of Public Health and Public Safety
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in general are in a unique position, crossing the divide between public safety and public health, in mission, function and the agencies they coordinate with. On the one hand EMS’ are focused on saving lives and promoting health, working collaboratively with local public health departments, hospitals and health centers, while on the other hand they are an integral component of any City or Town’s public safety network.
As one of the oldest EMS systems in the Country and the largest in New England, Boston EMS has a long history in both public health and public safety realms. The service is a bureau within the City’s Public Health Commission, the Boston EMS Chief of Department is also Assistant Director for the Public Health Commission and the service holds a seat on the City’s Public Safety Cabinet. These have fostered a commitment within the service to serve as a bridge, advocating for or speaking on behalf of health agencies in the public safety sphere and representing public safety within the health care community. This has in many ways served as a catalyst to bring these very different groups to the same table, allowing for investments such as a Medical Intelligence Center, where both can send representatives to share information and collaborate during health related emergencies, such as the recent H1N1 outbreak.
This presentation will cover the experiences of Boston EMS and serve to inform other communities and EMS systems on ways in which they can improve local preparedness and coordination through bridging the public health and public safety divide.