Boston Emergency Medical Services (Boston EMS) provides
basic life support
Basic life support (BLS) is a level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care by advanced life support providers (paramedics, nurses, physicians). It can be pr ...
(BLS) and
advanced life support
Advanced Life Support (ALS) is a set of life saving protocols and skills that extend basic life support to further support the circulation and provide an open airway and adequate ventilation (breathing).
Components
These include:
* Tracheal in ...
(ALS) ambulance units throughout the neighborhoods in the city of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
,
USA
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Boston EMS is a public safety agency responding to 911 calls alone or with the Boston Police and/or Boston Fire Departments dependent upon the nature of an incident. The agency employs over 400
emergency medical technician
An emergency medical technician (EMT), also known as an ambulance technician, is a health professional that provides emergency medical services. EMTs are most commonly found working in ambulances. In English-speaking countries, paramedics are ...
s (EMT) and
paramedic
A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research.
Not all ambulance personnel are p ...
s.
Boston EMS is a bureau of the City of
Boston Public Health Commission
The Boston Public Health Commission, the oldest health department in the United States, is an independent public agency providing a wide range of health services and programs. It is governed by a seven-member board of health appointed by the Mayor ...
. Boston EMS hires Massachusetts State certified EMTs by competitive examination and upon completion of the Boston EMS Recruit Academy, and then promotes paramedics from within the department after completing an intense internship. The department is managed by a uniformed command staff consisting of a Chief of Department, a Superintendent-in-Chief, three Superintendents, and eleven Deputy Superintendents.
There are sixteen ambulance stations located throughout the city. Field operations are commanded by a Deputy Superintendent (Shift Commander) and assisted by 2 Lieutenants (Field Supervisors) operating in 2 Divisions. A third impact Lieutenant is deployed as needed and during major citywide events. All department vehicles are equipped with Global Positioning (GPS) and Mobile Data Terminals (MDT). An EMT is assigned to the Boston Police Harbor Unit from mid spring though late fall.
Boston EMS maintains a fully staffed Special Operations Unit which includes a heavy duty rescue truck, two medium duty rescue trucks, a state-of-the-art MCI bus, support trailers,
ATV's and a bike team for special events and major incidents. In addition, several other specialized units provide logistical/technical support for Boston EMS operations, including a modern Dispatch Operations Center (staffed by EMTs) located in Boston Police Headquarters, the Training Division, a Community Initiatives Office and Administration & Finance office. The Materials Management Unit provides 24-hour equipment/supply services and the Fleet Services Unit maintain an inventory of approximately 120 department vehicles. There are also Facilities and Communications Engineering sections.
Boston EMS is a unionized department with EMT's and Paramedics represented by the
Boston Police Patrolmen's Association
The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association (BPPA) is the largest of the police unions representing police officers in the Boston Police Department. As of 2020, it represents approximately 1,500 officers.
History
The BPPA was established in 1965 ...
, EMS Division; Support Services staff represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (
AFSCME
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States. It represents 1.3 million public sector employees and retirees, including health care workers, correcti ...
); Command Staff represented by SENA, and civilian office/clerical staff represented by SEIU.
The Boston EMS ambulance fleet consists of Braun ambulances mounted on International TerraStar, and Ford F-450 Super Duty chassis.
History
Boston EMS traces its history to the
Boston City Hospital
The Boston City Hospital (1864–1996), in Boston, Massachusetts, was a public hospital, located in the South End. It was "intended for the use and comfort of poor patients, to whom medical care will be provided at the expense of the city, and . ...
Ambulance Service, formed in 1892, and it remained a division of the City of Boston Health & Hospitals Department through 1996, at which time Boston EMS became a bureau of the newly created Boston Public Health Commission.
After 36 years of service with Boston EMS, Chief of Department Richard Serino retired in October 2009 to accept the position of Deputy Administrator of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
(FEMA) after nomination and confirmation by the US Senate.
On January 25, 2010, Mayor
Thomas Menino
Thomas Michael Menino (December 27, 1942 – October 30, 2014) was an American politician who served as the 53rd mayor of Boston, from 1993 to 2014. He was the city's longest-serving mayor. He was elected mayor in 1993 after first serving three ...
appointed Superintendent-in-Chief James Hooley, a 32 year veteran of Boston EMS as the new Chief of Department. On June 7, 2010, Superintendent Brendan Kearney was appointed Superintendent in-Chief of the department.
On April 15, 2013, Boston EMS was the primary medical response agency to the
Boston Marathon bombing
The Boston Marathon bombing was a domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, planted two homemade pressure cooker bombs, w ...
.
Ranks
The Boston EMS rank structure is as follows:
Regimental Pipes and Drums Corps
The Boston EMS Regimental Pipes and Drums Corps is one of the first dedicated EMS uniformed pipe and drum bands in the United States, and was formed in 1998.
"Boston Pipes and Drums Corps"
, Boston EMS website
References
External links
Boston Police Patrolman's Association - EMS Division
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Government of Boston
Ambulance services in the United States
Medical and health organizations based in Massachusetts