An Excerpt from the course on Emergency Medical Systems

It is critical that an EMS office exist within each state to both regulate EMS functions and provide technical assistance to the EMS system. The lead agency for EMS within a state’s government structure varies among states, but ideally, the director of the lead agency should have cabinet-level access to the governor. Each state EMS director should have access to a state EMS medical director, EMS medical committee, and EMS advisory or authority committee.   

State EMS offices can play a crucial role in collaboratives that regionalize care for time-sensitive illnesses and recognize specialty receiving centers. State EMS offices may also be responsible for establishing equipment requirements, medication formularies, and protocols or guidelines for patient care. State EMS offices serve as resources for EMS agencies and practitioners within the state by assisting with planning, gap analyses, funding, and other support for the provision of day-to-day EMS care and health care at large-scale events and disasters,

Each State has a lead EMS agency with the primary responsibilities of

1. Overall planning of the EMS system
2. Coordination between all components of the EMS systems in the State
3. Regulating the EMS System under them, and
4. Licensing the local agencies and personnel

As the EMS System is evolving, an overlap between public safety and public health is inevitable.  The lead EMS agency has to play an active role so that quality and timely care is provided to all.