Equipment for Ground Ambulances

Ensuring that EMS providers are properly equipped to perform their clinical duties is an important function of oversight in EMS systems.

The current Recommended Essential Equipment for BLS and ALS Ground Ambulances represents a consensus by six organizations (AAP, ACS-COT, ENA, EIIC, NAEMSP, & NASEMSO) all of which appointed members to a joint task force to assist with defining the standard for ground ambulances in the United States. The 2020 Joint Policy Statement was published online on April 9, 2021 in Prehospital Emergency Care.

Abstract:

In continued support of establishing and maintaining a foundation for standards of care, our organizations remain committed to periodic review and revision of this position statement. This latest revision was created based on a structured review of the National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines Version 2.2 in order to identify the equipment items necessary to deliver the care defined by those guidelines. In addition, in order to ensure congruity with national definitions of provider scope of practice, the list is differentiated into BLS and ALS levels of service utilizing the National Scope of Practice-defined levels of Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) as BLS, and Advanced EMT (AEMT) and Paramedic as ALS. Equipment items listed within each category were cross-checked against recommended scopes of practice for each level in order to ensure they were appropriately dichotomized to BLS or ALS levels of care. Some items may be considered optional at the local level as determined by agencydefined scope of practice and applicable clinical guidelines. In addition to the items included in this position statement our organizations agree that all EMS service programs should carry equipment and supplies in quantities as determined by the medical director and appropriate to the agency’s level of care and available certified EMS personnel and as established in the agency’s approved protocols.