Abstract

A 27-year-old male driver was driving home while intoxicated. Rounding a curve, he skidded off the road into a fence and flipped his car, which then caught fire due to a gasoline leak. The 911 operator dispatched the police, the fire department, and an ambulance. Each of these units, rapidly responding to the scene, had specific responsibilities—the dispatcher to provide prearrival instructions to bystanders; the police to secure the scene for public safety and criminal investigation; and the fire department to extinguish the fire, extricate the patient from the car, and protect other public safety responders. The responsibilities of the ambulance crew, or emergency medical service, included performance of a rapid patient assessment, initiation of resuscitative and stabilization measures, expedient transport to and prearrival communication with the nearest trauma center. What principles guide the work of the emergency medical service as they try to complete their work? How does the core team integrate and coordinate with other individuals or teams to provide effective service to meet the needs of society and individuals?