State EMS Agencies
Each state and territory in the United States has a lead Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agency. These agencies are usually a part of the state health department, but in some states they are part of the public safety department, or are an independent state agency.
State EMS agencies are responsible for the overall planning, coordination, and regulation of the EMS system within the state as well as licensing or certifying EMS providers.
The following functions are typically, but not universally, performed by state EMS agencies:
Serving as the lead agency for statewide trauma systems or other specialty care systems; Collecting data from local EMS agencies, hospitals, and trauma centers and monitoring system performance and outcome;
Promulgating statewide medical protocols for EMS providers, or otherwise establishing the scope of EMS practice within the state;
Operating or coordinating a statewide communications system that connects EMS providers in the field with hospitals as well as trauma and specialty centers;
Coordinating the distribution of Federal grants for EMS or administering state EMS grant programs;
Planning for and coordinating the medical response to disasters and mass casualty incidents and, since 9-11, homeland security medical initiatives; and
Administering or coordinating regional EMS programs.
The state EMS agency assures that a statewide-coordinated, high quality emergency medical services system is there when you need it.