Stuck in Tradition: How Our Past Continues to Shape EMS Today
This article was originally published by JEMS on September 25, 2025.
Why are EMTs and paramedics in many states still "certified" rather than licensed, despite serving as frontline clinicians in emergency healthcare? Why do EMS agencies report detailed personnel rosters to regulators, while most hospitals face no comparable requirement for physicians or nurses? These are not minor bureaucratic quirks—they reflect the historical roots of modern EMS.