Summary
Emergency medical services are provided by the fire defence headquarters of the local
government in Japan. There is a one-tiered EMS system. Ambulances are staffed by three
crew members trained in rescue, stabilisation, transport, and advanced care of traumatic
and medical emergencies. There are three levels of care provided by ambulance personnel
including a basic-level ambulance crew (First Aid Class One, FAC-1), a second level
(Standard First Aid Class, SFAC), and the highest level (Emergency Life Saving Technician,
ELST). ELSTs are trained in all aspects of BLS and some ALS procedures relevant to
pre-hospital emergency care. Further development of an effective medical control system
is imperative as the activities of ambulance crews become more sophisticated. A marked
recent increase in the volume of emergency calls is another issue of concern. Currently,
private services for transportation of non-acute or minor injury/illness have been
introduced in some areas, and dispatch protocols to triage 119 calls are being developed.
Keyword
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References
Emergency Life Saving Technician Law. April 23, 1991. Japan.
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Annual Report on Development of Emergency Services in Japan. Ambulance and Rescue Service Division, Fire and Disaster Management Defense Agency, Ministry of Home Affairs, Japan. 2005.
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
April 3,
2006
Received:
April 3,
2006
Footnotes
☆A Spanish translated version of the summary of this article appears as Appendix in the online version at 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2006.04.001.
Identification
Copyright
© 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.