Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Director's Message

Susan F. Bailey, MSEM, NRP
Director, Louisiana Bureau of EMS

The Louisiana Bureau of EMS is responsible for the overall planning, coordination, licensing, and regulation of Louisiana’s Emergency Medical Services system. The role of EMS and paramedicine is constantly evolving and the bureau is fortunate to have a wonderful group of individuals committed to serving the EMS community, and the citizens of Louisiana, and helping position Louisiana as a leader in EMS advocacy.

I am honored to serve as the Director of the Louisiana Bureau of EMS. I am proud of the team that has been assembled in the Bureau of EMS office. Each staff member is committed to customer service and ensuring that Louisiana’s EMS system is one of excellence and a model for other state agencies.

This website serves as the official clearinghouse for policies, procedures, updates, and information. It is updated regularly but is not the sole source of communication for the Bureau of EMS. If you need assistance and are unable to obtain the information you need from this page, please contact our office. Our staff will be happy to assist.

To those men and women who serve and put their own lives on the line for the purpose of unselfishly helping others, please know of my deep gratitude; and on behalf of the people of Louisiana, thank you! I am passionate about the field of EMS and I am excited to know that I serve in a field that truly makes a difference in the lives of the people of the great state of Louisiana.

Yours Truly,

Susan F. Bailey, MSEM, NRP
Director, Louisiana Bureau of EMS

Bureau of EMS Policy & Procedure Manual

The Louisiana Bureau of EMS is responsible for the overall planning, coordination, licensing, and regulation of Louisiana’s EMS system. Adopted in 2019, the Bureau of EMS Policy & Procedure Manual allows the bureau to coordinate, develop, improve, and maintain a comprehensive and dynamic medical emergency services system for the state that will ensure prompt, effective, and unimpeded service by appropriately educated and licensed EMS practitioners to all residents and visitors of the state.

What is EMS?

As a vital component of healthcare, public health, and public safety, EMS responds to calls for help, 24/7, in almost every community in our nation. EMS saves lives from heart attacks and strokes; treats injuries due to motor vehicle collisions, shootings, stabbings, and other violence; and provides care for the many other illnesses and injuries that occur daily in the United States. In addition, EMS provides care for chronic illnesses and preventive care through community paramedicine and mobile integrated healthcare programs.

Healthy People 2020 Initiative

Guide to Building an Effective EMS Wellness and Resilience Program

The greatest asset of any EMS agency is its people – the EMS practitioner and other personnel who are there for members of the community during their worst moments, and who ensure their patients receive high-quality, compassionate, and life-saving care.

However, “being there’ for patients and their family members and friends during medical emergencies is inherently stressful. EMS practitioners often work under difficult, unpredictable, and rapidly changing circumstances. They may work in harsh environments, with limited information, assistance, and resources. In the course of their work, they may be exposed to risks such as infectious disease, physical violence, occupational injury, vehicle crashes, and death. They may be called on to help the victims of traumatic events, such as those who have experienced a natural disaster, serious motor vehicle collision, abuse, or violence. EMS practitioners also run the risk of becoming victims of violence at the hands of patients who are inebriated or have a mental health crisis.

To be able to effectively handle the stress associated with working in EMS, EMS personnel benefit from having good physical, mental, and emotional health.

The 2018 Guide to Building an Effective EMS Wellness and Resilience Program is designed to assist EMS agencies in developing programs that aid EMS personnel in maintaining their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Task Performance and Health Improvement Recommendations for Emergency Medical Service Practitioners

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics experience a much larger than average number of work-related injuries or illnesses (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). In addition to performing physical tasks such as kneeling, bending, and lifting while caring for and moving patients, emergency medical service (EMS) practitioners may be exposed to contagious diseases, such as hepatitis B and AIDS, or they can be injured by mentally unstable or combative patients. To address these elevated occupational risks, the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) has taken on the task of working closely with other national organizations to ensure that EMTs and paramedics can do their jobs without putting themselves in harm’s way.

Task Performance and Health Improvement Recommendations for EMS Practitioners is produced in collaboration with the American Council on Exercise and offers suggested physical fitness guidelines for EMS practitioners.

Guide for Developing an EMS Agency Safety Program

This Guide for Developing an EMS Agency Safety Program is an initiative of the National EMS Safety Council. Its members saw the need to provide tools and resources that EMS agencies could use to implement the concepts outlined in the Culture of Safety Strategy in their daily operations.

The purpose of the guide is to serve as a roadmap for EMS agencies to develop and implement a comprehensive safety program. Recognizing that EMS agencies have differing levels of resources available for safety programs, the guide contains sample policies EMS agencies can adopt or readily customize to their particular agency type, size, and needs.

2017 Guide for Developing an EMS Agency Safety Program provides a roadmap for EMS agencies to develop and implement a workplace safety program, customized to their agency type, size, and needs.

Patient Safety in EMS

Every day in every community across our nation, emergency medical services (EMS) professionals face challenges that impact their safety, training, and ability to act in the best interests of their patients. As medical professionals, they are expected to perform at the highest possible level and minimize any chance for error. However, as all humans do, they make mistakes. Collectively, humanity has survived and grown because of our ability to learn from our mistakes. Learning from mistakes is a foundation of education the EMS profession must embrace to improve patient safety and develop a just culture that will support the advancement of patient care.

Patient Safety in EMS is a report by NAEMT to help the EMS community understand the important role of Patient Safety Organizations in supporting a just culture environment and improved safety policies.

Mass Casualty Trauma Triage

The focus of this paper, Mass Casualty Trauma Triage: Paradigms & Pitfalls, has been published to alert EMS medical directors and EMS systems planners, and hospital emergency planners to key differences between “conventional” MCIs and mass violence events when:

the scene is dynamic,
the number of patients far exceeds usual resources; and
usual triage and treatment paradigms may fail.

This paper provides a framework for those stakeholders above and provides the following factors to consider when planning a response to MCIs.