Paramedic Services 

Emergency Medical Services

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Public Service Announcement (video)

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Honolulu's paramedics are available to serve you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each year on O'ahu, they respond to more than 66,000 calls for medical emergencies and traumatic injuries.

Paramedics are trained to handle all types of emergencies, including mass trauma and life-threatening medical incidents. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) are trained in basic life support. Mobile Intensive Care Technicians (MICT) have attended more than 1500 hours of college-accredited training in advanced life support and invasive medical techniques. To maintain their licenses from the State of Hawai'i Board of Medical Examiners, paramedics must attend at least 72 hours of retraining and continuing medical education courses every two years.

The State of Hawai'i is the only state in the nation that provides salaried, Advanced Cardiac Life Support services, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

Co-response

Paramedics work closely with other emergency responders to provide prehospital patient care. Ocean rescues are coordinated between the City and County of Honolulu Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services, EMS, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD).  HFD also co-responds to medical emergencies with personnel trained at the first responder level, and coordinates HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials) incidents, search and rescue missions, and vehicle extrication.

The City and County of Honolulu has an automated defibrillator program (AED) in place that increases the likelihood of survival for someone who has a cardiac arrest. HFD and the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) staff are trained to use AED machines that can stabilize patients until EMS arrives.

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18 EMS Advanced Life Support Ambulance Units:

The City and County of Honolulu has 18 ambulance units under two districts. All ambulance units are designated as advanced life support (ALS) units, meaning they are staffed by at least two people: (1) a Mobile Intensive Care Technician (MICT) who is trained and authorized to perform invasive techniques under off-line medical control and standing orders (also known as a paramedic); and (2) a second MICT or an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) who is trained in basic life support. Ambulances are equipped to transport patients to the nearest appropriate medical facility when necessary.

Rapid Response Paramedic Units

The City and County of Honolulu has 2 rapid response paramedic units that provide additional coverage for western O'ahu and the windward side. Rapid Response units are designated as advanced life support (ALS) units. Each unit is staffed by at least one Mobile Intensive Care Technician (MICT) who is trained and authorized to perform invasive techniques under off-line medical control and standing orders (also known as a paramedic).

Medical Evacuation Services Coordinated with the U.S. Army

The 68th Medical Company of the US Army serves as an integral link in the Oahu EMS system. Military Assistance to Safety and Traffic, (MAST) provides six Blackhawk UH-60 helicopters that are used to evacuate patients in critical condition from rural areas of O'ahu to hospitals affording specialized care. City and County paramedics work with Army Medics to provide patient care en route.

Data      

EMS Call Volume

·         In 2004, the City and County of Honolulu Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) accepted more than 81,000 calls through the 911 system.

o        This led to 66,424 EMS responses, from which 40,932 patients were transported to hospitals.

Types of Emergencies

(Between July 2002 – June 2003)

·         Injuries accounted for 21,266 (42.3%) of all EMS calls

·         Among injury-related calls, the leading causes were:

o        Motor vehicle crashes -- 6948 calls (32.7%)

o        Falls -- 3583 calls (16.8%)

o        Assaults -- 2704 calls (12.7%)

·         Motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of ambulance-attended injuries among people between 1-64 years of age.

·         Falls were the leading cause of ambulance-attended injuries among adults age 65 and older; EMS responded to more than 2,200 falls among older adults.

·         For infants under one year of age, choking was the leading cause of ambulance-attended injury.

·         Nearly half of all assaults on O'ahu occur between 10 pm and 6 am; 77% of victims are between 15-44 years of age.