The mission of Mississippi Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is to organize, regulate, and maintain a statewide program to improve emergency medical care. Mississippi EMS strives to maintain and promote the highest standards of prehospital care for the citizens and visitors of Mississippi.

EMS/Trauma Systems Development

Many people with greatly diverse backgrounds and talents contribute to the Emergency Medical Services System in Mississippi. In addition to bystanders, these include emergency medical dispatchers, Medical First Responders, Emergency Medical Technicians-Basic (EMT-B), EMT-Intermediates, EMT-Paramedics, nurses, physicians, firefighters, law enforcement officers and others.

Many personalities are attracted to the EMS profession. They are among society's best, and desire to contribute to their community.

Quality is a priority for our patients. It is defined as the extent to which products and services meet or exceed customer requirements. Our patients expect the highest quality care and it is our duty as a regulatory agency to ensure that this is the product they receive. In addition, we strive to enhance the EMS system in Mississippi by providing technical assistance to services and personnel. Through teamwork and quality assurance, we want to provide the highest quality EMS service to the citizens of Mississippi.

At present, ninety-five percent of the land mass of Mississippi is covered by Paramedics. This is equivalent to 98 percent of the population. This is a tremendous step toward marking our progress.

By the year 2004, there will be four levels of EMS providers, they are: Medical First Responder, EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and EMT-Paramedic. In fact, research by NHTSA has shown that much of the nation's EMS is provided by volunteers with diverse occupational backgrounds. The economic value of their contribution is tremendous. More so, their impact on patient care is immeasurable.