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Seattle & King County Emergency Medical Services System
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<p>The Seattle & King County Emergency Medical Services System is a fire-based two-tier response system providing prehospital basic and advanced life support services. </p><p>There are six paramedic provider programs in the system. The Seattle Fire Department operates Seattle Medic One. The program is funded by the city's general fund and has a different administrative structure than the five other Medic One programs. The five other Medic One programs with the exception of King County Medic One are operated by fire departments under a formal contract with the EMS Division of <a href="/facts/Public_Health_-_Seattle_%26_King_County/r1DKGWcS">Public Health - Seattle & King County</a>. King County Medic One is directly operated by the EMS Division. </p><p>The modern EMS system in King County began operation in 1970 with 15 paramedics staffing one <a href="/facts/Paramedic/crUNVATd">paramedic</a> unit in Seattle. In 2009, there were 255 paramedics from six paramedic programs staffing 26 paramedic units. </p><p>The system is a dynamic layered response system. An EMS response to an emergency begins with a telephone call to <a href="/facts/9-1-1/8IRJCy4X">9-1-1</a>. Calls are transferred from a primary call taker to <a href="/facts/Emergency_medical_dispatcher/XhGxLLtY">emergency medical call taker</a> who gathers information from the caller, gives instructions to the caller, and determines what types of emergency personnel to send. For very serious and life-threatening emergencies <a href="/facts/Firefighter/483TlnYB">firefighters</a> trained in <a href="/facts/Basic_life_support/6lxMIGJ8">basic life support</a> and paramedics trained in <a href="/facts/Advanced_life_support/9LzYvX3m">advanced life support</a> respond simultaneously. Paramedics transport patients in critical condition. For less severe emergencies only firefighters will be dispatched. Basic life support personnel from either a fire department or private ambulance company transport non-critical patients. </p>