Our intent was to make them the foundation of a system that will support your patient care efforts as best as possible. We certainly appreciate the opportunity to serve you and hope that you find these protocols beneficial to your mission. Prehospital care is the practice of medicine outside the hospital. All medical care rendered within the system is done so through the authority and privileges of the Medical Directors' license to practice medicine. All medical care is under the supervision of the Medical Directors and their designates.
Protocols serve as guidelines for both field medics and command physicians.
Note, however, that command physicians do have the authority to deviate from protocol for appropriate medical reasons. The appropriate protocol MUST be implemented for every patient who meets criteria for a particular protocol. Paramedics are encouraged to contact the Command Physician as early as possible, but this should not delay initial care to the patient. The EMS Physician response is intended to enhance both patient care and the education of the EMS physician and paramedics. Paramedics are expected to understand and evaluate the appropriateness of orders received from the Command Physician.