Your local fire department is a prehospital provider. Private ambulance services also crew their vehicles with EMT personnel. Paramedic providers may also be part of your local fire department. Paramedics are more highly trained in emergency medical care than EMT's. Some private ambulance units also use paramedics.
Trauma centers are hospital emergency rooms where trauma patients are taken for treatment.
There are eight designated trauma centers in the Central Region. They are rated according to their expertise and emergency room capabilities. Designated trauma centers require their staff to participate in yearly trauma training programs to ensure quality patient care. Usually a trauma patient is transported to the trauma center closest to the scene of injury. Traffic patterns, severity of injury, and other factors may impact where a patient is delivered.