EMS communications development: History and commentary

The history of emergency medical services (EMS) communication systems development from the FCC's first allocation of frequencies for hospitals and ambulances up to the present is discussed. Up until the late 1960's EMS communication systems were virtually nonexistent. Most early networks were developed by hospital associations for coordination of hospital disaster operations. Many significant changes were seeded in 1966. By 1968, ambulance-to-hospital communications was growing in importance. Advanced life support systems were introduced into the United States with the aid of biomedical telemetry systems. These two separate systems have been effectively linked with the aid of Docket 19880 and the "common system" approach. The road ahead looks clear.