• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.199-210
• /
• 2004

Since the 119 fire department was legally permitted to serve in Emergency Medical Service(EMS)Operation of emergency patients in 1983, 119 EMS operation in general has made a big progress in serving the needs for emergency patients. Currently EMS operation is carried out by 119 EMS unit, private ambulance Co.,etc. But due to the public recognition and volunteers, 119 EMS operation carries the major share of the service. This observation is not surprising in that such a trends occured in Japan 20 years ago. This paper compared the 119 EMS operation conducted by the fire department in Korea with that of Japan in order to draw some inferences from the comparison. The results of the study compared to Japan were as follows: 1. Japan was higher 1.5 times in the number of EMS units per population(100,000), 1.1 times in the number of patient transports per unit. 2. Japan was higher 4.54 times in the number of the 119 EMS personnel per population(100,000), 30.6 times in that per square killometers, 30.6 times per 119 EMS unit, in per ambulance 2.48times. 3. Japan was higher 1.83 times in the number of ambulance per population(100,000), 1.26 times in that per square killo meters. 4. Japan was higher 1.7 times in the number of transport patients per population (100,000), but Korea was higher 2.68 times in the transport patients per EMS personal. 5. Compared to Japan, there was no emergency care related to ALS, for example, such as administering dugs orally and intravenously, interpreting elctrocardiograms, performing endotracheal tube or LMA insertion, using monitors and other complex equipments in Korea.

• Korean Security Journal
• /
• no.3
• /
• pp.336-384
• /
• 2000

The current function of 119EMS(Emergency Medical Service) is simply to transport patients to hospitals due to the lack of medical personnel and medical equipments. In order to mark the current 119EMS system, that is to say, more many medical technician and paramedics, medical equipments supplementation, korean EMS communication system simplification and the re-arrangement of the existing fire organization, and so on. Also so various problems involving 119EMS should be solved political and financial support and the change in people's attitude toward the public fire service.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.63-76
• /
• 2024

Purpose: To analyze trends related to demography and EMS and to provide supporting data for the appropriate deployment of EMS providers. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data on patients transported by 119 EMS, demographics, and EMS factors were collected using the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) and the National Fire Agency annual report from 2017 to 2021. Results: During the study period, the total number of patients and those with severe disorders transported via 119 EMS showed an increasing trend. The total fertility rate and population during the same period tended to decrease, and the population density and number of households increased; however, there was a disparity between regions. The main demographic factors affecting the number of patients transported were population density and total fertility rate, while the main EMS factors were the number of ambulances and provision of emergency medical information services(hospital guidance, pharmacy information, and first aid guidance). Conclusion: From the perspective of EMS providers' force deployment, it is necessary to consider population density, population, number of households, total fertility rate, and number of emergency medical institutions and to strengthen the role of diverting the use of 119 EMS by minor patients by providing emergency medical information.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.91-111
• /
• 2023

Purpose: This study aims to compare 119 emergency medical services (EMS) in South Korea and Japan to provide essential data for EMS improvement in South Korea. Methods: Recent data and regulations on firefighting and EMS in South Korea and Japan were analyzed and compared. Results: South Korea follows a centralized approach to EMS, whereas Japan operates with autonomous bodies that establish their own criteria. Japan considers more regional variables than South Korea. In South Korea, there are shortages in fire station deployment among the 119 emergency medical resources in certain regions, leading to significant regional disparities. South Korea has a larger population served by its 119 emergency medical resources with a higher workload and dispatch numbers than Japan. The percentage of non-transported patients among the total number of dispatches was higher in South Korea. Conclusion: Increasing the number of medical professionals and ambulances per population to the level of Japan to reflect local conditions and include various underlying variables such as daytime population, aging, and emergency dispatch conditions in the deployment of 119 emergency resources, and to reduce the deployment gap between regions, will contribute to improving the performance of the South Korea EMS system.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.211-216
• /
• 2010

Fire service personnel and ambulance paramedics suffer musculoskeletal disorders as they lift and carry patients while performing Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The objective of the current study was performed to examine the association between working environment and musculoskeletal disorders of 119 paramedics and to analysis the EMS activities for them through basic survey (including task characteristics, risk factors, symptoms and illnesses). Observational job analysis of EMS activities indicated the squatting posture during first-aid performed on floor and the abrupt use of force during carrying heavy load including stretcher with patients on as hazard factors, and excessive low back twisting and bending during stairway transfer was observed. In addition, work-physiological assessment revealed various but rather high lumbar muscle usage rate among the study subjects, being 14.6~32.8% compared with Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) during patients transfer work. Resting heart rate showed 65/min, on the other hand, heart rate on mobilization indicated maximum 124~156/min. Therefore, the results of analysis to the EMS activities, rescuer activities and medical tasks were accompanied with high possibility of accident and musculoskeletal disorders. Also, EMS activities indicated high muscle fatigue and energy consumption, and accumulated muscle fatigue with during continued work.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.135-146
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this study was to improve EMS-System in Korea through the research in EMS-System of advanced country. The response time is defined as the interval from the time of call receipt to the time of scene arrival. The important factor was to shorten moving distance of ambulance. It should be considered to accomplish this factor that the vehicle must be increased and the convenient location chosen for optimizing of service area. The transport of emergency patients carried out almost by 119 Emergency Medical Service but out of all the employees at 119 EMS only 11.3% have own qualified EMT degree. They should be employed more and more specially at 119 EMS for a superior level of emergency medical care for civilian. In America, EMT can take care of emergency patients following the order from medical Director at the scene of accident. But in Germany, prehospital care was emphasized from the beginning and, in those days, a medical doctor was sent for treatment of emergency patients at the scene, the so-called a Rendezvous system. Hierby this study makes the suggestion to improve the EMS-System, it is effective to use the medical Director system in America and furthermore a Rendezvous system in Germany. The functional integratin and unification of the report system as well as enough personal and equipmental elements saved together invaluable lives.

• Fire Science and Engineering
• /
• v.20 no.2 s.62
• /
• pp.31-43
• /
• 2006

In Korea, the Emergency Medical Service, EMS is provided by Fire Services with 119 EMS and all the public uses the service for free. Although it appears very successful and is respected nationally, structural problem EMS exist and are worsening. First of all, the "free riding effect" becomes increasingly problematic. Some argue that 30% of the demands is not urgent or emergent. The total number of demands is increasing even without the free riding effect. The Current EMS system itself cannot meet the increasing EMS demand. The medical aspect is so poor that the EMS cannot dispatch a medical specialist to the scene. The cardiac arrest resuscitation rate is only $1.24{\sim}9.9%$, compared to 40% in Boston, MA, USA. But due to the regulations and limitations of the Fire Service organization, it is difficult to secure enough EMS resources. To work out these problems, it needs a structural innovation. To secure enough resources and achieve higher medical performance we should invite the medical sector and the private sector into EMS arena by contracting partnerships with Fire Services and charging a reasonable EMS fee. We found through statistical test that any partnership system is more effective than fire-alone system and most countries around the world have partnership system rather than fire-alone system.

• Fire Science and Engineering
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.95-104
• /
• 2018

The 119 emergency medical services(EMS) personnel studied in this research are constantly exposed to traumatic events, which can lead to a variety of psychosocial problems and poor quality of life. In this study, we examined the effects of the Mind Subtraction Meditation Program on post-traumatic growth and resilience of 119 EMS personnel. In this study, we measured the conditions of 26 EMS personnel of A firefighting headquarters based on post-traumatic growth and resilience before and after implementing the short-term intensive for 2 nights and 3 days in $201^*$. The results showed that there was a significant increase in post-traumatic growth from $2.85({\pm}.67)$ to $3.60({\pm}.72)$ and resilience from $2.45({\pm}.39)$ to $2.83({\pm}.48)$ of the subjects between before and after the Mind Subtraction Meditation. In conclusion, the Mind Subtraction Meditation Program was effective in improving the posttraumatic growth and resilience of 119 EMS personnel. Therefore, Mind Subtraction Meditation Program could be proposed as a mental health promotion program for EMS personnel.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.33-47
• /
• 2006

This research is devoted to increase resuscitation rate of emergency patients, expanding CPR to a pan-national campaigning, revaluating popularity and suitability of the education about the existing CPR(Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation) education expansion of 119 EMS. Questionnaire was carried from seven hundred fifty eight residental and students in kyuggi fist area(Southern suwon, Middle suwon, Osan, Young-in) from July 20 to July 30, 2006. The institutional support for CPR education and special eduction institution are not prepared, 52.44% of those have CPR education, according to questionnaire. 39.9% of the educated is from 119 EMS and it is big outcome, 119 EMS efforts in the vortex of poor surroundings. But, 69.76% of the uneducated said they had not chance of CPR education and 19.63% said that the reason is no special eduction institution and information for CPR education. They say that CPR education was carried for only applicants in 119 EMS, without systematic and institutional support, special eduction institution. So, we have to expand the infrastructure, institute CPR education for systematic propagation of CPR education. And we need to make plan constructive public relations, intensify maintaining of CPR educated.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.189-200
• /
• 2021

Purpose: We aimed to provide effective emergency medical services (EMS) response strategies for coping with high acuity patients during the pandemic by analyzing the influence of the COVID-19 and social distancing on EMS. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed the distribution of high acuity patients transported by Daejeon 1-1-9 EMS during the COVID-19 pandemic period, between February 1, 2020 and October 31, 2020 and the same period in 2019, as well as the level 3 social distancing enforced period, between July 27, 2020 and October 31, 2020. Results: The EMS dispatches decreased by 17% during the observed COVID-19 pandemic period compared to the same period in 2019. The number of cases with cardiac arrest and positive prehospital stroke scale rose by (p<.001). Patients with cardiac arrest, trauma, and positive prehospital stroke scale increased by during the level 3 social distancing period. Conclusion: Unlike the decreased EMS call volume and patient transports during the COVID-19 pandemic, cardiac arrest cases and the severity of high acuity patients tended to increase. We suggest that EMS systems should contrive a response strategy considering the collateral effect of major epidemics on the incidence rate of high acuity patients.