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NFPA 450, Guide for Emergency Medical Services and Systems

2021 NFPA 450 Guide - Current Edition
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  • Description

    Design more effective emergency medical services (EMS) systems with the guidelines and expert recommendations in NFPA 450.

    Make your local EMS system as effective and proficient as possible. To serve the public and support first responders, pre-hospital care must be skillfully coordinated and provisioned. The comprehensive 2021 edition of NFPA 450, Guide for Emergency Medical Services and Systems, provides the guidelines, resources, and recommendations you need to comprehensively develop and design your EMS system.

    This document can be used as a template when developing an EMS system, as well as during the evaluation of measurable outcomes. It provides a framework for evaluating systems and making improvements to create the best possible EMS procedures.

    NFPA 450 reflects the rapidly changing health care environment and the importance of effective EMS services. With the recent changes to the Affordable Care Act and an increasing need to collect and report data, NFPA 450 puts greater emphasis on the current demands facing health care and EMS responders.

    Significant changes and additions to the 2021 edition of NFPA 450 include the following:

    • Alignment with the newly published NFPA 451, Guide for Community Health Care Programs
    • Further focus on EMS and 9-1-1 systems and less focus on community/mobile health care (now covered by NFPA 451)
    • Clarification of medical control structures and requirements
    • Updates regarding new EMS technologies and data reporting initiatives
    • A new chapter on training for new EMS responders and licensed EMS providers

    NFPA 450 correlates with other federal EMS documents and is consistent with commonly used terminology in the EMS community. Everyone working on EMS systems, from local stakeholders to owners and staff of organizations, should use the latest edition. (Print, Approx. 40 pp., 2021)

    Order the latest edition of NFPA 450, Guide for Emergency Medical Services and Systems, today.

  • Table of Contents (2021 Current Edition)

    NFPA® 450 Guide for Emergency Medical Services and Systems, 2021 Edition

    Chapter 1 Administration
    1.1 Scope.
    1.2 Purpose.
    Chapter 2 Referenced Publications
    2.1 General.
    2.2 NFPA Publications.
    2.3 Other Publications.
    2.4 References for Extracts in Advisory Sections. (Reserved)
    Chapter 3 Definitions
    3.1 General.
    3.2 NFPA Official Definitions.
    3.3 General Definitions.
    Chapter 4 System Regulation and Policy
    4.1 General.
    4.2 Oversight.
    4.3 Authorization.
    4.4 Evaluation.
    4.5 Roles and Responsibilities.
    4.6 Service Levels.
    4.7 Management Structure.
    4.8 Planning.
    4.9 Authority to Implement Plans.
    4.10 Resources.
    4.11 Participation in Policy Development.
    4.12 Authority for Policy, Procedure, and Operation.
    4.13 Patient Information Protection.
    Chapter 5 EMS System Analysis and Planning
    5.1 Introduction.
    5.2 Analysis of System Resources.
    5.3 Community Needs Analysis.
    5.4 System Design Analysis.
    5.5 Continual Risk Assessment and Planning.
    5.6 Call Processing.
    5.7 Geography.
    5.8 First Response.
    5.9 Demographics.
    5.10 Regulatory Environment.
    5.11 Additional System Needs.
    5.12 Disasters.
    5.13 Medical Center Resources.
    5.14 EMS System Risk Reduction.
    5.15 Resource Allotment.
    5.16 Master Planning/Forecasting.
    5.17 Public Education and Injury/Illness Prevention.
    5.18 Other Programs.
    5.19 Public Health.
    5.20 EMS Quality Measures.
    Chapter 6 Finance
    6.1 Determining Cost of an EMS System.
    6.2 Method for Anticipating EMS System Funding Sources.
    6.3 Revenue and Cost Analysis.
    6.4 Financial Plans.
    6.5 Business Analysis.
    6.6 Additional Financial Issues.
    Chapter 7 Medical Oversight
    7.1 General.
    7.2 Medical Authority.
    7.3 System Support of Medical Authority.
    7.4 Medical Director Role.
    7.5 Medical Authority Role.
    7.6 Medical Director Responsibilities.
    7.7 Online and Off-Line (Direct and Indirect) Medical Direction.
    7.8 Medical Director Qualifications.
    Chapter 8 Quality Management, Clinical Quality, and Data Reliability
    8.1 Quality Management Program.
    8.2 Objectives.
    8.3 Public Health Clinical Outcome Parameters.
    8.4 Physician and EMS Leadership Participation.
    8.5 Patient Confidentiality.
    8.6 Injury/Illness Reduction and Prevention.
    8.7 Complaints.
    8.8 Participation in Studies and Research.
    8.9 System Review.
    8.10 Documentation.
    8.11 Multiple Clocks Within a System.
    8.12 System Transformation.
    Chapter 9 Stakeholder Relations
    9.1 General.
    9.2 EMS System Goals.
    9.3 Internal Stakeholder Relations.
    9.4 External Stakeholder Relations.
    9.5 Regulatory Stakeholders Relations.
    9.6 Payer Stakeholder Relations.
    9.7 Achieving Stakeholder Relations Success.
    Chapter 10 Community Education and Risk Reduction
    10.1 Community Education.
    10.2 Community Education Goals.
    10.3 Personnel Qualifications.
    10.4 Community Education Activities.
    10.5 Identification of Funding Resources.
    10.6 Community Risk Reduction.
    Chapter 11 Health Information Technology (HIT) and Communications Technology
    11.1 Interoperability in Health Care Information and Management Systems.
    11.2 Patient Care Record Accessibility.
    11.3 Data Security.
    11.4 Communications.
    11.5 Lead Agency.
    11.6 Centralized Communication Plan.
    11.7 Computer-Aided Dispatch.
    11.8 Quality Management.
    11.9 Communication Equipment.
    11.10 Operability.
    11.11 Criteria-Based Dispatch.
    11.12 Training.
    11.13 Direct Medical Control.
    11.14 Nonemergency Services.
    11.15 Telemedicine.
    11.16 Telehealth.
    Chapter 12 Equipment and Facilities
    12.1 Standard for First Response and Ambulance Transportation.
    12.2 Replacement and Maintenance Plan.
    12.3 Response Vehicle Licenses.
    12.4 Inspecting Emergency Equipment.
    12.5 Personnel Education and Training.
    12.6 Maintenance Plans.
    12.7 Maintenance Personnel for Emergency Equipment.
    12.8 Response Facilities.
    Chapter 13 Human Resources
    13.1 Introduction.
    13.2 Recruitment.
    13.3 Retention.
    13.4 Personnel.
    13.5 Rules and Regulations.
    13.6 Health and Safety.
    Chapter 14 Operations
    14.1 Implementation of System Design (Operations).
    14.2 System and Agency Preparation.
    14.3 Communications Coordination.
    14.4 Response Coordination.
    14.5 Incident Management.
    14.6 Treatment Guidelines.
    14.7 Patient Destination Guidelines.
    14.8 Functional Capabilities of Health Care Facilities.
    14.9 Coordinated Medical Oversight.
    14.10 Logistics.
    14.11 Staff Management.
    14.12 Public Information, Education, and Relations.
    14.13 Regulatory Compliance.
    14.14 Automatic and Mutual Aid.
    14.15 Coordinated Training Plan.
    14.16 Emergency Response Planning.
    14.17 Nonconventional Resources.
    14.18 System Goals and Objectives Analysis.
    14.19 Infectious Diseases.
    Chapter 15 Training and Education
    15.1 General.
    15.2 Training Program.
    15.3 Certification/Licensure.
    15.4 Professional Development Program.
    15.5 Educational Opportunities.
    15.6 Vehicle Operations Training.
    Annex A Explanatory Material
    Annex B Time Intervals and Components
    Annex C Informational References
  • 2017 Edition Description

    2017 Edition

    Design effective emergency medical services (EMS) systems with the guidelines and expert recommendations in NFPA 450.

    Make sure your local EMS system is one of the best. To serve the public and support first responders, effective provision of pre-hospital care requires the coordination and cooperation of disparate elements. The comprehensive 2017 edition of NFPA 450, Guide for Emergency Medical Services and Systems provides the guidelines, resources, and recommendations you need for comprehensive EMS systems development and/or design.

    This document is useful as a template when developing an EMS system as well as in the evaluation of measurable outcomes. It provides a framework for evaluating systems and making improvements based on that evaluation.

    Essential for agencies looking to establish an EMS system, the 2017 edition of NFPA 450:

    • Reflects changes in the delivery of healthcare services as a result of the Affordable Care Act
    • Adds new coverage for Mobile Integrated Healthcare and Community Paramedicine -- growing areas in the delivery of EMS
    • Includes greater emphasis on the importance of the Chain of Survival
    • Covers the issue of addressing public health as part of an EMS system, in response to recent health-related events
    • Highlights data collecting and the reporting of that data
    • Features updated references throughout

    NFPA 450 correlates with other federal EMS documents and is consistent with commonly used terminology in the EMS community. Everyone from local stakeholders to owners and staff of agencies and organizations needs the latest edition. (Print, 42 pp., 2017)

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