Editing Ambulance (section)

==Crewing==
There are differing levels of qualification that the ambulance crew may hold, from holding no formal qualification to having a fully qualified doctor on board. Most ambulance services require at least two crew members to be on every ambulance (one to drive, and one to attend the patient). It may be the case that only the attendant need be qualified, and the driver might have no medical training. In some locations, an [[advanced life support]] ambulance may be crewed by one paramedic and one technician, or in countries like Australia advanced life support registered paramedics.

Common ambulance crew qualifications are:
* '''[[Certified first responder|First responder]]''' – A person who arrives first at the scene of an incident,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.resus.org.uk/pages/FirstRsp.htm|title=Role of the First Responder|access-date=2 June 2007|publisher=Resuscitation Council UK| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070529155100/http://www.resus.org.uk/pages/FirstRsp.htm| archive-date= 29 May 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> and whose job is to provide early critical care such as [[cardiopulmonary resuscitation]] (CPR) or using an [[automated external defibrillator]] (AED). First responders may be dispatched by the ambulance service, may be passers-by, or may be dispatched to the scene from other agencies, such as the police or fire departments. They may be on duty for another agency, or volunteers who are on-call during their free time.
* '''Ambulance driver''' – Some services employ staff with no medical qualification (or just basic first aid training) whose job is to simply drive the vehicle. In some emergency ambulance contexts this term is a pejorative towards personnel with higher medical training, as it implies they perform no function other than driving, although it may be acceptable for patient transport or community operations. Ambulance drivers may also have training in using the radio and knowing where medical supplies are stored in the ambulance.
* '''Non-emergency attendant''' – This role has different levels of training across the world, but these staff are usually only required to perform patient transport duties (which can include stretcher or [[wheelchair]] cases), rather than acute care.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=907|title=Ambulance Care Assistant Role|access-date=1 November 2009|publisher=nhs| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091125230105/http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=907| archive-date= 25 November 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> Dependent on provider, they may be trained in first aid or extended skills such as use of an AED, oxygen therapy and other lifesaving or [[palliative]] skills. They may provide emergency cover when other units are not available, or when accompanied by a fully qualified technician or paramedic.
* '''[[Emergency care assistant]]''' – Members of a frontline ambulance that drive the vehicles under both emergency and non-emergency conditions to incidents. Their role is to assist the clinician that they are working with, either a Technician or Paramedic, in their duties, whether that be drawing up drugs, setting up fluids (but not attaching), doing basic observations or performing 12 lead ECG assessments.
* '''[[Emergency medical technician]]''' – technicians are usually able to perform a wide range of emergency care skills, such as [[defibrillation]], spinal immobilization, bleeding control, splinting of suspected fractures, assisting the patient with certain medications, and [[oxygen therapy]]. Some countries split this term into levels (such as in the US, where there is [[Emergency medical technician - basic|EMT-Basic]] and [[Emergency medical technician - intermediate|EMT-Intermediate]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/kidscareers/emt.htm|title=US Government Careers advice on EMT|access-date=2 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607123558/http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/kidscareers/emt.htm|archive-date=7 June 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* '''[[Registered nurse]]''' – In some systems, nurses are the primary providers of advanced-level care on ambulances, often in place of paramedics. This includes [[Estonia]], the [[Netherlands]],<ref>{{cite journal |author=Wulterkens D |title=EMS in the Netherlands: A Dutch Treat? |journal=Journal of Emergency Medical Services |date=6 December 2005 |url=http://m.jems.com/article/operations-protcols/ems-netherlands-dutch-treat |access-date=30 September 2019 |archive-date=17 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217201958/http://m.jems.com/article/operations-protcols/ems-netherlands-dutch-treat |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Sweden]]<ref>{{cite journal |author=Suserud B |title=A new profession in the pre-hospital care field: the ambulance nurse |journal=Nursing in Critical Care |volume=10 |issue=6 |pages=269–271 |year=2005 |pmid= 16255333|doi=10.1111/j.1362-1017.2005.00129.x|doi-access=free }}</ref> and [[Spain]].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2012-7655 |title=Real Decreto 836/2012, de 25 de mayo, por el que se establecen las características técnicas, el equipamiento sanitario y la dotación de personal de los vehículos de transporte sanitario por carretera |trans-title=Royal Decree 836/2012, of 25 May, which establishes the technical characteristics, the sanitary equipment and the staffing of the vehicles of sanitary transport by road |language=es |journal=Boletín Oficial del Estado |volume=137 |date=8 June 2012 |pages=41589–41595 }}</ref> Nurses may also work on ambulances for critical care transport.
* '''[[Paramedic]]''' – This is a high level of medical training and usually involves key skills not permissible for technicians, such as [[Intravenous therapy|cannulation]] (and with it the ability to administer a range of drugs such as [[morphine]]), [[tracheal intubation]] and other skills such as performing a [[cricothyrotomy]].<ref>{{cite book|title=National Occupational Competency Profile|publisher=Paramedic Association of Canada|year=2001|pages=96–97|url=http://www.paramedic.ca/Content.aspx?ContentID=4&ContentTypeID=2|access-date=19 November 2009|archive-date=5 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005010014/http://www.paramedic.ca/Content.aspx?ContentID=4&ContentTypeID=2|url-status=dead}}</ref> Dependent on jurisdiction, the title "paramedic" can be a protected title, and use of it without the relevant qualification may result in criminal prosecution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hpc-uk.org/aboutregistration/protectedtitles/|title=UK Health Care Professionals Council advice on use of protected titles|access-date=2 June 2007|publisher=Health care Professionals council|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107140106/http://www.hpc-uk.org/aboutregistration/protectedtitles/|archive-date=7 November 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* '''[[Emergency care practitioner]]''' – This position is designed to bridge the link between ambulance care and the care of a [[general practitioner]]. ECPs are already qualified paramedics who have undergone further training,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swast.nhs.uk/careersandvac/careers.htm#ECP|title=Definition of an Emergency Care Practitioner|access-date=2 June 2007|publisher=South West Ambulance Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070517154015/http://www.swast.nhs.uk/careersandvac/careers.htm#ECP|archive-date=17 May 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> and are trained to prescribe medicines for longer-term care, such as antibiotics, as well as being trained in a range of additional diagnostic techniques.
* '''[[Physician assistant]]''' – Physician Assistants are found predominately in English-speaking countries and may also be known as physician associates in some countries. PA's mirror the practice of a physician and are capable of providing the range of medical skills a physician provides. They generally work in collaboration with a physician, although in an ambulance environment this may not be possible. Instead, advanced directives or electronic communication is available to PA's to consult with physicians when required.
* '''[[Physician]]''' – In some systems such as the [[Emergency medical services in France|SAMU in France]], it is common for doctors to staff ambulances. On the other hand, this is rare in systems that rely heavily on paramedics or field nurses. In those cases, doctors may be present in specialist ambulance units – most notably the [[Air medical services|air ambulances]]. Alternatively, in some systems, such as Albuquerque, NM and Pittsburgh, PA, physicians are available to respond to serious cases via a fly car.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/departments/emergency-medicine/programs/prehospital-care/ems-consortium/pefr/|title=EMS Physician Scene Response Program|access-date=1 November 2020|publisher=UNM}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.londonsairambulance.com/SecureStore/welcome.aspx?Q1788=30&J847=x30&A988=&NL477=&F=&G=&C=&SC=&S9=0&UT1=&R=1&S=&RE=www.londonsairambulance.com&D=32|title=London Air Ambulance Crew List|access-date=1 November 2009|publisher=London Air Ambulance|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208044829/http://www.londonsairambulance.com/SecureStore/welcome.aspx?Q1788=30&J847=x30&A988=&NL477=&F=&G=&C=&SC=&S9=0&UT1=&R=1&S=&RE=www.londonsairambulance.com&D=32|archive-date=8 December 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.surreyairambulance.co.uk/|title=Surrey Air Ambulance|access-date=1 November 2009|publisher=Surrey Air Ambulance| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091006000749/http://www.surreyairambulance.co.uk/| archive-date= 6 October 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref>