An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. In some instances, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient.
For the more current term, see Emergency medical responder
An emergency vehicle is any vehicle that is designated and authorized to respond to an emergency in a life-threatening situation. These vehicles are usually operated by designated agencies, often part of the government, but also run by charities, non-governmental organizations and some commercial companies. Emergency vehicles are permitted by law to break conventional road rules in order to reach their destinations in the fastest possible time, such as driving through an intersection when the traffic light is red, or exceeding the speed limit. In some states, however, the driver of an emergency vehicle can still be sued if the driver shows "reckless disregard for the safety of others."
Hong Kong Fire Services Department of the Hong Kong Government is an emergency service responsible for fire-fighting and rescue on land and sea. It also provides an emergency ambulance service for the sick and the injured, and gives fire protection advice to the public. The Hong Kong Fire Services Department (FSD) is under the Secretary for Security who heads the Security Bureau. Headquarters is located at Fire Services Headquarters Building (香港消防處總部大樓), 1 Hong Chong Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon West.
The London Ambulance Service is an NHS trust responsible for operating ambulances and answering and responding to urgent and emergency medical situations within the London region of England. The service responds to 999 and 111 phone calls, providing triage and advice to enable an appropriate level of response.
A nontransporting EMS vehicle,, is an emergency medical service (EMS) vehicle that responds to emergencies, but is not designed to transport a patient. For patients whose condition requires transport, an ambulance is necessary.
New South Wales Ambulance, an agency of NSW Health, is the statutory provider of pre-hospital emergency care and ambulance services in the state of New South Wales, Australia.
The Scottish Ambulance Service is part of NHS Scotland, which serves all of Scotland's population., The Scottish Ambulance Service is governed by a special health board and is funded directly by the Health and Social Care Directorates of the Scottish Government.
The North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) is the ambulance service for North West England. It is one of 10 Ambulance Trusts providing England with Emergency medical services, and is part of the National Health Service, receiving direct government funding for its role.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) is the NHS ambulance service covering most of Yorkshire in England. It was formed on 1 July 2006 following the mergers of the former West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (WYMAS), South Yorkshire Ambulance Service (SYAS) and Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (TENYAS). It is one of ten NHS Ambulance Trusts providing England with emergency medical services, free at the point of care and as part of the National Health Service it receives direct government funding for its role.
The East of England Ambulance Service is an NHS trust responsible for providing National Health Service (NHS) ambulance services in the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, in the East of England region. These consist of 5.8 million people and 7,500 square miles.
The West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS) is the second-largest ambulance service, and the first university ambulance trust in the UK. It is the authority responsible for providing NHS ambulance services within the West Midlands region of England.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the county of Devon and the non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England. The service does not cover the unitary authorities of North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset, which are covered by the Avon Fire and Rescue Service. It is the fifth largest fire and rescue service in the United Kingdom.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Essex in the east of England, and is one of the largest fire services in the country, covering an area of 1,338 square miles and a population of over 1.7 million people.
The Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the non-metropolitan county of Gloucestershire, England. The service is run by Gloucestershire County Council. The service does not cover the unitary authority of South Gloucestershire which is covered by Avon Fire and Rescue Service.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England. The service's chief fire officer is Neil Odin.
Emergency medical services in France and Luxembourg are provided by a mix of organizations under public health control. The central organizations that provide these services are known as a SAMU, which stands for Service d'Aide Médicale Urgente. Local SAMU organisations operate the control rooms that answer emergency calls and dispatch medical responders. They also operate the SMUR, which refers to the ambulances and response vehicles that provide advanced medical care. Other ambulances and response vehicles are provided by the fire services and private ambulance services.
Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom provide emergency care to people with acute illness or injury and are predominantly provided free at the point of use by the four National Health Services of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Emergency care including ambulance and emergency department treatment is only free to UK Nationals and a charge may be made to those not entitled to free NHS Care.
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue (LFR) is the statutory fire and rescue service serving the non-metropolitan county of Lincolnshire in the East Midlands Region of the UK. This does not include North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, which are covered by Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.
Emergency medical services in Australia are provided by state ambulance services, which are a division of each state or territorial government, and by St John Ambulance in both Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
