EMS By the Numbers

U.S. Ambulance Statistics
Number of Ambulance Services:  15,276
Number of Ground Ambulance Vehicles:  48,384
Number of EMS Personnel:  840,669
Ambulance Staffing:
   - Both career and volunteer personnel:  40%
   - Career personnel:  38%
   - Volunteer personnel:  22%

Source: American Ambulance Association 2007 Ambulance Fact Sheet

EMS Practitioner Types:
    - First Responder:  11%
    - EMT-B: 53%
    - EMT-I:  9%
    - EMT-P: 41%
    - Registered Nurse:  8%

 

Types of Systems in the US:
   - Fire Department with cross-trained EMS personnel:  38%
    - Government or Third Service:  23%
    - Private company:  13%
    - Other:  12 %
    - Hospital-based service:  7%
    - Fire Department with separate EMS personnel:  4%
    - Public Utility Model:  2%
    - Police Department with cross-trained EMS personnel:  0.75%
    - Police Department with separate EMS personnel:  0.75%

EMS Call Volume per Week:
   -1,000 to 10,000 calls:  40%
   - 100 to 500 calls:  26%
   - 10,000 to 50,000 calls:  12%
   - 500 to 1,000 calls:  9%
   - 0 to 100 calls:  6%
50,000 to 100,000 calls 5 percent
More than 100,000 calls 2 percent

Source: EMS Magazine's 4th Annual National EMS Systems Survey

Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for EMTs and paramedics is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2016. Employment of emergency medical technicians and paramedics is expected to grow by 19 percent between 2006 and 2016. Job prospects should be good, particularly in cities and private ambulance services.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics, www.bls.gov/oco/ocos101.htm.