Principles of EMS Systems, Third Edition provides EMS personnel with an overview of the organization and operation of an EMS system, both on a daily basis and in response to large-scale events, including terrorist and weapons of mass destruction incidents. This book explores the role the medical director plays in EMS and discusses the importance of medical oversight and accountability. By focusing on the collaborative interaction of EMS, police, and fire professionals, along with emergency physicians, emergency departments, and hospitals, this resource provides a framework for how these different groups must work together to ensure the emergency medicine/health care safety net does not fail when it is needed the most. Features of Principles of EMS Systems: Twenty-seven chapters, all updated and enhanced, from the history of EMS systems, through administration and management, transport issues, EMS for children, education and occupational health issues, research, trauma systems and disaster response, and much more. New chapters on air medical transport, response to terrorist incidents and WMD, operational EMS, public health, and EMTALA More than 50 EMS experts as authors-itrs"s an "anthology" of their collective wisdom and experience Key education "principles" for each chapter Hundreds of references to additional sources of information and relevant Web sites