Emergency medical services exist to fulfill the basic principles of first aid, which are to Preserve Life, Prevent Further Injury, and Promote Recovery. This common theme in medicine is symbolized by the "star of life". Each of the 'arms' to the star represent the six stages of high quality pre-hospital care, which are:

1. Early detection- Members of the public, or another agency, find the incident and understand the problem
2. Early reporting - The first persons on scene make a call to the emergency medical services and provide details to enable a response to be mounted
3. Early response - The first professional (EMS) rescuers arrive on scene as quickly as possible, enabling care to begin
4. Good on-scene care - The emergency medical service provides appropriate and timely interventions to treat the patient at the scene of the incident
5. Care in transit - the emergency medical service load the patient in to suitable transport and continue to provide appropriate medical care throughout the journey
6. Transfer to definitive care - the patient is handed over to an appropriate care setting, such as the emergency department at a hospital, in to the care of physicians

Bay State offers an extensive array of innovative, high quality solutions to help EMS clinicians better manage their patients, particularly with airway management and therapeutic hypothermia.  See them by accessing the menu on the left.