Legal Review of the Expansion of the Scope of Work for 119 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Personnel

Abstract

Emergency services by fire-fighting agencies are an important subject of study. As 119 EMS personnel provide first aid to patients and transfer them to emergency room, the first aid they render involves medical practice and therefore requires research from a legal point of view. This study is based on current laws (as of Feb 2021) and an analysis and review of rulings of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court, as well as data from the National Fire Agency’s Statistical Yearbook. Fire-fighting agencies hire and assigned individuals who hold the requisite certificate, and the legitimacy of medical practice by 119 EMS personnel is based on the qualifications they hold, not their status as fire officials, as per the EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE ACT. If their scope of work is expanded by the revision of the ACT ON 119 RESCUE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, their medical practice is justified based on the combination of their qualifications and status (fire officials).