14 Reasons Why a Robust EMS System Defines a Resilient and Equitable Society

EMS serves as a crucial component of public health surveillance and threat detection, acting as the antennae for emerging health crises. When paramedics note an unusual cluster of symptoms—such as multiple patients presenting with severe, rapid-onset respiratory failure or uncharacteristic gastrointestinal illness—they are often the first to recognize a potential outbreak of an infectious disease or a harmful environmental exposure. Their detailed scene reports and aggregated data are invaluable to public health officials tracking and containing epidemics.