Emergency Medical Services: The ER, EMTs and When to Call 911

If you become very sick or badly hurt and need help right away, use emergency medical services. They rely on specially trained people and specially equipped facilities.

The emergency room

You may need care in a hospital emergency room (ER), where doctors and nurses treat emergencies such as heart attacks and injuries.

Help where you are

Some emergencies need help on the spot.

• Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) answer emergency calls, carry out specific rescue tasks and give basic medical care.
• Paramedics are EMTs trained to do medical procedures at the scene.

They usually take you to the ER for further care.

What to do

• If you or someone you know needs emergency care, go to your hospital's emergency room.
• If you think the problem is life-threatening, call 911.

Sources

• MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Emergency Medical Services." https://medlineplus.gov/emergencymedicalservices.html
• Rewritten in hubnx's own words.