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Emergency Medical Services
About the EMS
The Phoenix Fire Department is comprised of approximately 1,900 firefighters. These members save lives and protect property through fire suppression, emergency medical and transportation services, all-hazards incident management, and community risk reduction efforts. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) section is responsible for maintaining compliance with all applicable state EMS statutes and administrative rules governing certification, scope of practice, and continuing education requirements; national accreditation standards. The EMS section is under the direction of an EMS Deputy Chief, who works in partnership with the Administrative Medical Director and oversees both the EMS Division Chief of Operations and the EMS Division Chief of Training. Together, these Division Chiefs manage five staff captains, three field captains, three paramedic training coordinators, four administrative staff members, a management assistant, a vaccine program manager, and the paramedic program director.
The EMS Section integrates centralized medical direction, evidence-based guidelines, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) to provide safe, effective, and compassionate care across the full spectrum of medical emergencies. Three of the five EMS staff captains, working alongside the paramedic training coordinators and the paramedic program director, deliver education and professional development through paramedic continuing education, department-wide EMS training, and the paramedic education program. One of the other two staff captains manages the electronic patient care record system and CQI processes, while the other serves as the liaison between prehospital coordinators and EMS equipment representatives to evaluate and implement innovative, lifesaving equipment in the field. The three field captains are individually assigned to a rotational shift work, which serves as a 24-hour liaison for hospital- and field-related issues, EMS-related incidents in the field, including mass casualty incidents, police and fire department injuries, fire suppression rehabilitation, and the replacement of controlled medications or necessary EMS equipment. The vaccine program manager oversees the Baby Shots Program, Adult Flu Program, and other related public health initiatives. These efforts are supported by dedicated individuals, including an administrator, two administrative aides, and a secretary.
Through the collective efforts of all personnel assigned to EMS, strong partnerships are maintained with hospitals, public health agencies, and community organizations. As a result, the EMS Section plays a critical role in improving patient outcomes, enhancing system efficiency, and advancing the fire department’s mission to protect life, property, and community well-being.
EMT and Paramedic Certification
The EMS Training Division ensures that members receive the support needed to maintain their state EMT and Paramedic certifications. The division provides a total of six (6) hours of continuing education for all members through EMS Department-Wide Training, offered four times per year. This training addresses items identified through the CQI process, new equipment rollouts, crew-based resuscitation initiatives, and evolving fire department needs.
Paramedics may also attend up to eighteen (18) hours of paid continuing medical education annually, consisting of six (6) hours delivered by the Phoenix Fire Department and twelve (12) hours sponsored by hospital partners. In addition, members may complete online continuing education developed by EMS through PHXYou, the City of Phoenix’s learning management system (LMS).
Lastly, EMS conducts mandatory just-in-time training that incorporates American Heart Association recertification requirements, state-mandated skills verification, and any critical updates necessary for operational readiness. For questions regarding scheduling, please contact EMS at 602-262-6977 or email Melanie Perez at melanie.perez@phoenix.gov.
Paramedic Education Program
The first Phoenix firefighters to complete their initial paramedic training in 1973 were nicknamed “The Dirty Dozen.” Following this inaugural class, Phoenix firefighters were sent to Phoenix College for initial paramedic education. In 2005, the Phoenix Fire Department began providing its own paramedic program and the first fire-based paramedic education program in central Arizona was established. Through a partnership with the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), students are awarded college credit and an academic certification of completion letter (CCL) upon successful completion of the program. In September 2015, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) awarded the Phoenix Fire Department initial program accreditation.
Currently, the Phoenix Fire Department operates two classes and trains up to eighty students per year. The Paramedic Education Program is nine months in length and consists of approximately 1,362 total program hours. Students are assigned to a 40-hour workweek during the didactic and laboratory phases, complete clinical internships with hospital partners, and are assigned to frontline apparatus as a fifth crew member when staffing permits. On occasion, the program also provides training for external agencies.
EMS Links:
