| In 1967, the Tennessee Medical Association | | | | for violations of the law. In 1992, the law |
| (TMA) formed a Committee on Emergency Medical | | | | was amended to recognize licensure of |
| Services. The following year, Governor | | | | emergency medical technicians and paramedics; |
| Buford Ellington convened an advisory | | | | but the term certification still applied to |
| committee to survey ambulance services and | | | | emergency medical first responders. |
| medical facilities. This survey formed the | | | | |
| basis of a state plan for an EMS program. | | | | Following a national trend during the 1980s, |
| | | | emphasis was placed on improving trauma care, |
| The EMS Act of 1972 created the EMS Division | | | | with specially staffed medical facilities |
| in the Department of Public Health, and | | | | designated as trauma centers. The Elvis |
| created a State EMS Advisory Council of | | | | Presley Memorial Trauma Center in Memphis was |
| thirteen members to advise the Division on | | | | established in 1983 and designated as a Level |
| program development and regulation. The | | | | 1 Tennessee Trauma Center in 1985. The |
| first order of business was to implement EMT | | | | process of designating statewide Trauma |
| training throughout the state. The first | | | | Centers throughout the state was accomplished |
| graduates of an 81-hour training program were | | | | in 1988 through regulations adopted in 1985 |
| state certified as emergency medical | | | | and 1987. |
| technicians as of May 1, 1972, and by the | | | | |
| fall of 1972, EMS consultants had established | | | | In 1995, the EMS Division established the |
| training programs across the state. The EMS | | | | Tennessee Emergency Medical Services for |
| Act of 1973 authorized advanced life support | | | | Children Program, through a $700,000 federal |
| training in Tennessee utilizing the term | | | | grant under a contact with Vanderbilt |
| EMT-Advanced to define a paramedic. In 1980, | | | | University Childrens Hospital. Standards for |
| the position of State EMS Training | | | | emergency medical facilities and emergency |
| Coordinator was officially designated. | | | | medical services for children were required |
| | | | by legislation enacted in 1998. |
| The EMS Act of 1983 provided for the | | | | |
| transition of the EMS Advisory Council into a | | | | Early defibrillation programs for the public |
| State EMS Board, the first regulatory board | | | | were promoted by legislation in 1998 and |
| for emergency medical services programs in | | | | 1999. Emergency medical first responders |
| the United States. The EMS Board was | | | | were authorized to use automated external |
| empowered to promulgate rules, conduct | | | | defibrillators in 1994, and by 1997, all |
| hearings, discipline emergency medical | | | | ambulances responding the scene of an |
| services and personnel, and to continue to | | | | emergency were required to be equipped with a |
| oversee program development. The 1983 Act | | | | defibrillator. |
| formally used the term EMT-Paramedic in the | | | | |
| State law. The Commissioner of Health, | | | | Based on information supplied by Richard Land |
| through the EMS Division and the departments | | | | of the Tennessee EMS Division. |
| legal counsel, could assess civil penalties | | | | |