The Star of Life is a blue, six-pointed star, outlined with a white border which features the rod of Asclepius in the center, originally designed and governed by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Transportation, DOT). Traditionally in the United States the logo was used as a stamp of authentication or certification for ambulances, paramedics or other EMS personnel. Internationally, it is a symbol that represents emergency medical services units and personnel.
Video Star of Life
History
Originally, many ambulances used a safety orange cross on a square background of reflectorized white to designate them as emergency medical units. This logo was used before national standards for Emergency Medical Personnel or ambulances were established. Designed by Leo R. Schwartz, Chief of the EMS Branch, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Star of Life was created after the American Red Cross complained in 1973 that the orange cross too closely resembled their logo, the red cross on a white background; such usage was restricted by the Geneva Conventions.
The newly designed Star of Life was adapted from the Medical Identification Symbol of the American Medical Association, which was trademarked by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 1967. The newly designed logo was trademarked on February 1, 1977 with the Commissioner of Patents and Trade-marks in the name of the National Highway Traffic Safety and Administration (registration number 1058022). The logo was "given" to the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) for use as the emergency medical technicians (EMT) logo after the trademark expired in 1997.
Maps Star of Life
The snake emblem
The snake emblem is a symbol from the biblical account of the bronze snake found in Numbers 21:4-9. The Israelites grumbled against God and Moses for bringing them out of slavery in Egypt and into the desert. Specifically, the text says, "the people grew impatient on the way." As a result of their ungratefulness, God sent venomous snakes among them and many that were bitten died.
However, the people came to Moses and repented of their sin and God had mercy upon them. He commanded Moses to make a snake, put it upon a pole, and all who looked upon it would be healed. So Moses fashioned a bronze snake and put it up on a pole for all to see it and live. It was thereafter seen as symbol of healing.
Hundreds of years later, King Hezekiah of Judah (2 Kings 18:4), destroyed the idols and sacred stones the Israelites had come to worship. He took the bronze snake Moses had made and broke it into pieces because the people burned incense to it. The staff was called Nehushtan.
In the Gospel of John, a New Testament biography of Jesus of Nazareth, John the Disciple would record Jesus saying, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." (John 3:14-15). Clearly Jesus saw the snake being lifted up to bring life to many as a type, or foreshadowing, of his own crucifixion.
The snake emblem also reflects the Rod of Asclepius, widely used as the symbol of medical care worldwide. There are several theories as to its development; it is named for the Greek mythological figure Asclepius, who was said to have possessed healing power.
It is often incorrectly depicted as a caduceus (a staff with two snakes and a pair of wings), a wand carried by Hermes that, in Greek mythology, saw two serpents entwined in mortal combat. Separating them with his wand he brought about peace between them, and as a result the wand with two serpents came to be seen as a sign of peace and negotiation (not healing).
Alternative theories for this symbol include it being a reference to a traditional treatment of a parasitic nematode called Dracunculus medinensis or Guinea worm. The worm was considered quite painful, as it causes blisters on whatever limb it takes up residence in. To remove the parasite, doctors would cut a slit in the skin right in its path and, when it poked its head from the wound, take a small stick and slowly wrap the worm around it until it was fully removed.
Symbolism
The six branches of the star are symbols of the six main tasks executed by rescuers all through the emergency chain:
- Detection: The first rescuers on the scene, usually untrained civilians or those involved in the incident, observe the scene, understand the problem, identify the dangers to themselves and the others, and take appropriate measures to ensure their safety on the scene (environmental, electricity, chemicals, radiation, etc.).
- Reporting: The call for professional help is made and dispatch is connected with the victims, providing emergency medical dispatch.
- Response: The first rescuers provide first aid and immediate care to the extent of their capabilities.
- On scene care: The EMS personnel arrive and provide immediate care to the extent of their capabilities on-scene.
- Care in transit: The EMS personnel proceed to transfer the patient to a hospital via an ambulance or helicopter for specialized care. They provide medical care during the transportation.
- Transfer to definitive care: Appropriate specialized care is provided at the hospital.
Common use
While no agency is tasked solely with enforcing its use as a mark of certification, the Star of Life has traditionally been used as a means of identification for medical personnel, equipment, and vehicles. Many ambulance services mark the symbol on their vehicles, and ambulance crews often wear the design as part of their uniform. It appears on various medical textbooks as well as on a wide range of merchandise aimed at the medic market. In hospitals and other buildings, elevators that are marked with the symbol indicate that the elevator is large enough to hold a stretcher.
See also
- First aid
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Emblems of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
References
External links
- Wikibooks:First Aid
- Star of Life from EMS
- The San Diego Paramedics: Caduceus
- American Medical Association Policy H-130.987, Emergency Medical Identification Aids
Source of article : Wikipedia
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