The EMS Division at the DC Department of Health
The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division is the regulatory oversight authority for all EMS activities in the District of Columbia. The EMS Division is located within the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Administration (HEPRA) of the DC Department of Health. To contact the EMS Program, email [email protected]

The EMS Division of the Department of Health maintains a list of individuals who have gained and maintained status as a District Certified Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced EMT, or Paramedic. To determine if an individual possesses a District certification, you can choose to search by last name or District certification number.

Note: Search results will return a list of names of individuals who possess District certification at one of the levels indicated above. Individuals needing further verification of certification should contact the EMS Office at (202) 671-4222 or (202) 671-0690.

Search the EMS Provider Certification database.

EMS Regulation
On December 6, 2013, the latest update of the EMS regulations was published in the D.C. register. The regulations can be accessed through the "Laws, Regulations and Policies" page.

Mission
The mission of the Emergency Medical Services Division is to encourage, foster, and promote the continued development of an optimal system of emergency medical and trauma care that provides the best possible patient outcome. The EMS Division is responsible for the certification of all emergency medical service providers in the District of Columbia. We are charged with the regulatory oversight of the EMS Educational Institutions and the EMS Response Organizations. The Department of Health does not provide EMT training. We certify the educational institutions that provide EMT training in the District.

It is our responsibility and our duty to recognize, research and recommend solutions to all problems and issues that could hinder providing the best possible pre-hospital service to the citizens and visitors of the District.

Vision
We strive to be an EMS system acknowledged as a leader for providing the highest quality patient care. We will do this by:

• promoting excellence through district-wide regulation, and promoting healthy communities;
• providing value-added information for emergency preparedness, public health, EMS research and strategic governance; and
• managing knowledge to improve public health in the nation’s capital.

Duties
Some of the duties of the members of the EMS Division include:

• Certify and inspect ambulances for proper equipment and drug control.
• Certify and inspect ambulance organizations for proper medical direction and protocols.
• Reviewing curriculum materials and course outlines for training sites and continuing education units.
• Monitoring the emergency medical service providers’ skills and knowledge through the use of the National Registry cognitive and practical skills examinations.
• Providing technical assistance to hospitals, emergency medical service providers, local government agencies and others interested in emergency care.
• Developing and monitoring a District-wide Trauma System.