The Blue "Star of Life" -- The Emergency Medical Care Symbol
by Arline Zatz
Just as a pharmacists has the mortar and pestle and doctors
have the caduceus, Emergency Medical Technicians have a symbol, its
use is encouraged both by the American Medical Association and the
Advisory Council within the Department of Health, Education and
Welfare. The symbol applies to all emergency medical goods and
services which are funded under the DOT/EMS program.
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 National Red Cross complained
in 1973 that they objected to the common use of an Omaha orange
cross on a square background of reflectorized white which clearly
imitated the Red Cross symbol. NHTSA investigated and felt the
complaint was justified.
The newly designed, six barred cross, was adapted from the
Medical Identification Symbol of the American Medical Association
and was registered as a certification mark on February 1, 1977 with
the Commissioner of Patents and Trade-marks in the name of the
National Highway Traffic Safety and Administration. The trademark
will remain in effect for twenty years from this date.
Each of the bars of the blue "Star of Life" represents the
six system function of the EMS, as illustrated below: The capitol
letter "R" enclosed in the circle on the right represents the fact
that the symbol is a "registered" certification.
The snake and staff in the center of the symbol portray the
staff Asclepius who, according to Greek mythology, was the son of
Apollo (god of light, truth and prophecy). Supposedly Asclepius
learned the art of healing from the centaur Cheron; but Zeus - king
of the gods, was fearful that because of Asclepius knowledge, all
men might be rendered immortal. Rather than have this occur, Zeus
slew Asclepius with a thunderbolt. Later, Asclepius was worshipped
as a god and people slept in his temples, as it was rumored that he
effected cures of prescribed remedies to the sick during their
dreams.
Asclepius was usually shown in a standing position, dressed
in a long cloak, holding a staff with a serpent coiled around it.
The staff has since come to represent medicine's only symbol. In the
Caduceus, used by physicians and the Military Medical Corp., the
staff is winged and has two serpents intertwined. Even though this
does not hold any medical relevance in origin, it represents the
magic wand of the Greek deity, Hermes, messenger of the gods.
The Bible, in Numbers 21:9, makes reference to a serpent on
a staff: "And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the
standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he
looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. (NAS)
Who may use the "Star of Life" symbol? NHTSA has exclusive
rights to monitor its use throughout the United States. Its use on
emergency medical vehicles certifies that such vehicles meet the
U.S. Department of Transportation standards and certify that the
emergency medical care personnel who use it have been trained to
meet these standards. Its use on road maps and highway signs
indicates the location or access to qualified emergency care
services. No other use of the symbol is allowed, except as listed
below:
States and Federal agencies which have emergency medical
services involvement are authorized to permit use of the "Star of
Life" symbol summarized as follows:
- As a means of identification for medical equipment and
supplies for installation and use in the Emergency Medical Care
Vehicle-Ambulance.
- To point to the location of qualified medical care
services and access to such facilities.
- For use on shoulder patches worn only by personnel who
have satisfactorily completed DOT training courses or approved
equivalents, and for persons who by title and function administer,
directly supervise, or participate in all or part of National,
State, or community EMS programs.
- On EMS personnel items - badges, plaques, buckles, etc.
Books, pamphlets, manuals, reports or other printed material
having direct EMS application.
- The "Star of Life" symbol may
be worn by administrative personnel, project directors and staff,
councils and advisory groups. If shoulder patches are worn, they
should be plain blue "Star of Life" on a white square or round
background. The function, identifying letters or words should be
printed on bars and attached across the bottom separately. The edges
of the basic patch and functional bars are to be embroidered.
Special function identification and physical characteristics must be
adhered to when applying the "Star of Life" to personal items, as
follows:
a) Administrative and dispatcher personnel must use a silver
colored edge, and the staff of Asclepius should be with a silver
colored serpent. These items do not need a white background.
b) The shoulder patches and other EMS patches may be
displayed on uniform pockets and the symbol can also be placed on
collars and headgear.
This article was taken from Rescue-EMS Magazine, July-August
1992
Each of the six "points" of the star represents an aspect of
the EMS System.
They are:
1) Detection
2) Reporting
3) Response
4) On Scene Care
5) Care In Transit
6) Transfer to Definitive Care
The staff on the star represents Medicine and Healing
