Emergency Rescue Group Committee Demands "Withdraw the 119 Rescue and Ambulance Act Amendment"

"Nurse Level 1 Rescuer Duties Undermine National Qualification and Licensing System"

The Korean Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, the Korean Society of Emergency Medical Technicians, and the Emergency Medical Technician Organizations Emergency Response Committee, composed of nationwide emergency medical technician departments, held a rally on the 30th in front of the Fire Agency in Sejong City, urging the withdrawal of the amendment to the Act on 119 Rescue and Emergency Medical Services.

The committee pointed out, "Expanding the scope to allow nurses to perform the duties of Level 1 Emergency Medical Technicians without specialized education and scientific verification procedures at the pre-hospital stage, solely because they are 119 paramedics under the Act on 119 Rescue and Emergency Medical Services, undermines the national qualification and licensing system and infringes upon the duties of the relatively weaker Level 1 Emergency Medical Technicians."

They added, "The duties of emergency medical technicians are revised every five years based on scientific evidence and the necessity of the actions according to the Emergency Medical Services Act, following sufficient discussions. If nurse paramedics' duties are changed to be the same as those of Level 1 Emergency Medical Technicians through the amended duties, it could cause another problem."

Furthermore, they emphasized, "The law clearly distinguishes the duties of emergency medical technicians and nurses. Nurses do not have formal education programs or verification procedures such as national examinations suitable for the characteristics of the pre-hospital stage."

The committee stated, "The 119 Emergency Medical Services Division of the Fire Agency has socially raised the issue of the existence of the emergency medical technician profession, denied emergency medical technicians, and even shattered the dreams and hopes of university or related department students. If specialized personnel who have received specialized education and verification at the pre-hospital stage are not utilized, the damage will ultimately fall on the public."