Our History
Emergency Medical Services in the City of New Orleans has a long history, one which continues to impress today. Some of the earliest documented efforts at EMS began in the early 1900’s with hospital-based horse-drawn ambulances. The service was run by Charity Hospital and was headquartered on Tulane Avenue at the downtown-lakeside corner of South Villere Street. Charity, along with Cincinnati General and Grady Hospital in Atlanta were among the first hospitals to run emergency medical services in the country. In 1907 the Ambulance Service answered 1,929 calls with an average response time of twenty-eight minutes.
Charity Ambulance of 1911
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Charity Hospital Ambulance fleet and crews of 1940
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Charity hospital was not the only public ambulance service in the city; the New Orleans Fire Department also operated an ambulance section.
Fire Department Emergency Units in 1961
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Fire Department Emergency Unit #1, 1963
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Emergency Medical Service Division of NOPD
The Emergency Medical Service Division came into being with NOPD in 1947. The rescue unit of the era was known as the "Crash Truck" because its primary duty was to extricate trapped automobile crash victims and provide first aid. Many New Orleanians of that generation still refer to the ambulances and rescue units of EMS as the “crash truck.” The Crash Truck was not solely responsible for extrications from automobile accidents and providing first aid. It served in a spectrum of areas; taking on the duties of bomb disposal, diving, underwater rescue, operating the department's only patrol boat, rolling on SWAT calls, and psychiatric emergencies. Only twelve police officers were assigned to the Crash Truck during this period.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training became available in the early 1960's, and the size of New Orleans EMS grew along with the population. After advanced level paramedic training became available in this area in the mid 1970's, the first two New Orleans Police Department paramedics graduated from Tulane Medical School in 1979. It was this year that the city administration made the decision to change the nature of employees in the division and replace police officers with civilian EMT's, as employees moved on through attrition. Purview of all other non-medical function NOPD was turned over to the Special Operations Division.
New Orleans Health Department (NOHD) EMS
On July 1st, 1985, NOPD EMS was transferred under the New Orleans Health Department and was known as NOHD EMS.
Today, NOEMS still resides within New Orleans Health Department and referred to simply as New Orleans EMS (NOEMS).
