EMS for Children

EMSC works to reduce child and youth disability and death due to severe illness or injury.  Its goals are to ensure that state-of-the-art emergency medical care is available for all ill or injured children and adolescents; that pediatric services are well integrated into a comprehensive EMS system; and that the entire spectrum of emergency services, including primary prevention of illness and injury, acute care, and rehabilitation, are provided to children and adolescents in Virginia.

Children are NOT “little adults”, and require specific skills related to assessment and emergency care, as well as specialized and specific types and sizes of emergency care equipment and supplies.  In fiscal year 2025, Virginia EMS responded to and/or transported just under 60,000 pediatric patients (15 years and younger). 80% of hospitals emergency departments see less than 10 pediatric patients a day and 80% of EMS agencies see less than 8 pediatric patients a month. Generally, these providers are very uncomfortable caring for this small subset of patients, and often feel under-prepared when these children are encountered.