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
