The History and Meaning behind

the Internationally-Recognized

Medical Emergency Services Symbol

The Star of Life

A Global Symbol

The Star of Life is an

internationally-accepted

symbol for emergency medical

services (EMS). It is prominently displayed on rescue vehicles

and worn on personnel.

In the United States, it is used in

the official logo for the National Registry of Emergency

Medical Technicians (NREMT).

BEFORE THERE WAS THIS

THERE WAS THIS

For years, the “safety orange cross” was

unofficially used on ambulances to signify

them as emergency vehicles.

However, complaints from the American National Red Cross about the symbol too

closely resembling their own nudged the

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) to adopt the new

“Star of Life” – designed by the chief of the EMS branch, Leo R. Schwartz.

The new logo was adapted

from the American Medical Association’s Medical

Identification Symbol and

was trademarked by NHTSA

in 1977.

Since the expiration of the

trademark in 1997, the

symbol has been used in the

logo for the National Registry

of Emergency Medical

Technicians (NREMT).

Redesigned

The Six Points Each “point” represents a task to be executed by emergency personnel.

1. Detection

2. Reporting

3. Response

4. On Scene Care

5. Care In Transit

6. Transfer To Definitive Care

The Rod of Asclepius Widely used around the world as a symbol for

medical care, this snake emblem is known as

the Rod of Asclepius.

In ancient Greek religion, Asclepius was the god

of medicine and healing. This symbol is often

also referred to as an asklepian.

The Rod of Asclepius is often

confused with the caduceus,

which, from Greek mythology,

is the symbol for commerce,

not medicine.

Expertly Trained and Prepared

The official adoption of the Star of

Life as the symbol for emergency

medical services (EMS) greatly

eliminates confusion and miscommunication on a global

level.

A prominently worn symbol, such as

a cleanly-designed patch on a uniform, signifies authority, skill, and

preparedness.

In an emergency, recognizable

symbols worn by medical personnel is paramount to taking control of a

stressful situation.

Contact Us Delivering exceptional quality and

service, Artex Group is your

ultimate design and manufacturing

resource for custom patches.

Call 1-866-845-1042 or visit www.artexgroup.net to learn more

about Artex Group’s services.

All uses of blue Star of Life courtesy of (c) 2006 Philippe Verdy, France through Creative Commons license http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Star_of_life2.svg Slide 2: Ambulance 1 http://www.freeimages.com/photo/652557 Ambulance 2 http://www.freeimages.com/photo/822657 Ambulance 3 http://www.freeimages.com/photo/23643 Slide 7: Rod of Asclepius courtesy of CatherinMunro and Hazmat2 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rod_of_Asclepius2.svg Caduceus courtesy of Rama and Eliot Lash http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caduceus.svg

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Summary The Star of Life is the internationally-recognized symbol of emergency medical services (EMS). Learn the history

and meaning behind this global medical symbol.