Former Career Fire and EMS Lieutenant-Specialist, Writer, and Master Photographer, living in Vermont.
EMD Codes
If you work in EMS long enough, you start to see EMD codes the way the rest of the world sees weather patterns—those little signals that hint at what kind of storm you're walking into. I've spent decades reading those numbers, trusting them, doubting them, and occasionally cursing at them from the front seat of an ambulance. So I put together this list to make things a little easier for the next medic, firefighter, or curious soul trying to understand what those codes actually mean. It's straightforward, it's accurate, and it's written by someone who lived it—because if there's one thing this job taught me, it's that clarity saves time, and sometimes, it even saves lives.
Abdominal Pains/Problems
A-1 – Abdominal pain
C-1 – Males (older than 34)
C-2 – Females (older than 45)
C-3 – Not alert
C-4 – Females with fainting (ages 12 – 50)
Allergies/Hives/Red Reaction/Stings
A-1 – No difficulty breathing or swallowing
B-1 – Unknown symptoms (3rd party situation)
C-1 – Difficulty breathing or swallowing
D-1 – Severe respiration distress
D-2 – Not alert
D-3 – Condition worsening
E-1 – Ineffective Breathing
Animal Bites/Attacks
A-1 – Superficial or minor bites
A-2 – Spider or insect bites
B-1 – Peripheral bites with serious bleeding
B-2 – Unknown injuries (3rd party situation)
D-1 – Severe central bites
D-2 – Large carnivores
D-3 – Zoo animal
D-4 – Exotic animal
D-5 – Any snake
D-6 – Attacks or multiple animals
Chest pain
A-1 – Normal breathing (age < 35)
C-1 – Normal breathing (age > 35)
C-2 – Abnormal breathing
C-3 – Cocaine or Drug Use
C-4 – Cardiac History
D-1 – Severe respiratory distress
D-2 – Not Alert
D-3 – Sweaty or changing color
Choking
A-1 – No longer choking (can talk or cry, or is alert and breathing normally)
D-1 – Choking
D-2 – Abnormal breathing
D-3 – Not alert
E-1 – Choking Verified/Ineffective Breathing
Convulsions/Seizures
A-1 – Breathing now physically verified by caller
B-1 – Age < 35 (breathing not verified)
C-1 – Pregnancy
C-2 – Trauma
C-3 – Diabetic
C-4 – Cardiac History
D-1 – Continuous or multiple seizures
D-2 – Age > 35 (breathing not verified)
D-3 – Not breathing (verified)13. Diabetic Problems
A-1 – Conscious and alert
Diabetic Problems
A-1 – Conscious and alert
C-1 – Conscious but not alert
C-2 – Conscious with abnormal breathing
D-1 – Unconscious
Drowning (near) / Diving Accident
A-1 – Alert and breathing normally (no injuries and out of water)
B-1 – Alert and breathing normally (injuries and/or in water)
B-2 – Unknown status (3rd party situation)
C-1 – Alert with abnormal breathing
D-1 – Unconscious
D-2 – Not breathing or still underwater
D-3 – Not alert and/or abnormal breathing
D-4 – Suspected neck injury
D-5 – Diving or SCUBA Diving accident
Electrocution
C-1 – Alert and breathing normally
D-1 – Unconscious
D-2 – Not disconnected from power source
D-3 – Power not off/hazard present
D-4 – Not alert
D-5 – Abnormal breathing
D-6 – Long fall (> 6 ft./2m.)
D-7 – Unknown status (3rd party situation)
E-1 – Not Breathing/Ineffective Breathing
Eye problems / Eye injuries
A-1 – Moderate eye injury
A-2 – Minor eye injury
B-1 – Severe eye injuries
D-1 – Not alert
Falls / Back injuries (traumatic)
A-1 – Not dangerous injuries
A-2 – Non-recent injuries (> 6 hrs.)
B-1 – Possible dangerous injuriesB-2 – Serious hemorrhage
B-3 – Unknown injuries (3rd party situation)
D-1 – Dangerous injuries
D-2 – Long fall (> 6 ft./2 m.)
D-3 – Not alert
D-4 – Abnormal breathing
Headache
A-1 – Headache only (without prior symptoms)
C-1 – Not alert
C-2 – Numbness or paralysis
C-3 – Speech or movement problems
C-4 – Sudden onset of severe pain
C-5 – Recent head injuries (< 24 hrs.)
Psychiatric emergency/suicide attempt
A-1 – Non-violent and non-suicidal (alert)
B-1 – Unknown symptoms (3rd party situation)
C-1 – Not alert
C-2 – Violent Behavior
C-3 – Suicidal (threatening)
D-1 – Hanging, strangulation, or suffocation
Sick person (specific diagnosis)
A-1 – No priority symptoms
A-2 – Non-priority complaints
B-1 – Unknown symptoms (3rd party situation)
C-1 – Not alert
C-2 – Cardiac history
2 Boils | 3 Bumps | 4 Can't Sleep | 5 Can't Urinate (Without Abdominal Pain) | 6 Urinary Catheter (in/out without hemorrhaging) | 7 Constipation | 8 Cramps/Spasms (In Extremities) | 9 Cut Off Ring Request | 10 Deafness | 11 Defecation | 12 Earache | 13 Enema | 14 Gout | 15 Hemorrhoids/piles | 16 Hepatitis | 17 Hiccups | 18 Hungry | 19 Nervous | 20 Object Stuck In (Nose,Ear,Vagina,Rectum,Penis,Eye) | 21 Object Swallowed (No Difficulty Breathing or Swallowing) | 22 Penis Problem/pain | 23 Rash/Skin Disorder (No difficulty breathing or swallowing) | 24 Shore Throat (No difficulty breathing or swallowing) | 25 Toothache | 26 Transportation Only | 27 Venereal Disease (STD) | 28 Wound Infection (Focal or Surface)
Knife / Gunshot wound
A-1 – Non-recent single peripheral wound (> 6 hrs)
B-1 – Known single peripheral wound
B-2 – Non-recent single central wound (> 6 hrs)
B-3 – Unknown situation (3rd party)
D-1 – Central wounds
D-2 – Multiple victims
D-3 – Not alert
D-4 – Multiple wounds
Stroke (CVA)
A-1 – Alert and breathing normally (numbness, speech or movement problems may be present)
B-1 – Unknown situation (3rd party situation)
C-1 – Not alert
C-2 – Abnormal breathing
Traffic accidents
A-1 – 1st party caller without dangerous injuries
B-1 – Injuries reported
B-2 – Unknown situation
D-1 – Multiple victims: A – Aircraft | B – Bus | C – Subway/Metro | D – Railroad | E –Watercraft
D-2 – Automobile-Pedestrian/Motorcycle/Bicycle: A – All-Terrain Vehicle | B – Motor Vehicle vs. Bicycle/Motorcycle | C – Motor Vehicle vs. Pedestrian | D – Ejection from Vehicle | E – Personal Watercraft | F – Vehicle Rollover | G – Vehicle over Bridge
D-3 – Hazardous Materials Involved
D-4 – Trapped Victim
D-5 – Ejected Victim
D-6 – Not alert
D-7 – Severe respiratory distress
Traumatic injuries, specific
A-1 – Not dangerous injuries
A-2 – Non-recent injuries (> 6 hrs)
B-1 – Possibly dangerous injuries
B-2 – Serious hemorrhage
D-1 – Dangerous injuries
D-2 – Severe respiratory distress D-3 – Not alert
Unconscious / fainting (non-traumatic)
A-1 – Single fainting episode and alert (age < 35)
A-2 – Near fainting episode and alert (age < 35)
C-1 – Single or near fainting episode and alert
C-2 – Multiple fainting episodes
C-3 – Females with abdominal pain (ages 12-50)
C-4 – Conscious with abnormal breathing
C-5 – Cardiac history
D-1 – Unconscious
D-2 – Severe respiratory distress
D-3 – Not alert
E-1 – Ineffective Breathing
Unknown Problem (Subject Down)
B-1 – Standing, sitting up, moving or talking
B-2 – Medical alert notifications
B-3 – Unknown situation (3rd party)
D-1 – Life status questionable
Inter-Facility Transfer/Palliative Care
Automatic Crash Notification (ACN)
HCP (Health-Care Practitioner) Referral
Flu-Like Symptoms
Inter-Facility Transfer specific to medically-trained callers
