The Alternate EMS System Medical Director operates under the authority of whom?

• A. The EMS System Medical Director.
• B. The Resource Hospital.
• C. The Associate Hospital EMS Medical Director.
• D. The EMS System Coordinator.

Answer: (A)

In EMS governance, medical oversight rests with the EMS System Medical Director, who sets policy, guidelines, and overall medical direction for the entire system. The Alternate EMS System Medical Director is designated to carry out those duties when the System Medical Director is unavailable, acting as a deputy and operating under the System Medical Director’s authority. This arrangement keeps a single, clear line of medical authority and ensures continuity of medical decision-making across the system. Hospitals or hospital-based medical directors provide hospital-level oversight, not systemwide authority, and the EMS System Coordinator handles operational coordination rather than medical direction.