EMS Information for the Public
This page provides general information about the services EMS provides and answers to the most frequently asked questions that come to the EMS office.
This page also has information about Do Not Resuscitate, patient privacy, preventing diseases, and more.
If you can't find the information you need below, please contact our office.
EMS rules and regulations
The EMS Board issues recommendations on EMS-related topics to the Department of Health Services (DHS). EMS board members are appointed by the Governor.
DHS issues guidance to update providers and interested parties of important information related to EMS processes and procedures.
The laws that govern Wisconsin EMS can be found in the Wisconsin Administrative Code and the Wisconsin Statutes.
Wis. Stat. § 256.08 directs DHS to prepare a state EMS plan to identify priorities for changes in the state's EMS system for the two years following preparation of the plan.
Wisconsin EMS Plan (PDF)
Guidelines, programs, and history
Anyone who has a problem with EMS has the right to file a complaint. The Wisconsin EMS Office receives and reviews all complaints about EMS personnel, services, and certified EMS Training Centers regarding EMS issues and violations of EMS rules.
Learn about your rights and about changes to law regarding your privacy.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
Learn about the history of EMS in Wisconsin and its logo.
View the State of Wisconsin Trauma Field Triage Guidelines in an easy-to-understand one-page fact sheet.
Wisconsin Ambulance Run Data System (WARDS) Elite is a secure web-based data reporting system. Ambulance service providers enter and submit their information electronically.
The Wisconsin Emergency Assistance Volunteer Registry (WEAVR), is a secure, password-protected, web-based volunteer registration system for health care and behavioral health professionals. Volunteers may be asked to fill critical response and recovery roles following a major public health emergency.
Do Not Resuscitate
A Do-Not-Resuscitate order directs emergency medical technicians, first responders and emergency health care facilities personnel not to attempt resuscitation of the person for whom the order is issued if that person has a heart attack or stops breathing.
- Do Not Resuscitate General Information
- F-44763 Do Not Resuscitate Form
- F-44764 Do Not Resuscitate Inserts
- Sticky J DNR Bracelet Medical Order From
- Sticky J Medical ID Website
- View the law that governs Do Not Resuscitate in Wisconsin (Wis. Stat. § 154.19)
Prevention and safety information
- Learn how Wisconsin EMS, the Wisconsin Hospital Emergency Preparedness Program, and Public Health Emergency Preparedness work together to protect Wisconsin citizens.
- Disease Reporting – Information about diseases and conditions private and public health providers are required to report in Wisconsin.
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) – MRSA is a staff infection spread by contact with an infected wound or items that have touched infected skin.
- Bloodborne Pathogens and Needle Stick Prevention – Learn about the standard set by Occupational Safety and Health Administration regarding how to prevent accidental needle sticks and what to do when it happens.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Learn about the personal protective equipment used by emergency medical professionals when working with contagious diseases or environmental hazards.
- Tuberculosis (TB) Information – Learn about TB testing and guidelines for EMS personnel.