Boston EMS Incidents

Boston EMS Incidents Boston EMS Incidents is dedicated to the hard working men and women of Boston EMS. Our members are represented by the BPPA-EMS Division.

Boston EMS Incidents is an unofficial page and in no way reflects the views or opinions of Boston EMS, Boston Public Health Commission or the City of Boston Boston EMS Incidents is an unofficial page and in no way reflects the views or opinions of Boston EMS, Boston Public Health Commission or the City of Boston. The purpose of BEMS Incidents is to highlight the service and dedication of Boston EMT's and Paramedic's to the citizens and visitors of Boston. This page is operated by off duty Union Officials and only uses information from publicly available sources. Any media inquiries, questions or comments can be directed to ems@bppa.org

Primary Response Areas(Below is Minimum Compliment during peak hours.
* Denotes Night Minimum Compliment):

*A1 - Downtown Boston
*A2 - Roxbury
*A3 - Mattapan
*A4 - South End
*A5 - West Roxbury
*A6 - South Boston
*A7 - East Boston
A8 - Zone Impact Downtown Boston
A9 - Allston
A10 - Zone Impact Dorchester
*A11 - Dorchester
A12 - Zone Impact Dorchester
*A13 - Jamaica Plain
*A14 - Brighton
*A15 - Charlestown
A16 - Zone Impact Back Bay
A17 - Roslindale
*A18 - Hyde Park
A19 - Mattapan Square
A20 - Zone Impact Roxbury Crossing
A27 - East Boston

*P1 - Boston/Charlestown/East Boston/South Boston/South End
*P2 - Roxbury/Dorchester/South End/Jamaica Pain
P3 - Mattapan/Dorchester/Hyde Park/Roxbury
*P5 - West Roxbury/Roslindale/Hyde Park/Jamaica Plain
P16 - Back Bay/Brighton/Allston/South End/Roxbury

As requested we compiled a list of common terms. Common Terms:

Push: Police and fire may request a "push" if the patient is deemed to be critical or EMS is needed quickly.
80Z: an old police term used for a non viable patient. This term has been replaced with "Non viable." however, 80z is sometimes still used. Ring down: Used by crews who do not have time to notify the hospital of the patients condition via CMED. The EMT assigned to dispatch will notify the hospital for the crew via phone. CMED: Central Emergency Medical Direction: the network ambulances use to provide hospital entry notes or obtain medical direction. EDP: Emotionally disturbed person- person experiencing a mental health emergency. REQE: EMS type code for another agency requesting an EMS response. Trauma X: Sexual assault. L20: A crew can request this when they anticipate a delay on-scene/at a hospital. H&H: Health and Hospitals, the former name of Boston EMS
BCH: "Boston City Hospital" now known at BMC/Menino. HOC / OCC: Highway Operation or the old Operations Control Center for the tunnel system and now I-93 and I-90 in the city, Ability to direct responding unit and provide updates directly via Boston EMS radio to the responding units using video cameras and State Police and DOT personnel
UCC: Unified command center. During large scale events/weather emergencies, this command center is staffed by representatives from most city agencies

Common call signs:
C #'s: All supervisors are issued a C number, C1 being the Chief of department. C1: Chief of department
C2: Superintendent in Chief
C3-C5: Superintendents (Senior command staff)
C7-C19: Deputy Superintendents (shift Commanders) 1 DS per shift. Their call sign is their assigned C #. C20-C29: Captains. 1 Administrative on days/evenings. C30-89: Lieutenants. 2 Lieutenants per shift (Their call sign is either Division 1 or Division 2.) Communications also has 1-2 Lieutenants assigned per shift. EMT # # #: EMTs individual numbers
Medic # # #: Paramedics individual numbers
Academy 101: Personnel assigned to Training and Quality Improvement Section
Tango 1-5: EMT's assigned to the Special operations division. Tango 10: Medical Ambulance Bus capable of transporting multiple patients or being set up a field treatment center. A in front of a number: IE: A15- A BLS ambulance with two EMT's
P in front of a number: IE P1- An ALS unit with two Paramedics
X-ray units: Bicycle units
HU2: Harbor unit 2. During the summer months EMT's are assigned to the Boston Police harbor unit. Jake team: 6 wheeled gators capable of transporting patients to medical tents. A40: bariatric ambulance
A50/51: Detail ambulances
Squad 70-79: Detail SUV
S61-68: Materials unit/Mobile supply
S70's: Fleet maintenance- mechanics
MD1, MD2, MD3: Medical director and associate medical directors. Common Call Types
CARST: Cardiac Arrest - a person who is not breathing and has no pulse
CARDIS: Cardiac Disorder - a person who is experiencing chest pain
UNCON: Unconscious - a person who is unconscious or unresponsive
Injury-1: Major injury - a patient who has suffered a life-threatening injury, typically falls from height, struck by a train, exsanguinating hemorrhage etc. Ped Struck: Pedestrian Struck - a person who has been struck by a vehicle or a motorcyclist thrown from their motorcycle
PSHOT: Person shot
STAB: Person stabbed

Tonight the Boston Bruins honored two of our EMTs, Ryan and Olivia for their hard work and clinical expertise. Ryan and ...
03/04/2026

Tonight the Boston Bruins honored two of our EMTs, Ryan and Olivia for their hard work and clinical expertise.

Ryan and Olivia responded to a young patient who collapsed on the sidewalk in cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, they immediately assessed the situation, took command of a chaotic scene, and initiated life saving measures. The patient was found to be in ventricular fibrillation, and both EMT's acted swiftly to apply the AED, deliver 2 shocks prior to arrival of paramedics, and obtain return of pulses.

Their ability to remain organized, maintain control under pressure, and flawlessly execute their training exemplifies the highest standard of Boston EMS.

We’re incredibly thankful to the Boston Bruins and the Bruins Foundation for honoring our members for their hard work.

03/01/2026

Roxbury: A2/P2 on scene Mount Pleasant Ave with a working cardiac arrest.

02/25/2026

At 1257 there is zero ALS availability citywide.

As this winter storm continues to dump snow on the city our members are out responding to calls for service. Give plenty...
02/23/2026

As this winter storm continues to dump snow on the city our members are out responding to calls for service.

Give plenty of space as emergency vehicles pass by, stay indoors if you can, and when contacting 911 try to make sure your house numbers are visible so our EMTs and medics can get to you. Consider sending a family member or neighbor to shovel a path to help expedite extrication.

Wish an intense snowstorm headed to Boston our EMTs and Medics will be working extra hard. In the coming days - follow a...
02/23/2026

Wish an intense snowstorm headed to Boston our EMTs and Medics will be working extra hard. In the coming days - follow advice of public safety officials - stay off the roads, stay home, and stay safe.

02/18/2026

Hyde Park: A18/P3 en route to Garfield Ave for a reported cardiac arrest.

02/14/2026

Dorchester: A90/P40/AD101 (Academy 101) en route to Magnolia St for an OBGYN-1.

Did you know that members of the Freedom House Ambulance Service were the first paramedics in the nation? These men were...
02/12/2026

Did you know that members of the Freedom House Ambulance Service were the first paramedics in the nation? These men were trained to provide advanced medical care to Pittsburgh’s underserved African American communities by “bringing the hospital to the streets” and setting a model for current EMS systems nationwide. The group of providers were trained by Dr. Saffer and Dr. Nancy Caroline in life-saving procedures such as CPR, cardiac defibrillation, EKG interpretation, and medication administration.

As we honor we encourage you to learn more about their legacy and impact on EMS by checking out the book American Sirens or by giving “Freedom House Ambulance” a search online.

02/07/2026

Roxbury: A4/P2/Division 3 on scene Cass Blvd with a pedestrian struck. Division 3 updating priority patient - continue ALS.

Strong work to our mutual aide partners at Beauport Ambulance Service, Inc.
02/06/2026

Strong work to our mutual aide partners at Beauport Ambulance Service, Inc.

We would like to share a kudos sent into us regarding a recent mutual aid call in Boston involving our EMTs Maddison Wilson and Zach Curtain:

A18 was dispatched by Boston EMS to an assisted living facility for a well-being check and arrived to find the patient in cardiac arrest. The crew immediately began high-quality CPR and requested ALS.

When Boston ALS arrived, they were so impressed by the crew’s rapid response, patient care, and clear report that they invited the Beauport team to remain on scene and work the code alongside them — a rare vote of confidence.

During the call, Zach was able to assist with airway management while receiving real-world mentorship from Boston EMS medics. Both medics later reached out to share their appreciation for the professionalism, training, and teamwork demonstrated.

Just as a field termination was being considered, the patient achieved ROSC. Boston EMS leadership later shared that the crew’s quick, decisive actions gave the patient a chance at survival and reinforced the strength of the partnership with Beauport Ambulance Service.

Outstanding work, Zach and Maddison — a proud moment of professionalism, skill, and teamwork!

Last week six of our EMTs were promoted to the rank of paramedic. During their 15-week internship they received educatio...
02/01/2026

Last week six of our EMTs were promoted to the rank of paramedic. During their 15-week internship they received education from the training cadre including high fidelity simulation, performed hospital rotations at Tufts Medical Center, and cared for hundreds of patients under the watchful eyes of our field training officers.

From the Executive Board and all of us here at the BPPA we wish to congratulate them on their promotions!

01/31/2026

South Boston: A2/P40/Division 1/C26 en route to Msgr O'Callaghan Way for an Injury-1. (EMS-29)

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