Anderson EMS First in S.C. Awarded “Pediatric Ready” Status

Observer Reports

In what state health officials are calling a "major milestone in pediatric emergency care," the Anderson County Emergency Medical Services system has been recognized as the first non-transport agency in South Carolina to achieve a "Pediatric Ready" designation. The recognition was awarded by the state's Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) program, a division of the South Carolina Department of Public Health.

The achievement highlights the role that non-transport EMS units play in the critical, pre-hospital phase of care. By meeting the new standards, the agency is now formally equipped to stabilize and support ill or injured children in emergency situations before an ambulance arrives for transport.

To earn the designation, Anderson County EMS demonstrated its commitment by adopting a number of pediatric-specific protocols. These standards include maintaining a full complement of equipment sized for children of all ages and completing additional specialized education and training in pediatric emergency care.

"We’re going to do what it takes to protect our children—they are our greatest resource and biggest responsibility as a community," said Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn.

Sable Land, the program coordinator for the South Carolina EMSC, commended the agency's initiative: "SC EMSC applauds the Anderson County EMS leadership and team for their devotion, as a pioneering agency in our state, to becoming the first non-transport Pediatric Ready EMS agency in the South Carolina!"

The local effort is part of a broader, statewide program aimed at elevating pediatric emergency care across South Carolina. The initiative seeks to ensure that all EMS agencies are prepared to meet the unique and specific medical needs of children, thereby working to guarantee that the state's youngest patients receive the highest quality of care possible.