Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from Donnie Woodyard Jr.’s book, “EMS in the United States: Fragmented Past, Future of Opportunity.” The following chapter is used with permission by the author.
A GUIDING STAR (OF LIFE)
“The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance, and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.”
– Oprah Winfrey
THE STAR OF LIFE IS A POWERFUL VISUAL REMINDER OF THE CRITICAL role that EMS practitioners play in saving lives and promoting public health. By serving as a unifying symbol for EMS professionals since the late 1960s, the Star of Life highlights the essential nature of the work and the significant impact EMS practitioners have on the well-being of individuals and communities they serve. The symbol has six blue, interlocking bars with a white “serpent” coiled around a staff in the center, symbolizing the rod of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. The six points of the star correspond to the six essential components of the EMS system: detection, reporting, response, on-scene care, care in transit, and transfer to definitive care. Each point of the star represents a specific function in the EMS system, underscoring the importance of a coordinated approach to emergency medical care. The Star of Life is prominently displayed on almost every ambulance in the United States, incorporated into EMS patches and uniforms, and often seen on road signs to indicate the presence of emergency medical care nearby.
Untangling The History
The Star of Life has a rich, yet often misrepresented history. The original Star of Life was designed by the American Medical Association (AMA) in the early 1960s as the “Universal Medical Identification Symbol.1 (also known as the “Universal Emergency Medical Identification Symbol. The original intent was for this symbol to be freely available and printed on cards carried by persons with any medical conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy. This universal symbol would be easily recognized by the public and medical professionals during an emergency. The AMA did not trademark or copyright the symbol, but freely provided it to manufacturers and the public for use. The AMA widely promoted the use of this “Universal Medical Identification Symbol” in its journal (as seen in the image on the previous page) and in governmental publications.2
In 1964, the World Medical Association’s Assembly in Helsinki, Finland, adopted the “Universal Emergency Medical Identification Symbol” for worldwide use, sponsored by the AMA. Shortly after, in March (1966), the “Universal Emergency Medical Identification Symbol” was being referenced as the “Star of Life” by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and others.3 In 1969, under the chairmanship of Irvin E. Henderson, MD, the AMA Commission on Emergency Medical Services encouraged the Department of Transportation to display the symbol on road signs to denote hospital Emergency Rooms. The next year, the AMA House of Delegates officially adopted the “Star of Life” design, which was the Universal Medical Identification Symbol without the surrounding hexagon.4
Simultaneously, President Lyndon Johnson’s Committee on Highway Traffic Safety formed a Task Force tasked with establishing a national EMS certification agency.5 The AMA led this Task Force, with many individuals who contributed to the creation and publication of the Universal Medical Identification symbol also appointed to the Task Force. The first meeting of this Task Force was on January 21, 1970.
The Task Force moved quickly, and on June 4, 1970, the first meeting of the Board of Directors of the Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (later renamed as the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians) was convened. Roddy A. Brandes, of the Ambulance Association of America, was elected the Board’s first Chairman. However, this new national certification body for emergency medical services needed a logo, a unique symbol to unify the newest medical profession: a nationally standardized Emergency Medical Technician. Due to the close affiliation with the American Medical Association, the AMA transferred the Universal Medical Identification Symbol – a symbol already linked to emergency care – to the Registry of EMTs as a symbol to designate nationally certified EMS personnel. The symbol was incorporated into the Registry of EMTs branding and patches. In 1971, at 51 testing locations across the United States, 1,520 ambulance personnel took the first standardized national EMS certification examination. The successful candidates were presented with a patch that not only signified their newly demonstrated competence in Emergency Medical Services, but also indicated these personnel had a direct connection to the broader medical profession, the American Medical Association, and had met a unified national standard.
On April 12, 1973, the Registry of EMTs trademarked the Registered Emergency Medical Technician symbol that clearly incorporated the Star of Life. Honoring the work of the visionary physicians of the American Medical Association – that fought for a new medical profession and gifted the profession a unique symbol – the Star of Life has been incorporated into every National EMS Certification card and patch earned for over fifty years.
A Geneva Convention Violation?
It’s 1972 and ambulance services are being established at a record pace in communities across the nation. Thousands of personnel are being trained as EMTs, and the nation is being entertained and educated by the new hit show, “Emergency!” However, there’s a growing two-fold problem that is rapidly getting out of control: NHTSA’s first attempt at a standardized symbol for the emerging profession was an Omaha Cross, which was an orange Greek Cross on a white background, and secondly many community ambulance services were using the actual Red Cross logo on ambulances.
First, NHTSA encountered serious issues with the Omaha Cross (the orange Greek Cross). In a 1974 highway safety manual, NHTSA acknowledged the error noting that,
“a cross of reflectorized Omaha orange on a square background of reflectorized white might violate a Congressional grant to the Red Cross of ‘the right to have and to use … as an emblem and badge, a Greek Red Cross on a white background, as the same has been treated in the treaties of Geneva’…the orange cross specified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) clearly is a ‘colorable imitation’ of the Geneva Red Cross.”7
Secondly, as previously noted, many of the local ambulance service volunteers were veterans of the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or World War II. From the perspective and experience of these personnel, combined with the public’s experience in the media, Red Cross logos were synonymous with ambulances. Recognizing this emerging concern that further use of the Omaha Cross or the Red Cross is restricted by both the U.S. Congress and the Geneva Convention, Dr. Dawson Mills, the Chief of the EMS Branch for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, had to find an alternative symbol for ambulances quickly.
Dr. Mills was very involved with the taskforce that formed the Registry of EMTs, so he raised this urgent concern to the organization’s multidisciplinary board. Recognizing the Universal Medical Identification Symbol was quickly gaining recognition and acceptance, he requested permission to extend the use of the Star of Life symbol as the “national identifier for Emergency Medical Services” that would be used on all ambulances. (Subsequently, the federal ambulance standard was later known as a “Star of Life Ambulance”.) The Registry’s board agreed and approved this request, and Dr. J.D. Farrington, as Chair of Board, memorialized this in a memo to Dr. Mills.
While the Registry of EMTs would continue to use the symbol, the Department of Transportation expanded the use of the blue ‘Star of Life’ and mandated it’s use on all ambulances purchased with federal funds. On September 26, 1972, the Office of the Secretary of Transportation issued a Memorandum adopting and recognizing the “Star of Life”. By 1975, Leo R. Schwartz, the new Chief of the EMS Branch at NHTSA, modified the Star of Life by adding the six main tasks associated with EMS.
In 1974, the Department of Transportation noted8,
“It has been concluded by NHTSA that it is proper not to further interfere with the organizational identification provided by the Greek Red Cross. Rather, it is considered preferable to adopt a separate symbol which clearly and distinctively identifies the emergency care vehicle or ambulance within the total spectrum of the Emergency Medical Care system. The “Star of Life” has already been identified by the medical profession as a medical emergency symbol and its highway related use encouraged by the American Medical Association.”
On February 1, 1977, the “Star of Life” was issued Registration Number 1058022 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the name of the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety and Administration.
The Star of Life holds immense significance within the EMS profession, serving as a powerful reminder of both its unity and the potential for history to fade into oblivion. It emerged as a unifying symbol, aiming to bring together a fragmented profession and instill public confidence by signifying that every ambulance, EMT, or Paramedic adorned with the Star of Life had successfully met the unified national standard. However, in a mere span of 50 years, the EMS profession forgot its roots and several iterations of fragmentation occurred. As EMS again undergoes a process of reunification, the Star of Life will hopefully symbolize integration and a renewed linkage with the healthcare system.
About the Author
Donnie Woodyard Jr., MAML, NRP, has an extensive three-decade-long career in the field of Emergency Medical Services. His journey started in high school when he volunteered as an EMT in Pearisburg, Virginia. This initial experience sparked his interest in EMS, leading him to become a Paramedic at the age of 19 upon graduating from Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. Pursuing higher education, Donnie acquired another undergraduate degree from Indiana University and a Master’s Degree in Management and Leadership from Liberty University. He is currently working on his Doctorate degree in Public Administration.
In 1999, Donnie achieved certification as a Critical Care Paramedic through a combined program by the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Loyola University. This achievement was attained during his pre-med studies at Cedarville University. He also holds an IBSC Board Certification as a Wilderness Paramedic. Over his lengthy career, Donnie has taken on multiple EMS leadership roles, serving as an EMS Chief in volunteer and salaried positions, an EMS instructor, and the Paramedic Program Director for a Community College and a hospital-based Paramedic program.
Previously, Donnie served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of State EMS Officials and was an ex-officio member of the Colorado Emergency Medical Practice Advisory Council. He also served in critical state leadership roles, including the State EMS Director for Louisiana and Chief of the Emergency Medical & Trauma Services Branch for the State of Colorado. As the Chief Operating Officer for the National Registry of EMTs, Donnie initiated several technological advancements including the National EMS ID Number, the NREMT mobile app, and the National EMS Coordinated Database.
Donnie’s contributions have been integral to implementing the EMS Compact as Colorado’s Commissioner. He was elected to serve as the Chair of the Executive Committee for the Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice after serving as Vice Chair. In 2023, he was appointed as the full-time Executive Director for the EMS Compact.
Donnie’s influence extends beyond national boundaries. He is recognized for establishing the modern EMS System in Sri Lanka and advising on EMS and trauma system designs in several South Asian countries. He has authored, edited, or consulted on EMS textbooks published in Sinhala, Tamil, Khmer, and Bengali languages.
Beyond his work in EMS, Donnie is a skilled Scuba Dive Master, with over 800 dives to his credit. He is also an airplane pilot and currently serves as a Squadron Commander with the United States Air Force Auxiliary – Civil Air Patrol. His commitment to public service is further exemplified by his humanitarian work, having participated in disaster, war, and medical response aid missions in many countries including Haiti, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh.
Endnotes: References & Citations
1. American Medical Association. (1963). Universal Medical Identification Symbol. Journal of the American Medical Association, 186(1), 56.
2. Universal Medical Identification Symbol. Am J Dis Child. 1964;107(5):439. doi:10.1001/archpedi.1964.02080060441001
3. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. (1966). United States: Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice.
4. Wiegenstein, J. G. (1972). AMA star of life needs to be recognized. Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians, 1(3), 15-17.
5. Becker, L. R. (1991). An EMS history primer: A synopsis of ambulance and rescue service history in the United States. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Lifeline.
6. United States Patent and Trademark Office, serial number 72454410 and registration number 1020230.
7. United States Department of Transportation. (1974). Highway Safety Program Manual Number II (p. IV-61).
8. Emergency Medical Services. (1974). United States: The Administration.
