A History of the Emergency Medical Service (SAMU)…

1975: The Head of the department of Anaesthesia Reanimation and the Head of the Principal Help Center of Nice asked to the Health Service of the Armies to dispach two voluntary doctors for an emergancy road assistance mission.

1976: A convention between the city of Nice and the Regional Academic Hospital of Nice make official and confirm this experience by creating the first mobile service of emergency help and rescusitation (SMUR). It is based at the fireman’s barracks of Nice and the doctors are from the Regional academic hospital of Nice.

On January 4, 1983, opening of the SAMU 06 in the buildings of the Saint-Roch hospital.

1990: The representatives of the liberal medecine federate in an association (ASSUM 06) and the regional academic hospital of Nice signed a convention which lay down the methods of participation of the liberal doctors at the regulation of future Center 15.

1993: the interior rules are established between the Processing center of the Alarm (CTA) of the firemen (Nice) and the SAMU 06, and make official the current transfer procedures which had been in effect for a few years from the call “18” towards the CRRA 15 of the SAMU in accordance with the 18h of december 1992’s circular (about the daily management of the help).

1994: The SAMU moved into an entirely new and larger facility at the St Roch’s hospital.

1995: The operator/dispatch center and regulation of calls (CRRA 15) of the Alpes Maritimes is officially in order inside its new offices and the call number “15” becomes the departemental unique call number for the medical emergency cares in all Alpes Maritimes departement.

1998: a convention about the daily management of assistance is signed between the Departemental service of fire and assistance, the regional academic hospital of Nice and the Alpes Maritimes’s prefect.

March first, 2006, arrived of the regional helicopter based at the SAMU 06.

SAMU 06’s MISSIONS

The emergency medical service of the Alpes Maritimes (SAMU) is one of 105 SAMU in France, its proficiency stretches throughout the entire Alpes Maritimes department.

It’s a hospital public service whose mission is to answer urgent medical aid requests 24/7: the public can reach it by dialing 15 toll free.
It’s a high performing system. It contributes to the optimization of health ressources and favours the equal access to emergency care for the population.
SAMU’s missions are defined by the 6th of januvary 1986’s law (16 december 1987’s decree) about the Medical emergency help and sanitary transport.
The most important missions of the SAMU are the following:

SAMU’s missions are defined by the 6th of januvary 1986’s law (16 december 1987’s decree) about the Medical emergency help and sanitary transport.
The most important missions of the SAMU are the following:

• Insure 24/7 a permanent medical hotline for the medical emergencies;
• Determine and dispatch in the shortest delay the most adequate response to the nature and gravity of the call ( from the simple question to the dispatching of intensive care staff);
• Check for public or private hospitalization availability best suited to the patient’s needs while respecting the free choice of the patient, his family and physician;
• Organize at least the transport to the hospital by the most adequate means using the public service (SMUR, firemen) or private (private ambulance companies);
• Organize the hospital reception by the hospital staff;
• Coordinate interventions of the emergency medical services and intensive care (SMUR) by terrestrial and air way (Medical Helicopter).

The SAMU 06 also takes part in:

• The developpping and making rescue plans on the field, especially during important protests, and accidents implying a great number of victims;
• The teaching of emergency medecine, and training gesture and technics to the health staff (as well near the doctors as of the Permanenciers of Assistance to the Medical Regulation (PARM), drivers ambulance men, national education…)
• Humanitarian actions of the SAMU MONDIAL initiated notably by the foreign affairs departement which brings in case of disaster, a specialized medical help in foreign countries;
• Emergency medecine research programs (Acute coronarian syndrom, asthma, sober injuries, heart attack…);
• The performance of the medical intervention team of the National police intervention team of Nice (GIPN);
• The training of the non medical staff authorized to use a Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)…

SAMU 06 Flowchart

The SAMU 06 is a part of the Emergency departement (Pôle Urgences) of the local Academic hospital of Nice (CHRUN) in which it constitutes a functional unite.

Professor Jacques LEVRAUT, University professor, Anaesthesiologist, is the chief of the service. He delegates the direction of the SAMU 06 to Doctor François VALLI who is the Medical Director.

The permanent medical staff is made up of full-time emergency medical physicians. There is also another part-time emergency medical physicians as well as other full-time Attached Experts and part time Attached Experts.
This medical manpower allows to ensure a permanence of care for 5 tables of guard 24H/24, 365 days a year and to ensure the day the other missions of the SAMU (teaching, preparation of the large gatherings…).

The CRRA enumerates, besides those practitioners, physicians for private regulation and Permanenciers of Assistance to the Medical Regulation (PARM).

The SMUR enumerates also anaesthetist nurses (IADE), practical nurses (AS) and ambulance drivers having tenure of the ambulance drivers certificate (CCA) recognizing their capacity as ambulance drivers.

The entire secretariat is maintained by 2 secretaries.

Logistics is maintained by 2 logisticians.