Emergency Medical Service (EMS, Rettungsdienst or more frequently just Rettung) in Austria is a service of public pre-hospital emergency healthcare, including ambulance service, provided by individual Austrian municipalities, cities and counties. It is primarily financed by the Austrian health insurance companies. Organisation In Austria the individual Austrian states (Bundesländer) are legally responsible for the provision of emergency services, but typically delegate these responsibilities to the individual community level. Municipalities, including both smaller communities (Gemeinden) and cities (Städte) are given responsibility by the State for operating EMS. Austrian law mandates the provision of rescue and fire services, including EMS, staffing and equipping according to levels which correspond to local population. Apart from Vienna, which operates its own EMS organisation (Berufsrettung Wien, also called Magistratsabteilung 70), all communities and cities delegate the responsibility to provide EMS to NPOs. Unlike other countries EMS in Austria is never provided by the fire department, the city of Admont being the only exception to this rule. Apart from the Austrian Red Cross some other organisations provide EMS such as the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreichs (Labor-Samaritan-Alliance), the Malteser Hospitaldienst Austria (the Austrian organisation of the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps), the Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe (the Austrian organisation of the St. John Ambulance) or the Grünes Kreuz (Green Cross). Roles As in many other places, in Austria, the EMS system performs two major functions: Emergency Services - Responding to all calls concerning immediate danger to the life and/or health of a person. This is the core component of the service, which is called Notfallrettung or Rettungsdienst in German. This service addresses acute onset illness and injury conditions, such as myocardial infarction, or accidents with severe injuries, to name just two. In severe cases the EMS-Crew is accompanied by an emergency physician (Notarzt). While these physicians are employees of the individual Austrian states and not the EMS organisation itself, they work together closely, sharing equipment, vehicles and uniforms. Non-Emergency Services - Arranging and performing the transport of non-emergency patients (i.e. transfer to, from, and between hospitals). This service is called Krankentransport or Sanitätseinsatz in German, and provides service to non-ambulatory patients with low-acuity or chronic conditions, or to those who are recovering from acute care situations, and who lack the ability to use other means of transport (i.e. by taxi, own car or public transport). In addition to regular emergency and non-emergency services, there are Mobile Intensive Care Units MICU stationed in most