Welcome to the Northwest Community EMS System
The Northwest Community System is composed of a Resource Hospital, five associate hospitals and twenty-four provider agencies covering the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Our EMS system has the distinction of being the first advanced life support sytem in the State of Illinois and the first multi-juristictional EMS system in the country. We encouter over 60,000 patients per year. Learn more about us...

System Memo #436 Issued
01/22/2025
On Wednesday January 1st 2025 a new law (SB2877/Public Act 103-0624 went into effect. The effect on EMS means both CANTS 4 and CANTS 5 are no longer required to be completed.
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Wauconda Fire Chief Patrick Kane Retirement
Wauconda Fire District Chief Patrick Kane will retire this January after leading the district since June 2022. During his tenure as the Fire Chief, he had a vision to raise the bar to improve the delivery by Wauconda Paramedics of emergency medical services to the residents of our community. Chief Kane, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, served the fire district honorably and with pride first with the Wauconda Fire Department, Inc. as a part-time firefighter in 1995. He was hired as a career member of the department as a Firefighter Paramedic in 1999. After the department merged into the fire district, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2009, Battalion Chief in 2016, Deputy Chief in 2019 and will conclude his career as Fire Chief later this month.
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System Memo #435 - Updated Masking Guidelines
12/27/2024
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is recommending healthcare systems implement precautions to mitigate disease transmission. With the most recent increase occurences related to Novel H5N1 "bird flu" strain of influenza. Specifically, Endeavor Health System and Advocate Lutheran General have announced changes to their masking criteria.
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System Memo #434 Preceptor Courses 2025
12/06/2024
System Memo #434 has been released. This memo provides information for upcoming Preceptor courses that will be offered prior to the current paramedic class field internship phase
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