The Star of Life

Mr. Leo R. Schwartz, EMS Branch Chief at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), designed the Star of Life (SOL). The star of life was created in 1973 as a common symbol to be used by US emergency medical services (EMS) and medical goods pertaining to EMS, after complaints from the American National Red Cross objecting to the use of the Red Cross symbol by ambulance services throughout America. However the use of the Red Cross symbol can still be seen on military vehicles, hospital tents and buildings to protect wounded civilian and military personnel as per the Geneva Convention in times of war.

The six barred blue symbol was adapted from the medical identification symbol and was registered on February 1,1977 with the commission of patents and trade marks in the name of the NHTSA.

Each bar on the Star of Life represents one of six functions. They are as follows:

* Detection
* Reporting
* Response
* On Scene Care
* Care in Transit
* Transfer to Definitive Care

The snake and staff in the symbol portray the staff of Asclepius, who in Greek Mythology is the son of Apollo. Asclepius is attributed with the knowledge of healing, and is often pictured standing holding a staff with a snake coiled around it. Over the years the staff has come to represent medicine and healing.

Another reference to a snake on a staff associated with healing comes from the Bible in Numbers 21:9 (NIV) that says, “So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.”

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The page linked to the title contains the above text and seems to suggest that the Biblical reference came after or is somehow inferior to the Greek account. The reality, of course, is that the Greek myth was a modification of the Biblical original - the sign of Moses that pointed to Jesus Christ. Jesus revealed this information to Nicodemus in John 3:14-15:

"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life [or that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him]."

The people had been snake-bitten. We have been sin-bitten. The people looked up to the pure bronze, yet scary-looking snake raised high on the pole. We look up to the pure and spotless Lamb of God, disfigured from the beatings and nearly beyond recognition, raised high on the cross. Some of the people believed that this snake-on-a-pole would save them from their snake bites. Some of us believe that this Jesus nailed to a cross would save us from our sin bites. Those who believed were healed; those who did not perished in the wilderness. Those of us who believe are healed and will receive eternal life; those who do not will die in their sins.

Our Star of Life has overcome the world and its evils and has brought many sons to glory.