What Does The Snake Symbol On An Ambulance Mean?

While it might be cool to watch some of the world's stranger emergency vehicles perform their primary jobs, it's safe to assume few are eager to see an ambulance up close. Still, the boxy vehicles are legitimate beacons of hope for those in need, and the same might be true of the unique symbol found emblazoned on most ambulances — even if it does contain a snake. Snakes are, of course, hardly a creature most people think of when they think about safety, a fact that has led some to ponder how the slithering, and sometimes deadly, reptiles found their way into a logo signifying good health and safety.

That logo is actually called the Star of Life, and it was created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) so that the general public could identify registered emergency medical response vehicles. As for the serpent coiled around a stick that appears within the star, like the chains seen dangling beneath some ambulances, it has a specific purpose, as it represents the staff of Asclepius. For those who are not well versed in mythology, Asclepius is the Greco-Roman god of medicine and was once believed capable of curing all diseases.   

In renderings, Asclepius is typically depicted holding a staff with a serpent wrapped around it. While different interpretations of the serpent's significance exist, one of the more commonly held beliefs is that the creatures — which regularly shed their as they grow — represented growth, longevity, and rebirth.

Despite the potential creep factor for those who suffer from ophidiophobia, the snake and staff symbol is intended to instill a sense of confidence in the medical process and those who practice it — a list that obviously includes the Emergency Medical Technicians who operate ambulances. The symbol is, however, not to be confused with the strikingly similar Caduceus, which depicts a shorter staff with two winged serpents coiled around it. While also utilized in the medical field by the United States Medical Corps, the Navy Pharmacy Division, and the Public Health Service, that symbol takes inspiration from a magic staff wielded by Hermes and carries a whole other mythology.

Returning our sights to the Star of Life, it's worth noting that the snake and staff isn't the only symbolic feature of the logo, as the star itself carries its own separate meaning. Each side of the six-point star shape is meant to represent one of the primary functions of emergency medical services: detection, reporting, response, on-site care, in-transit care, and the transference of patients to a definitive care destination.

That list of duties pretty much describes the job of an EMT and various other emergency medical professionals to the proverbial "T." And even as tech and AI change how medical professionals work, it's pretty cool that certain aspects of the job will likely always carry a decidedly old-school back story — serpents and all.