Ambulance Personnel Roles in Turkey: From Responsible Manager to Driver
Ambulance crew roles in Turkey under the 2025 regulation: responsible manager, physician, team leader, call handler, health staff and driver.
- Medical review
- Nova Ambulans Sağlık Kurulu (Medical Board)Prepared with input from the Medical Board. AI-assisted draft.
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Key takeaways
- The responsible manager is the sole administrative point of contact with the Provincial Health Directorate (Article 14).
- Emergency Ambulances require at least 3 crew: a physician or paramedic, another health professional, and a driver (Article 7).
- All personnel must wear uniforms displaying their title, service name, and contact number (Article 21).
In this article (10 sections)
- Responsible Manager (Mesul Müdür) — Article 14
- Consultant Physician (Danışman Hekim) — Article 15/1
- Team Leader (Ekip Sorumlusu) — Article 15/2
- Call Handler (Çağrı Karşılayıcı) — Article 15/3
- Health Personnel — Article 4(s) and Article 7
- Driver (Sürücü) — Article 4(ş)
- Uniform and ID Card (Articles 21–22)
- Nova Ambulans Personnel Standards
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources
A licensed ambulance service in Turkey is not just a vehicle and a crew — it is a structured organization with clearly defined roles and accountability chains. The 2025 Ambulance Regulation (Articles 7, 14, and 15) sets out the specific duties and qualifications for each position, from the responsible manager at the top to the driver behind the wheel. 1 For how the paramedic profession and Turkey's 112 system developed, see the history of ambulance services in Turkey.
Responsible Manager (Mesul Müdür) — Article 14
The responsible manager is the primary administrative contact between the ambulance service and the Provincial Health Directorate. This person must be a physician, senior paramedic (acil tıp teknikeri), or senior EMT (acil tıp teknisyeni) (Article 4(1)(o) definition and Article 14). 1
Key responsibilities include:
- Maintaining all service certificates, qualification certificates, and personnel work permits
- Ensuring work schedules are entered into the Emergency Health Automation System (ASOS) by the 25th of each month
- Overseeing equipment maintenance, calibration, and sterile storage
- Supervising in-service training for all staff
- Reporting any changes to the Directorate within the first business day
The responsible manager and their deputy may not work on an ambulance (Article 30(1)(p)). 1
Consultant Physician (Danışman Hekim) — Article 15/1
During business hours, a consultant physician must be physically present at the call center. Outside business hours, the physician must remain contactable. The consultant physician shares clinical responsibility for case outcomes together with the ambulance crew.
Team Leader (Ekip Sorumlusu) — Article 15/2
On board the ambulance, a designated team leader is the health professional who coordinates all clinical activity during a mission: documentation in the Emergency Health Automation System (ASOS), patient handover at hospital, and crew communication. 1 The crew as a whole carries the duty in Article 18(1): "The ambulance crew that reaches the location of the patient or injured person carries out the necessary emergency medical aid or transport." 1
Call Handler (Çağrı Karşılayıcı) — Article 15/3
The call handler evaluates incoming calls and, under consultant physician coordination, dispatches ambulances. The staffing rule: one call handler per up to ten ambulances per shift; an additional handler for each subsequent ten. The Emergency Health Automation System (ASOS) — operated by the Ministry of Health's Directorate General for Emergency Health and Disaster Services — records every call assignment and crew schedule digitally. 5
Health Personnel — Article 4(s) and Article 7
Article 4(1)(s) of the regulation defines health personnel as physicians, nurses, paramedics (acil tıp teknikeri), EMTs (acil tıp teknisyeni), anaesthesia technicians (anestezi teknikeri and anestezi teknisyeni), midwives and community health officers. 1 Article 7(1)(a) states (our translation): "an ambulance crew of at least three persons works in emergency-aid ambulances. The crew shall include at least one physician or paramedic or...emergency medical technician, together with another health professional and a driver." 1 The mandatory crew composition varies by ambulance type: 1
| Ambulance Type | Minimum Health Personnel |
|---|---|
| Emergency Ambulance | 2 (one being a physician, a paramedic or an EMT who has completed the Ministry's module training) + 1 driver |
| Patient Transport Ambulance | 1 health professional + 1 driver |
| ICU Ambulance | 2 (one being a physician or a paramedic) + 1 driver |
| Specially Equipped Ambulance | 2 (one being a physician or a paramedic) + 1 driver |
This classification belongs to the regulation: at least three crew in emergency and ICU ambulances, at least two in patient transport ambulances. For how these types differ by stripe colour, see ambulance types and stripe colors in Turkey. All Nova Ambulans vehicles are Emergency Ambulances (Acil Yardım Ambulansı; ALS, ICU-equipped); a physician joins on request.
The June 2025 amendment, Article 7(4), now requires that "all healthcare personnel who will work on ambulances must complete trainings determined by the Ministry." 2 The Emergency Medicine Association of Turkey (TATD) similarly anchors its pre-hospital programme on "supporting the training and development" of these professionals 4; the World Health Organization (WHO) global prehospital toolkit reinforces the same competency framework. 6
Driver (Sürücü) — Article 4(ş)
The ambulance driver does more than operate the vehicle — the regulation sets specific requirements: 1
- A valid driving licence matching the vehicle class is mandatory.
- The driver must also be health personnel or have successfully completed basic first-aid training. 1
This ensures the driver has the basic medical knowledge to support the crew when needed.
Uniform and ID Card (Articles 21–22)
All personnel must wear a single-type uniform that displays:
- Professional title
- Service name and emblem
- Call center contact number
- Fluorescent strips
Uniforms must not resemble those worn by Ministry personnel. Every crew member must carry an identification card approved by the responsible manager, visible during service.
Nova Ambulans Personnel Standards
At Nova Ambulans, our crew meets every personnel standard the regulation requires. As of the week of 19 October 2026, Nova Ambulans has 80+ registered field personnel in ASOS, including 63+ registered health personnel (paramedics, ATT, AABT) and 20+ registered drivers. Our 7 Emergency Ambulances (ALS, ICU-equipped) are crewed in line with Article 7; a physician joins on request. All personnel attend regular training programmes, hold current certifications, and wear regulation-compliant uniforms and ID cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must a physician always be on board the ambulance?
No. In emergency-aid ambulances, a paramedic (acil tıp teknikeri) or an EMT (acil tıp teknisyeni) who has completed the Ministry's module training may serve in place of a physician (Article 7(1)(a)). 1 In patient-transport ambulances, a single health professional (nurse, EMT, etc.) is sufficient.
Must the call handler be a health professional?
The regulation does not set a professional title for the call handler. It defines the role by its duty: evaluating incoming calls and dispatching ambulances under the coordination of the consultant physician, with at least one call handler per shift for up to ten ambulances (Article 15(3)). 1
Does the ambulance driver need medical training?
Yes. Under the regulation, the ambulance driver must be a health professional or, at a minimum, have completed first-aid training (Article 4/ş). 1 This lets the driver support the crew when needed.
Must the responsible manager be a physician?
No. Under the regulation the responsible manager may be a physician, paramedic (acil tıp teknikeri), or EMT (acil tıp teknisyeni). 1 The regulation does not expressly provide for the same person holding both the responsible-manager and consultant-physician roles; the consultant physician must, however, hold a physician's title (Article 15/1). 1
Can the responsible manager also drive an ambulance?
No. The regulation prohibits the responsible manager and their deputy from working as ambulance crew (Article 30/p).
Sources
Numbers in the text refer to the sources below.
- Ambulances and Emergency Health Vehicles Regulation (OG-8/1/2025-32776) (opens in a new tab)Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health
- Ambulance Services Regulation — Article 7(1) on emergency-ambulance crew composition (Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi consolidated text) (opens in a new tab)Republic of Türkiye Legislation Information System
- Pre-Hospital Health Services — Training and Professional Development (opens in a new tab)Emergency Medicine Association of Turkey (TATD)
- Emergency Health Automation System (ASOS) — personnel scheduling module (opens in a new tab)Ministry of Health, Directorate General for Emergency Health and Disaster Services
- WHO Emergency & Critical Care: prehospital provider competencies (opens in a new tab)World Health Organization
Nova Ambulans Sağlık Kurulu (Medical Board)
Periodically reviewed by our editorial board of emergency physicians, paramedics and clinical coordinators.
This content is informational only and does not replace professional medical evaluation. In emergencies, call 112 or +90 216 339 00 39.
