The legal basis for organising Emergency Medical Services is the 1964 Emergency Medical Services Act. Along with its implementing decrees, it organises emergency medical care for people who are at home, on the public road or in a public place and whose condition requires immediate care as a result of an accident or illness.
Both the organisation and management of the emergency centres fall under the competence of the FPS Home Affairs (FPS HA). The emergency centre in the Brussels Capital Region forms an exception to this and is operated by the Firefighting and Emergency Medical Assistance service of the Brussels Capital Region. The Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment (FPS HFCSE) takes over their responsibility from the moment an operator dispatches an ambulance to the victim. The FPS HFCSE is therefore responsible for organising, maintaining and financing the various resources used by a victim.