Whether you’re wearing an EMS Face Mask because you want to, or because of departmental policy, or even state law, it’s important that you’re wearing a good quality EMS Face Mask that suits you, your job requirements, and one that you enjoy wearing.
By wearing an EMT Face Mask or Paramedic Face Mask you can add a stylish touch to your new piece of uniform, and help show patients and bystanders alike that you’re a first responder, helping to provide reassurance in tough times.
Wearing an EMS Face Mask can also help clearly show your colleagues both inside and outside your department what role you play while on scene.
In addition to being more visible in your role as an EMT or Paramedic, these masks also provide an opportunity to express your creative and artistic side, and to still show your individuality despite covering your face with a mask.
The Best EMS Face Masks
1. EMS Face Mask
As an alternative to showing your accreditation, this EMS Face Mask is designed with a variety of EMS illustrations, which is a perfect way to distract paediatric patients, as well as being a stylish option to brighten up your EMS uniform. Because there is no level of accreditation printed on this EMS Face Mask, it can be worn as both an EMT Face Mask and Paramedic Face Mask.
You can also wear this mask on or off duty as it doesn’t formally identify you as an EMT or Paramedic.
2. EMT Face Mask
This EMT Face mask is plain and simple – that’s the whole point. When you cover your face with a mask it can make communication more difficult, that’s where this mask comes in useful, to help reassure your patients that you are an EMT and that you are helping them.
This EMT Face Mask is especially useful for situations where your patient regains consciousness and may be fearful or confused, as the large letters EMT standout on the mask and provide some comfort that you are there to help them.
3. Paramedic Face Mask
Similarly to the EMT Face Mask, this Paramedic Face Mask shows clearly that you’re a paramedic, and there to provide care and assistance.
When wearing a Paramedic Face Mask, your patient, bystanders and colleagues will be able to easily identify you and your scope of practice.
Available in a range of colors, there’s an option to suit everyone.
4. Ambulance Face Mask
Another creative option is this generic “Ambulance” EMS Face Mask. This EMS Face Mask is designed to resemble the red and blue lights of an ambulance, letting people know that you are a first responder. This goes well with your EMS Uniform and helps to reassure your patient that you are a first responder and there to help them.
5. Funny EMS Face Mask
If you’re looking for a funny option, then we also have the Natural Selection EMS Face Mask. This design is essentially a mask version of our I Fight Natural Selection Everyday merch design.
Although a funny EMS Face Mask can be great to lighten the mood at your station, it’s probably best suited for wearing off-duty as a novelty, rather than wearing it on shift – but hey, who are we to judge your fashion choices?
6. ECG Face Mask
This EMS Face Mask features a decorative ECG Line across the front. It’s available in multiple colours and can be worn as either an EMT Face Mask or Paramedic Face Mask as it doesn’t have any qualification labels on the mask itself.
The ECG design is symbolic of healthcare, and is suitable to be worn both on and off duty.
7. COVID-Free Zone Face Mask
The COVID-Free Zone Face Mask displays a symbol for COVID-19 layered behind an illegal symbol, to show you are not allowing entry for COVID-19.
Although a clever design, remember the mask is not medical grade, and does not actually repel COVID-19 or make you COVID-Free.
This design is another dual-purpose Face Mask that can be worn as both an EMT Face Mask and Paramedic Face Mask.
8. Plain EMS Face Mask
This Plain EMS Face Mask is designed to show you are a first responder, and assist in building a rapport with patients while wearing a face mask.
Similar to the EMT Face Mask and Paramedic Face Mask, this design features a simple statement of fact to show that you are EMS personnel.
This EMS Face Mask is perfect to wear on duty, where it’s important to identify yourself as a First Responder to help avoid confrontation.
The importance of EMS Face Masks
Wearing an EMT Face Mask or Paramedic Face Mask is an important aspect of helping to stop the spread. Depending on where you are located, it may even be mandatory to wear a mask.
These EMS Face Masks do not filter the air adequately like an N95 respirator; however, they may help to inhibit the spread of droplets, which can be useful in stopping the spread of COVID-19.
When you buy one of our EMT Face Masks or Paramedic Face Masks, you’re not buying immunity against COVID-19, or any other infectious disease. Our Face Masks are not classified as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and you should always use the correct PPE as directed by your agency protocols when required, i.e. when treating patients.
When to wear an EMS Face Mask?
As an EMS Professional, you will usually wear an N95 mask when treating a patient with a suspected contagious respiratory illness, such as COVID-19.
Wearing a cloth EMT Face Mask or Paramedic Face Mask not only helps identify you as a first responder, but may also help to stop the spread of respiratory droplets.
The CDC currently recommends wearing a mask to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Although these masks are not an N95 respirator, they can still offer some limited protection, and the more of us that choose to wear them, the more chance we have at limiting the spread.
These EMS Face Masks are designed to be worn for general use. This can include shopping, on stand-by at the station, or even responding to patients who are not presenting with symptoms of COVID-19 and are not suspected of being infected. (Always follow your departmental protocol and procedures.)
The Benefits of a reusable EMS Face Mask
Because these EMS Face Masks are reusable, you can easily wash your EMT Face Mask or Paramedic Face Mask to use it again.
This system helps lower the cost of buying disposable masks and filters for respirators and lowers your impact on the environment.
In order to clean your EMS Face Mask you should ensure you follow the manufacturers directions precisely, and ensure you don’t wear the mask for longer than the manufacturer states before washing it.
You may wish to purchase 2 or 3 masks so you can change your mask and still have a spare to wear while the other is being washed and dried.
How to wear your EMS Face Mask
Wearing your EMT Face Mask or Paramedic Face Mask is the same as wearing any other mask.
Ensure you perform hand hygiene before donning the mask, and avod touching it once you are wearing it.
To take it off, ensure you wash or sanitize your hands before removing, and only touch the mask by the elastic straps, avoiding contact with the material of the mask.
When handling the mask during the washing process you should wash your hands thoroughly before/after to avoid any contamination and lower the risk of infection.
The Effects of wearing a mask on Patient Rapport and Communication

Although wearing a Face Mask is an important step in limiting the spread of Coronavirus, it does have some down sides.
For example, some hearing-impaired patients rely on lip-reading as an aide to understanding what is being said in the conversations they have. Wearing a face mask restricts visibility to your mouth, and obstructs even some of your ability to show facial expressions.
Communicating with patients can already be difficult, and although there are ways to improve your communication with your patients, the first step is letting them know who you are.
That’s why an EMT Face Mask or Paramedic Face Mask can be so crucial to showing that you are there as a Medical Responder and are there to help them.
This instant rapport can help set the foundations for a successful patient interaction, and improve the quality of the care you provide.
By using an EMS Face Mask instead of a generic cloth mask you are helping identify yourself, and your purpose at the scene. This is also useful for clearly displaying which branch of emergency services you are on scene with when responding with multiple agencies to large incidents.
Enjoyed reading about the best EMS Face Masks?
Find More of the Best EMS Gear Below!
- 3 of the Best Tourniquets
- 5 Best EMS Reference Cards
- 5 Best multitools for EMS
- 12 Best Books for EMTs
- 5 of the Best EMT Pants
- 10 of the Best EMT Audiobooks
- EMS Continuing Education – 5 easy ways to improve
- The Best EMS Face Masks for COVID-19
- 13 of the Best EMS Textbooks
Read EMS Education Articles:
- The Art of Scene Management: Optimizing Efficiency in Emergency Response
- Lessons from Chicago Fire – Can we benefit from Fiction?
- Deep Dive: Angina
- The future: Electric Ambulances
- 5 ways to earn your patients trust
- Deep Dive: Atrial Fibrillation
- Deep Dive: Flash Pulmonary Edema
- 10 Tips to prioritise Health & Safety on Shift
- The Future: Scope of Practice in EMS