Celebrating National EMS Week

The week of May 19 – 25, 2019 is dedicated as National EMS Week.

Emergency Medical Services are key to ensuring all people have access to care and help when they need it most. Since you cannot predict a disaster, and since most emergencies occur when we least expect it, having access to these professionals with the specific skills needed to address injuries and traumas and even save lives – is critically important.

This week, we celebrate you! All of the courageous men and women who learn the important life-saving skills necessary to curb the rate at which fatalities and other critical injuries occur.

The week of May 19 – 25, 2019 is dedicated as National EMS Week this year and we’re celebrating by posting a list of the top contributions made by EMS practitioners.

This year’s theme, “Beyond the Call” is specifically focused on the ways that first responders respond and go above and beyond to keep people safe in times of medical distress.

Here are 4 fun facts about Emergency Medical Services:

• President Gerald Ford authorized the first EMS Week in 1974 as a way to celebrate practitioners for the public service they provide to help our local communities thrive.
• There are approximately 700,000 EMS workers made up of both EMTs and Paramedics in the United States.
• One of the earliest EMS systems in the U.S. was traced back to 1865 in Cincinnati, Ohio and used horse-drawn wagons as ambulances.
• EMS practitioners are responsible for treating 25 – 30 million patients each year according to National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

From the first responders, to the paramedics, dispatchers, firefighters, pre-hospital nurses and all other trained members of the public who work hard to administer care outside of the hospital setting – we salute you!

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