What is National EMS Week for?

The purpose of National EMS Week (this year, May 17-23) is to educate the public about emergency medical services, and to bring attention to an important part of emergency medicine.

Those of us in the field already know that prehospital care is a fairly new innovation in medicine. It has only been within the last 40-50 years that emergency care has started to move outside the hospital. When most people think of emergency medicine, they think of the emergency room, or maybe an ambulance. EMS week allows us to highlight each link in the chain - from the first responders whose initial care to a patient can make the difference between life and death, to the BLS (Basic Life Support) personnel like EMTs, to the ALS providers (Advanced Life Support - paramedics), emergency nurses, and then finally to the doctors. Each link in the chain has a very vital part to play.

These links are actually represented in the Star of Life - which is the symbol of emergency care units and personnel. Each branch is a symbol of one of the main tasks performed by EMS providers:

1.The first rescuers on the scene observe the scene, understand the problem, identify the dangers to themselves and the patient(s), and take appropriate measures to ensure the safety on the scene (circulation, electricity, chemicals, radiations, etc.).

2. The first rescuers call for professional help.

3. The first rescuers provide first aid and immediate care to the extent of their capabilities.

4. The EMS personnel arrive and provide immediate care to the extent of their capabilities.

5. The EMS personnel proceed to transfer the patient to a hospital for specialized care and provide medical care during the transportation.

6.Appropriate specialized care is provided at the hospital.

EMS week is a national event when a lot of services hold open houses to allow their communities to meet their EMS personnel outside of an emergency situation, learn about the services and care provided by those organizations, and educate themselves about emergency medical services in general.

To celebrate EMS professionals (EMT-Basics and EMT-Paramedics) for the thankless job they do day in and day out