This week, May 21-27, is National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week

emsstrong.org ^ | 21 May 2017 | EMS Strong

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EMS WEEK CELEBRATES both the EMS profession and professionals for the vital role they play in the healthcare continuum.

Celebrating EMS Week, however, can be a daunting task that requires a lot of effort and resources to plan, but sometimes doesn’t do enough to honor the practitioners who provide care to their patients when they need it most.

This year, each day of EMS Week is appointed a theme that represents the multi-faceted nature of EMS. The list below features the five daily themes, why they are important, and several ideas on how to celebrate each of them.

MONDAY: EDUCATION DAY

One of the biggest ways an EMS provider can impact their community is to educate the public about ways they can prevent illness or injury. Education Day seeks to highlight educational programs that serve the public as well as the importance of individual EMS provider continuing education.

TUESDAY: SAFETY DAY

Sometimes, the very EMS system that people count on for help unintentionally causes preventable harm to those they are trying to help—including first responders. Safety Day encourages responders to focus on risk and prevention rather than possible negative outcomes, and aims to promote the advancement of safety measures for both the community and the profession.

WEDNESDAY: EMS FOR CHILDREN DAY

Children have unique physiological and psychological needs compared to adults – needs that are amplified in emergency situations. EMS for Children Day highlights the distinctive aspects of caring for children, and raises awareness about improving specialized care for children in prehospital and acute care settings.

THURSDAY: SAVE-A-LIFE DAY

It doesn’t matter how quickly EMS providers get to a scene – bystanders will always be there first. Save-A-Life Day empowers the general public to learn and apply the simple steps that can be taken to help save a life.

FRIDAY: EMS RECOGNITION DAY

EMS professionals deliver urgent and essential care, and often do it under immense pressure with little thanks. On EMS Recognition Day, honor local EMS heroes and those who regularly go above and beyond what is expected. Give gratitude to other responders for their unwavering commitment to serve their communities.

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Thanks to those who do so much in difficult situations