This week -- May 19 to 25 -- is National EMS Week and the theme is "EMS: One Mission. One Team."
In 1968, President Gerald Ford signed the first EMS Week proclamation, designating a time for the nation to celebrate the emergency medical technician paramedic as well as an opportunity to educate the public about the critical role of EMS in the community, according to EMS.gov.
May 22 has been designated as Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Day, according to emsweekideas.org.
Every day our local, state and national EMS respond to crisis situations. Recently, Boston's EMS was in the spotlight because of last month's bombings; and today, Emergency Medical Service personnel in Moore, Oklahoma, are in the national spotlight as they deal with the aftermath of a tornado that killed 51 people (at least 20 of them children), according to The Huffington Post.
This year’s theme for EMS week is "EMS: one mission, one team." One month ago, during the tragic events of the Boston Marathon bombings, we clearly demonstrated the impact of this collaborative effort. Massachusetts’ EMS professionals showed the world that we provide the highest level of cooperation, necessary hospital throughput capacity and life-saving emergency medical care, as one team upholding its critical mission.
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