National EMS Week 2015
The 41st annual EMS Week is celebrated May 17 – 23, 2015. EMS Week was developed when President Gerald Ford declared the first National Emergency Medical Services Week in November of 1974, to celebrate EMS professionals and the work they do every day responding to medical emergencies. Later, EMS Week was moved to May in order to separate it from Fire Prevention Week, as the majority of fire and EMS services believed that having two events back to back hurt the effectiveness of each program.
This year, The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) has joined together with the American College of Emergency Physicians (AECP) on a national promotional campaign for EMS Week, which is known as EMS Strong. This new partnership will work to ensure that the essential contributions of EMS professionals are recognized and observed. EMS Strong will make EMS week a 365-day a year initiative to give EMS a significantly greater visibility among other health professions and communities
EMS Week is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of EMS practitioners and the work they do in their communities. Your local EMS may offer some opportunities for the public to come out and learn more. For instance, your local EMS may host a public safety event, or have CPR training event. If you are interested in learning more about EMS Week, please visit the following:
