Next week, May 17-23, is National EMS Week. Together with other EMS organizations, NAEMT is co-sponsoring and celebrating the event to honor the approximately 750,000 EMS practitioners in service across the nation.

With the theme of “A proud partner in your community” and sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), National EMS Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication of those who provide day-to-day lifesaving services on medicine’s front line.

This event is a great opportunity for local EMS services to promote the EMS profession in their communities. This year, EMS Week designates Wednesday, May 20, as EMS for Children Day, a day dedicated to safety and injury prevention programs for children. On this day, practitioners are asked to focus their activities on special programs designed to keep children safe.

On a national level, NAEMT is a co-sponsor and participant in the 2009 EMS Week Planner, which is designed to help EMS agencies build recognition in their communities. The planner offers tips, tools and products that help agencies communicate their message to the public, media, elected officials, medical community and EMS practitioners. Color-coded sections discuss how to address and work with important groups such as seniors, families and children, and discuss safety issues at the forefront of EMS such as pool safety and teen drivers. Also in the planner is an official products catalog featuring EMS Week promotional items that agencies can order to promote the week.

To further promote the event to members, NAEMT has added announcements and links on the home page and an internal page of www.naemt.org, printed an article in both the spring issue of the printed NAEMT News and in the online newsletter that goes to all 

members, and distributed a web ad to affiliates so they can promote the event on their state and local EMS web sites.

“This year’s theme for EMS Week, ‘A Proud Partner in Your Community,’ expresses how EMS  practitioners across the country are a key part of their local communities,” says Patrick Moore, NAEMT President. “Practitioners of every level and delivery model contribute immensely to the well-being of their communities . NAEMT stands proud as a community partner through its members everywhere.”

For more information and tips on how you can get involved in celebrating the week, please visit the Help Gain Recognition for EMS page.