Washington, DC—The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) kicks off the 39th annual Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week starting May 20th with events in communities across the nation, as well as several national events organized around the theme “EMS: More Than a Job, A Calling.” EMS for Children (EMSC) Day, focusing on EMS response to children, child safety and injury prevention, will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 23, 2012.
“EMS professionals have a true calling to assist others who are sick or injured,” said the president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), David Seaberg, MD, FACEP. “EMS at all levels represents hope to people in their most critical times of need. This calling comes through in their spirit of dedication, professionalism and commitment 24 hours a day.”
EMS providers include paramedics, emergency medical technicians, first responders, firefighters and police, some paid, some volunteer. National EMS Week will feature hundreds of grassroots activities coast-to-coast, including safety demonstrations, EMS essay and poster contests, fire station open houses and CPR classes.
Here’s how people can become involved in EMS activities at the local level.
- Disaster preparedness at home
Many communities train people interested in disaster response so they can join Citizen Emergency Response Teams, or CERTs. CERTs assist local authorities during disaster situations. Contact your local city disaster management office for more information.
- Compression-only CPR
Studies have shown that early intervention performing CPR without mouth-to-mouth breaths can improve the survival rate of people in cardiac arrest. It is easier than ever to learn. Contact your local Red Cross or American Heart Association affiliate to learn about CPR classes in your community.
- Early stroke recognition
Studies have shown that the early recognition and treatment of stroke improve chances of recovery. Learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms of this medical emergency by contacting the American Stroke Association.
- Re-incorporation into the EMS workforce for our returning military
The EMS community recognizes the sacrifice that our military has made for us as well as the challenges of reincorporating them back into the civilian workforce. EMS is a great place to seek a career for our returning military, particularly those with medical experience. For more information contact the National Association of EMT’s (NAEMT).
EMS Week 2012 sponsors include, Genentech, MedicAlert Foundation, Vidacare, Dey Pharma, Physio-Control, Masimo, Boehringer Ingelheim, Halozyme Therapeutics, Graham Professional Medical Products, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, Jones & Bartlett Learning, NAEMT, Moore Medical, ProMed Network, EMS World, EMS Today, JEMS, Emegear, LLC. Our federal partners include FEMA, CDC, ECCC and NHTSA.
ACEP is the national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.