Wake Celebrates EMS Week

National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week, a celebration to honor the approximately 750,000 EMS providers nationwide who deliver lifesaving care, is set for May 18-24, 2003. During EMS Week fire and EMS crews provide vital educational materials and training to adults and children on topics such as injury prevention, recognizing an emergency and what to do until help arrives.

"Working as a paramedic is different from other careers," says Don Garner Jr. of Wake County EMS. "You get tremendous satisfaction from helping others and knowing you make a difference between life and death. Most people don't know what EMTs [Emergency Medical Technicians] and paramedics do every day."

National EMS Week recognizes the lifesaving care EMS providers offer 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This year's EMS Week theme – "EMS: When It Matters Most" – emphasizes that no matter what the emergency or when it occurs, be it an injury, automobile crash, heart attack, diabetic emergency or childbirth, EMS responders are there to provide immediate care and transportation.

"EMS Week offers a great opportunity for us to educate a large number of citizens about injury prevention and safety awareness,' Garner says. "We look forward to the public's support and involvement in the Wake County EMS System's 2003 EMS Week celebration."

EMS Week activities include a proclamation signing by the Board of County Commissioners and a community health fair.

This is the 29^th year that EMS Week has been sponsored nationally by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).