A Reason to Celebrate Anytime, Anywhere

EMS Week--which kicks off May 16 and runs through May 22--is an official opportunity to honor EMS professionals and give them the opportunity to publicize safety and connect with the public they so diligently serve. All across the country, agencies are hosting events to celebrate this year's theme, "Anytime. Anywhere. We'll be there."

Schertz EMS in Schertz, TX, kicks off the week with a golf tournament, proceeds from which help fund EMS public outreach activities. The week wraps up with an extravaganza and health fair, designed to bring together EMS and its first responder organizations, hospitals, doctors and other public safety and healthcare providers.

Sandwiched in between these bookend events, are activities that focus on reaching residents of all age levels within the 13 cities the agency serves. Crews visit elementary schools, senior citizen centers and local supermarkets where they offer ambulance tours and promote injury and illness prevention, healthy living and safety practices as well as offer free medical services such as blood pressure, glucose and vision tests and mammograms.

"The students love to see our equipment," says Brad Bailey, director community and media relations for Schertz EMS, "especially equipment like the stretcher that walks up stairs."

For older residents, it's critical for them to feel comfortable with the services Schertz EMS offers, notes Bailey.

"Overall, we want to make everyone aware of our services and equipment," he says. "Specifically, we're pushing the bounds of technology, from the way our ambulances are designed for the safety of the patient, as well as the paramedics, to our wireless heart alert system that notifies hospital staff of a patient's condition before arrival, to inclusion of fire suppression gear on board all of our ambulances. We're one of a few agencies that have dual-trained people who can put out vehicle fires. That's important, especially for rural populations where EMS could arrive before a volunteer fire department."

Bailey is quick to point out that this ability doesn't replace trained firefighters, but rather complements them. "It takes some pressure off volunteers who may not be able to answer a call in a timely fashion," he says. "We believe that being out in the community to show the public what we offer can put their minds at ease so they can feel comfortable about the future, as well as show the cities and counties that contract with us, our capabilities."

For more information about Schertz EMS activities, visit www.schertz.com.

HONORING EMS 365 DAYS A YEAR

For many agencies, EMS Week is about much more than just seven days marked on a calendar. Medstar EMS in Fort Worth, TX, is planning events that extend beyond EMS Week. The agency will kick off the week by building a wheelchair ramp for the Texas Ramp Project, a non-profit charity that provides ramps for residents who wouldn't otherwise have the means or ability to do so. "It serves multiple purposes," says Joe Pruitt, Medstar EMS. "We can build a ramp so residents have mobility and independence, but it's also useful to us because it gives us easier access if we need to assist them at some point in the future."

EMS crews also plan to host a bicycle safety rodeo and free community CPR training, the latter of which will become a standard service offered twice a month at the agency's main office. "Getting more people trained in CPR can help save more lives," he says. "Early access is so important to increasing survivability.

"We consider ourselves educators," he continues. "Running calls isn't the only thing we do. Helping the community is something we want to broaden."

For more information about Medstar, visit www.medstar911.org.

Marion County (FL) Fire Rescue also focuses on celebrating EMS professionals for more than just a week. It has set aside the entire month of May as "Your Ambulance Transition Triumph" to inform and introduce its citizens to the fundamentals and personnel of its ambulance service.