Ambulance Companies Celebrate EMS Week

As part of Emergency Medical Services Week, ambulance companies across the United States are hosting a variety of events.

EMS Week -- held this year from May 20 to May 26 -- was established to bring communities and medical personnel together to publicize safety and honor the dedication of EMS workers.

EMSResponder.com asked for submissions from ambulance companies participating in this week's celebration, and following are some of those answers we received.

Southwest Ambulance

Josh Weiss, a spokesman for Southwest Ambulance in Mesa, Ariz., stressed the importance of recognizing emergency medical staff.

"Our employees need to know it first. From a management standpoint, our workers need to know how important they are," he said. "There are things we've done internally, but in terms of getting the community's support, there's a lot that can be done during EMS Week."

Southwest has several events planned during the week. On May 23, the company will donate an ambulance to Aqua Prieta, Mexico to be used by Cruz Roja (Mexican Red Cross), and a mini-bus to Nogales, Mexico to be used for its Homeland Security Department.

According to Southwest, the donation is being made during National EMS Week in hopes of raising awareness of the efforts of ambulance, fire and health care workers.

"This ambulance will make a significant impact on the medical care Aqua Prieta, Mexico residents and visitors receive," said Patrick Sullivan, Division General Manager of Southwest Ambulance's Southern Arizona Operations. "The mini-bus was greatly needed and will be an important resource for Nogales' Homeland Security Department."

On the same day, Southwest will hold a unique demonstration in which professional mascots Howler, from the Phoenix Coyotes, and Big Red, from the Arizona Cardinals, will take part in a condensed Emergency Vehicle Advanced Driver Education (EVADE) course.

Weiss said it's the third year the company has taken a different approach to driving demonstrations during EMS Week. Last year public officials drove the ambulances, and the year before it was local media personalities.

"It's just the absurdity of the visual (of the mascots) that should draw the media and give us a good audience," he said. The mascots will practice evasive maneuvers, serpentine through cones at a high speed, as well as other skills.

"If you're in the industry, you know it's EMS Week," he said. "The question is: How do you get the greater community? It seems like there is a week or a month for everything. How do you make it stand out?"

Weiss said it wasn't easy to get the professional mascots involved. He had to give each team 45 days notice by mail, and of the four major sports teams contacted, only two agreed. Despite his challenges in putting the event together, he said companies in other areas could recruit minor league and collegiate mascots.

Grandview EMS

Grandview EMS in Jasper, Tenn., planned to host two events in honor of EMS Week.

On May 20, Grandview hosted an EMS reception honoring all of their living EMS personnel, including several retired personnel who were in the first EMS classes held in the state. "We had two of our original members here, and everybody met and talked about the good old days," said Vicki Messer, EMS Week Coordinator for Grandview EMS.

On May 26, at 7 p.m. they held a Parade of Honor at the courthouse square in Jasper, with an honor ceremony for all living and past EMS personnel. The ceremony included the presentation of a flag to the oldest living EMS personnel present; speeches, a last call, and the retiring of EMS personnel numbers.

EMS Week had additional meaning to the family of rescuers at Grandview EMS this year, because one of their paramedics, Melissa DeVito, recently died in a car wreck. "This past week has been emotional for us because Melissa was killed April 24th, two days after her 35th birthday," Messer, said. Because of the timing and tragic circumstances, Grandview's EMS Week ceremony included a memorial service for Melissa. Fire trucks from all over the county lined up around the courthouse square, sometimes two deep, and a rescue helicopter landed near the site.