2007 EMS Week Set for May 20-26
May 20-26 will be the 34th annual observance of Emergency Medical Services Week, when communities and medical personnel honor the dedication of 750,000 EMS personnel nationwide who provide lifesaving services. The American College of Emergency Physicians says EMS Week will feature hundreds of grassroots activities focused on this year's theme, "Extraordinary People, Extraordinary Service."
"As this year's theme emphasizes, EMS providers are dedicated to saving lives, even putting their own lives on hold as they respond to medical emergencies," said Dr. Brian Keaton, ACEP's president. "They do this every day without special recognition, which is why we are recognizing EMS providers this year as extraordinary."
Each year, ACEP distributes EMS Week organizational kits to hospital emergency departments, state EMS offices, fire departments, EMS services, and the 53 ACEP chapters. The kits are free to the public thanks to EMS Week 2007 corporate sponsors that include USA Mobility, Zoll, OnStar, JEMS, EMS Magazine, and NBC Universal. ACEP's 2007 organizational partners for EMS Week include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emergency Medical Services for Children, the National Association of EMTs, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. May 25-26 is the National EMS Memorial Service and Annual National Moment of Silence, with the service taking place in Roanoke, Va. ACEP has more than 25,000 members.