This month, the EMS community celebrates EMS Week. EMS Week is always celebrated in the third week of May. This month, EMS Week will be celebrated May 17-23. The theme of this year's EMS Week is "EMS - The Vital Link" and its message is designed to recognize contributions made by EMS providers. EMS Week is sponsored by such organizations as the International Association of Fire Chiefs, American College of Emergency Physicians, the U.S. Fire Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration/EMS Division and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians.
President Gerald Ford signed the first official proclamation designating EMS Week in 1973. Since then, EMS Week has been celebrated each year to recognize the accomplishments of the men and women who dedicate their lives to saving the lives of others while educating the public about how and when to utilize EMS services.
Fire agencies should not pass up this opportunity to show what a vital component we play in our communities with the delivery of emergency medical services. EMS Week is an excellent chance to show our citizens how valuable the fire service is to the community they serve. The other opportunity comes in October with Fire Prevention Week.
How important is EMS? Information put out by the American College of Emergency Physicians indicates that one in three Americans visits an emergency department each year; heart disease is the leading cause of death overall but injuries are the leading causes of death for ages 1 to 38; more than 9,000 lives are saved each year by seatbelts; only 75% of the population is covered by the 911 emergency number; and, finally, the staggering statistic that proves the fire service's worth in EMS - 80% of all calls to fire departments are EMS related.
The American College of Emergency Physicians provides staff and financial support for the production and distribution of EMS Week promotional materials as a public education service. Each year, thousands of EMS Week planning kits are mailed directly to EMS agencies.
What can you do during EMS Week? First on the agenda should be to promote EMS and your department. Develop some type of activity that is unique to your region. As an example, if you live in a farm community, you may try to promote agricultural safety and if your department operates in a densely populated city, gang violence prevention in the schools may be in order. Departments in states heavily laden with lakes and bodies of water, such as Michigan and Florida, could offer classes on boating or swimming safety.
Many high school proms are held in the latter part of May. This is another prime opportunity for promoting fire departments doing EMS. Many fire departments like to put on an extrication demonstration for seniors to prevent drinking and driving on prom night.
Being creative is key to being successful during EMS Week. Don't hesitate to get sponsors who are eager to help, if not with cash, then with time, manpower or donations. One EMS organization in Wheeling, WV, hosted a bike rodeo along the city's jogging trail, with vendors donating everything from free tune-ups to new bicycles. A fire department in Colorado gave children firsthand experience by dressing them in bunker gear and walking them through a miniature smoke house.
The goal should be to reach the maximum amount of people possible. One EMS organization had information about EMS and its members placed on trayliners in a local fast-food restaurant. More than 20,000 people were reached. If you have a business community where many people gather outside during the lunch hour, hold a fair with different booths and demonstrations of equipment. One booth could offer free blood pressure screenings, free ambulance rides, or teddy bear clinics for children.
One fire agency with the help of the local police department conducted a "checkpoint," looking for cars with children who were not in safety seats. Drivers were not given tickets but received free safety seats, in which the children were placed. Other examples of promoting EMS Week include free CPR classes, I.D. fingerprinting for children, medical identification cards or "Vials of Life" for senior citizens, glucose testing and free home injury prevention inspections. If your department has a Web page, don't forget to add EMS Week.
Of course, do not pass up the opportunity to get the media involved in your activities during EMS Week. Send out media advisories to local TV and radio stations and the print media informing them of your various programs. Invite reporters to ride-along for a day. Be prepared to have some members of your department interviewed.
Look for something to pique the interest of the reporter such as a recent delivery of a baby or a successful resuscitation. Don't forget the possibility of recognizing some citizen who may have been instrumental saving a life with CPR or the Heimlich maneuver. Presenting the citizen with an award at a ceremony will certainly stir the interest of the media. After establishing contact with the media, it is important not to let that relationship die. Most certainly, there will be other important events during the year that will warrant media attention.
Also occurring during EMS Week is a ceremony honoring all those in EMS who have died in the line of duty during the past year. The National EMS Memorial Service is held every year during EMS Week. The first National EMS Memorial Service was held on April 3, 1993. The ceremony this year will be held on May 23, 1998, at 7 P.M. (Eastern time) at the Greene Memorial Church in Roanoke, VA.
During the service, a family member or agency representative is presented with an American flag that has flown over the U.S. Capitol, denoting the honoree's service to the country, a white rose representing undying love and a medallion signifying the honoree's eternal memory. The name of the honoree also is placed on the Tree of Life in the EMS Museum located in Roanoke.
The board of directors of the National EMS Memorial Service has wrestled with how to involve other EMS providers who cannot personally attend the service. The final consensus was that there should be a National Moment of Silence. The National Moment of Silence lets EMS providers and agencies around the nation join with those in attendance at the National EMS Memorial Service. Departments are asked to voluntarily participate in the National Moment of Silence by observing radio silence timed to coincide with the moment of silence, scheduled for 8 P.M. (Eastern time) on May 23, 1998.
Fire Departments that provide any form of emergency medical services should not hesitate to let the community know their value and worth. EMS Week certainly provides those opportunities.
Gary Ludwig will discuss "The State of Fire Service EMS" at Firehouse Emergency Services Expo '98 in Baltimore July 16-19.
Gary Ludwig is the Chief Paramedic/ EMS Bureau Chief for the St. Louis Fire Department. He is currently serving his third term as an elected executive board member to the EMS Section for the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is a frequent lecturer at fire and EMS conferences. Ludwig has a master's degree in management and is a licensed paramedic. He can be reached at [email protected].