First of all, I want to say Happy EMS Week to everyone out there. Your dedication might not always been seen by everyone but the important thing is when you go home, you know that you made a difference.
Now, we all need to remember and realize that EMS Week is not just about us.
EMS week should be a time to recognize the professionals that sacrifice time with their families, friends and loved ones to put the needs of others above their own. EMS is a thankless job and although I feel that as I write this blog post I am “preaching to the choir” it needs to be said again: thank you for everything that you do.
If your service is anything like mine, you might be left with a bit of an appetite for more EMS Week activities, but my desire goes above the appreciation for the crews. Although EMS Week was created for us to be the stars we still have a responsibility to the public and we need to use our “15 minutes of fame” not only to appreciate those who go out and “save lives” every day but we need to make sure that we share with those who we serve what we are all about.
Let’s put it this way: if you service is not having an open house this week, they are missing out. If there is not an article in the paper not only talking about the great people working in EMS but also describing the struggles that they overcome every day you are being short changed.
I’d like to ask you all to make the most of your EMS Week, but also take the time to educate just one person about EMS. When EMS awareness increases then so too will the respect that we all receive from those who we serve.
Happy EMS Week, everyone!