May 19-25, 2019, is the 45th annual National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week. In 1974, President Gerald Ford authorized EMS Week to celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nation’s communities. The National Association of EMTs (@NAEMT) partners with the American College of Emergency Physicians (@ACEP) to lead annual EMS Week activities. Together, NAEMT and ACEP are working to ensure that the important contributions of EMS practitioners in safeguarding the health, safety, and well being of their communities are fully celebrated and recognized.
The theme for this year’s celebrations is EMS Strong: Beyond the Call. Those words convey an incredibly powerful message about the EMS profession. EMS goes beyond the 911 call. Yes, EMS is about excellent patient care—but it’s also so much more. It’s also community care that takes time and energy and heart—far beyond the scope of your everyday calling. It’s a responsibility to care for the community—and for your fellow EMS providers—that doesn’t end when the shift does.
Cooper University EMS celebrates its mission “To Serve. To Heal. To Educate.” through Cooper University Health Care. Since our inception, Cooper EMS has answered the call to thousands of requests for ambulance service operating nine ground ambulances and two helicopter EMS in the region. Exemplifying the “Beyond the Call” culture, Cooper EMS has participated in countless community events working with numerous groups based throughout the State.
Today, we thank all our partner public safety agencies, our community stakeholders, and our mission support vendors in helping to make us EMS Strong. Happy EMS Week 2019!
Nadeem Ishaq MICP, FP-C, is EMS Operations Supervisor with Cooper University Health Care. To learn more about our Emergency Medical Services, please click here.