This week (May 20-26, 2018) the nation celebrates National EMS Week, with a reminder that it is always imperative to remember and to thank the dedicated men and women who provide emergency medical services across the country.
National Emergency Medical Services Week is a 40-year plus ritual whereby we honor the vital segment of First Responders. This year the honor celebration theme is “EMS Strong – Stronger Together,” a perfect tribute considering the evolution of the role of emergency responders. Not only does this include the record number of disasters but sadly, we must face the increased incidents of violence in schools and workplace shootings.
Stephen Midkiff, CEO, Lake Norman Regional Medical Center made that clear when he spoke of the tradition, “The natural disasters of the past decade have resulted in significant changes in the role of EMS. The perception of EMS as solely ambulance drivers and medical technicians has been rapidly replaced by images of these heroes holding communities together during and after major disasters.”
Discussing recent increases in calamities, disasters, and tragedies, Midkiff added, “Readiness to respond to major incidents doesn’t just happen – it requires planning, coordination, education and training for responders and support personnel. This speaks to the relevance of the ‘Stronger Together’ theme – EMS simply can’t do it alone. True disaster preparedness involves a coordinated effort between first responders, medical services, local and state government and the community itself.”
While the majority of EMS services are still rendered in response to emergency medical situations, such as heart attacks, strokes and auto accidents, EMS are finding themselves responding more and more to natural disasters. On record, 2017 was the costliest year for natural disasters with total damages and costs exceeding well over $300 billion. This includes the top of three Category 4 hurricanes that devastated Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico and the surrounding regions, and doesn’t include the many, many smaller storms and tornadoes that also exceeded damage records. First Responders were exhausted, not only with the 24 hour, 7-day week work days, but the exhausted funding and supplies needed to carry on their work. Massive wildfires, floods, heat-wave related events, and tornadoes ran helter-skelter across much of the nation. In virtually every instance, police, EMTs, paramedics, and EMS professionals are running toward the danger while the rest of the public (rightly so) is escaping from it.
Once responding mostly to medical emergencies, paramedics respond to disasters often.
Due to this “new norm” in the EMS work environment, responsibilities now falling to EMS often include:
- Evacuations, police support, and crowd control
- Erecting shelter centers in disaster zones
- Providing triage centers
- Working with and implementing emergency alert systems
- Training community on disaster preparedness and first aid techniques
- Working with other communities to establish Mutual Aid programs.
This is seen in an EMS you Tube video tribute by New Castle County, DE EMS personnel.
The role and responsibilities of first responders, ambulance drivers, EMTs, and paramedics has grown immensely. Be sure to show appreciation for, and generously thank, your local and regional EMS professionals for the critical roles they lead to keep us all safe and well.