EMS: So Much More than Lights and Siren

When I first became an emergency medical technician, I thought being on an ambulance would be constant excitement: driving with lights and sirens to rescue injured victims of traffic crashes, delivering babies in people’s homes, taking men and women with strokes and heart attacks quickly to the hospital. I soon learned that not every 911 call involved a life-threatening emergency requiring rapid transport. A nursing home resident fell and needed stitches. A child’s fever spiked, causing a seizure. A teenager broke his leg trying to score the winning run. Emergency medical services (EMS) providers do much more than race to the scene and deliver people to a hospital. Every day, these highly skilled, dedicated professionals provide expert medical care and—perhaps most important—a hand to hold or a shoulder to lean on. Although I am no longer an EMT, I am privileged to work with the EMS community as Deputy Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Since NHTSA’s founding nearly 50 years ago, supporting local EMS systems has been an integral part of our mission to keep people safe on America’s roadways. Since 1974, NHTSA and our Federal partners have joined communities across the country to celebrate EMS Week, when we honor local EMS providers and the individuals who spend their days and nights helping others when they need it most. This year’s theme for EMS Week is “Stronger Together,” reflecting the teamwork that goes into providing hi...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: News Administration and Leadership Source Type: news