May 19-25 marks the 50th anniversary of National EMS Week. The theme “Honoring Our Past, Forging Our Future” empowers us to remember the pioneers who made emergency medical services (EMS) what it is today and encourages us to face the future of EMS with their same tenacity and drive for excellence.
2024 is also the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). The fire service and EMS have been linked since its inception. The USFA joins the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians and the American College of Emergency Physicians to recognize EMS professionals and show gratitude for the help they provide every day.
Health, Wellness and Resilience Day
Today we highlight the need to recognize and care for the health and wellness of EMS providers and patients and share ideas on strengthening resilience.
The USFA can help support your organization’s mission to achieve health, wellness and resilience with the following resources:
- Safety and Health Considerations for the Design of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Stations PDF
- Emergency Services Ergonomics and Wellness
- Emerging Health and Safety Issues Among Women in the Fire Service PDF
EMS Education Day
Today we highlight community educational programs, as well as the importance of continuing education for EMS practitioners.
The National Fire Academy (NFA) at the USFA offers the following EMS courses:
- Managing Emergency Medical Services (P0260)
- Management of Emergency Medical Services (R0150)
- Emergency Medical Services: Quality Management (O0158)
- Emergency Medical Services: Incident Operations (R0147)
- EMS Functions in ICS (W0166)
- Management and Planning of Specialized Operations for EMS (R0168)
- Mobile Integrated Healthcare Program Management (M0681)
- Supervising Emergency Medical Services (W0146)
- Applied Research Design for Fire and Emergency Medical Services (Q0427)
Safety Day
Today we promote safety for the EMS provider, the patient and the public. We focus on risk reduction and prevention to promote the advancement of safety measures for both the community and the profession.
The USFA can help support your organization’s goals to reduce risk and promote prevention and safety measures with the following resources:
- EMS Safety Practices PDF
- Alive on Arrival PDF
- National Safety Culture Change Initiative PDF
- Mitigation of Occupational Violence to Firefighters and EMS Responders PDF
- Traffic Incident Management Systems PDF
- Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative PDF
- Burn Prevention, First Aid and Calling 911
EMS for Children Day
Today we highlight the distinctive physiological and psychological aspects of caring for children in efforts to improve specialized care for children in prehospital settings.
The USFA has the following resources for children’s emergency care:
- Fold-up ambulance activity sheet PDF
- Sesame Street Fire Safety Program for Preschool Children
- Fire Safety for Children
- Let's Have Fun With Fire Safety! PDF
Save-A-Life Day
Today we focus on community education to promote “Stop the Bleed” and public CPR programs to empower bystanders to apply steps that can be taken to help save a life.
The USFA has the following resources to help save lives in your community:
EMS Recognition Day
Today we honor members of the EMS community who go above and beyond what’s expected. We give gratitude to first responders for their unwavering commitment to serve their communities.
The USFA offers the following resources to recognize and support emergency medical professionals:
EMS Remembrance Day
Today we honor EMS personnel who have died in the line of duty and recognize the ultimate sacrifice they made for their communities.
Located on the National Emergency Training Center’s beautiful campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland, the USFA honors our nation’s fallen fire and EMS professionals at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial: