Emergency medical services (EMS) professionals truly deserve more recognition than just a week to celebrate the sacrifice and demanding work they do day in and day out. It may not be our duty to make this declaration, but it should be our job to offer our utmost gratitude for what they have done and continue to do for our communities.
This year marks 47 years of celebrating EMS Week. Started in 1974 under the Gerald Ford presidential administration, EMS Week was started “to celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nation’s communities,” according to the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians website.
From May 15 – 21, six different theme days will be celebrated in conjunction with EMS Week, including Health Wellness and Resilience Day, EMS Education Day, Safety Tuesday, EMS for Children Day, Save-A-Life Day, and EMS Recognition Day.
Theme Days
- Sunday, May 15 – Health, Wellness and Resilience Day
- Monday, May 16 – EMS Education Day
- Tuesday, May 17 – Safety Tuesday
- Wednesday, May 18 – EMS for Children Day
- Thursday, May 19 – Save-A-Life Day (CPR & Stop the Bleed)
- Friday, May 20 – EMS Recognition Day
NPRC offers two paths to be trained in EMS in the form of the eight-week Emergency Medical Responder program in addition to the 23-week Emergency Medical Technician program. A part of our Workforce Development curriculum, the continuing education components of this program area serve the staff training needs of fire departments, ambulance services, and other pre-hospital care providers.
The successful completion of the courses, coupled with a passing mark on the industry-recognized exam, leads to a nationally recognized credential. These training courses are designed to prepare students for the National Registry examination.
Here at NPRC, we are making it a priority to thank our faculty, alumni, and community member EMS workers for their dedication to their profession. It is certainly not an easy career, but it is one of incredible importance.
NPRC is fortunate to have an outstanding collection of Emergency Medical Services faculty members who do or have done their part of serving as professionals, while also giving back to the next generation as instructors. Wendy Clawson, Chris Lyon, John Rainey, Mark Schwanke, Jeanne Phelps, Gregg Trisket, Don Worley, and Andrew Johnson help to make up our team at NPRC. They dedicate their time to ensuring the next group of emergency medical service professionals are ready to help our communities.
Catching up with the incoming Director of Workforce Development, Adam Johnson, he said this about why people should consider working in this industry.
“Working in EMS, you get to make an impact in other people’s lives when they need it most, you can help your community, while making a living or volunteering, and EMS allows for individuals to begin working in the medical field with a shorter training commitment.”
Alumni, Jenni Cox, completed NPRC’s Emergency Medical Technician program almost two years ago with the goals of serving her community as well as improving her Miracle Mountain Ranch summer camp by being EMS certified. Currently, she volunteers as an EMT for the Spring Creek Volunteer Fire Department in Corry, Pennsylvania and mentioned this about being an Emergency Medical Services worker and the role NPRC and its instructors have helped to play in her life over the last two years.
“I found out about NPRC through friends who had recently signed up for their Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class. I was excited to hear that there would be an opportunity to take classes locally through our Higher Ed location (in Corry). Despite the distractions and challenges that COVID-19 created during our class, I am grateful for NPRC and their faculty’s willingness to wade through these uncharted waters and keep pressing forward to help us complete our certifications. “
“The instructors for the course were also members of local departments and helped me understand how EMS and fire systems work together as well as sharing their own passion for serving. This encouraged me to continue in my fire training as well.”
“EMS is not a glamorous field, and we often step into the lives of others at some of their scariest and messiest times, but I always walk away grateful that in some small way I was able to make a difficult day a little less terrible in the end. I hope that the next generation will catch a vision for serving their neighbor, especially as the need is so great.”
Visit our Workforce Development page for more information about programs like Emergency Medical Services.