Hartford – The state Department of Public Health (DPH) today kicked off National EMS Week, May 21-27, by honoring six emergency medical services (EMS) personnel and one EMS organization at a State Capitol ceremony. The theme of this year’s EMS week is "EMS Strong: Always in Service" and is a part of a larger campaign, EMS STRONG, by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), to recognize and inspire EMS personnel and provide the EMS system greater visibility as an indispensable part of the healthcare continuum.

"Every day, the dedicated and committed volunteer and career EMS staff in our communities makes Connecticut’s EMS system work," said DPH Commissioner Dr. Raul Pino. "I am appreciative to the men and women who provide all Connecticut residents life-saving prehospital care twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Connecticut’s EMS providers responded to nearly 1.5 million requests for service in the last two years – a clear reminder that EMS is always in service. EMS personnel continually put themselves at risk to keep us safe, protect us from harm and provide oftentimes life-saving medical attention. I congratulate the recipients of the 2017 EMS Recognition Awards and thank all of the men and women who have chosen emergency medical services as their vocation."

The following individuals and organizations were presented with awards today by Commissioner Pino: Manchester Fire-Rescue (Governor’s Award), Art Groux, Suffield EMS (Connecticut Public Health Commissioner’s Award), Helen "Bunnie" McQuilton, Stratford EMS (Gillooly-Lawton Award), Laura Bramucci, Newington EMS (George A. Ganung Volunteer of the Year Award), Erin Smith, Stratford EMS (Distinguished Achievement Award), George Fargo, Mystic River Ambulance (Distinguished Achievement Award), and Kevin Brown, MMH Paramedics (Paul Winfield Smith Award). For more information on the awards and EMS week, please visit: www.ctemscouncils.org.

"National EMS Week is our opportunity to recognize the contributions made by Connecticut’s emergency medical services personnel, who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of the medical front line. As our Nation and State face the challenges of a rapidly evolving healthcare system, our EMS providers have never been more important," added Raffaella Coler, Director of DPH’s Office of Emergency Medical Services. "We encourage all Connecticut residents to take the opportunity during National EMS Week to celebrate and support local EMS providers’ commitment to our communities."

This year as part of EMS Week, each weekday is dedicated to a specific focus. Monday is Education Day. Tuesday is Safety Tuesday. Wednesday is National EMS for Children Day. Thursday is Save-a-life Day. Friday is EMS Recognition Day. During the whole week, the American College of Emergency Physicians, in cooperation with American Medical Response and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, will encourage EMS Organizations and Community Leaders to join them in the "World CPR Challenge." The World CPR Challenge aims to provide the most extensive bystander CPR trainings ever. Information about each day’s theme and the World CPR Challenge can be found at https://www.acep.org/emsweek/.