National EMS Week May 19-25 puts a spotlight on everyday heroes.The annual tradition is meant to remind communities that emergency medical service personnel are performing lifesaving work every day, even though people aren’t always aware of it.Emergency medical services include emergency medical technicians (EMTs), paramedics, emergency medical dispatchers, firefighters, police officers, pre-hospital nurses and others who provide medical care during an emergency.The Warren County Ambulance District is observing EMS Week with five days of activities starting May 20.The theme for this year is “EMS Strong: Beyond the Call.” It is the 45th year of National EMS Week.“The theme fit so well with us this year because our district, since Day 1, has been community-driven,” said Jackie Stewart, executive assistant for the district.Stewart coordinates most of the district’s nonemergency activities.“Education is a big part of our community outreach,” she said.Stewart said the staff are in the community three to five times a week. In the warmer months, they’re out almost daily, showing up at events, visiting schools or honoring veterans.“We like for the on-duty crews to go out. The more they’re out, the more they know the people, and the more the people know them,” Stewart said.During EMS Week, the staff will be making appearances and creating special posts on the district’s Facebook page. Details of these events that are still to be finalized will be posted there as well.On Monday, its Facebook page will feature a post about community education. On Tuesday, crews will be in a training session to learn the latest about workplace safety.On Wednesday, Base 4, 99 Bell Road, Wright City, is hosting “Kids Safety Day.”Thursday is the Chamber of Commerce open house. It will include CPR demonstrations.Friday, May 24, the district’s Facebook page will highlight individual members of the team with staff recognitions.Stewart said they also conduct an annual coloring contest among EMS week activities.“The kindergarten through third-grade coloring contest is underway. Stay tuned for the winners,” Stewart said.There will be multiple winners, but the winner of the medics choice award will receive a ride to and from school in an ambulance, she said.The district provides services that make responding times faster. Often in partnership with Warren County Emergency Services (911 and dispatch center), the ambulance district will help residents secure their security code information with emergency services. When responders have the codes, they can get to emergencies faster.They keep a special needs tracking awareness and response list, or STAR list of young people who have medical needs the ambulance district would need to address in an emergency. The list details each child’s individual health care needs. The families volunteer to be on the list, said Stephanie Wahoski, chief medical officer.They offer lockboxes for door keys and documents for medical information and instructions to keep in reach, at home, so responders know what medication a patient is taking and what their resuscitation wishes are.If there is a service that will speed up their response time and reduce a patient’s health risk, Stewart said, the ambulance district is going to do whatever it can.Paramedics and EMTs for the Warren County Ambulance District work 48-hour shifts. They alternate between four bases. In addition to responding to medical emergencies in under some of the worst circumstances, and offering community health and safety education, they provide out-of-hospital care and are always engaged in new and specialized training.The district hosts an explorer’s program each school year for young adults who are interested in learning more about the ambulance services profession. A few explorer graduates have gone on to become crew members.The district has 50 employees and four trucks. Its operating budget is $3.4 million. Two-thirds of the budget is funded by property taxes. The rest is funded by patients who are billed for services.In 2018 they answered 4,300 calls.Stewart said because emergency personnel are in the business of saving lives, they often take what they do for granted.“They look at it as it’s their job. They don’t look at themselves as lifesavers and heroes,” she explained.They are likely to get thank yous from the community. People kindly deliver meals and snacks to ambulance bases, and they receive recognition from their peers.“We were recently honored at the East Central Region EMS Committee. Two of our crews received lifesaver awards,” Wahoski said.She said in unrelated calls, paramedics had saved two people who had suffered cardiac arrests. The paramedics were recognized at a Lifesaver Ceremony last month where they were reunited with their patients.Wahoski said too often EMTs and paramedics don’t get to find out what happens to their patients after they leave their care, but it’s special when those patients reach out to them.

During National EMS Week, May 19-25, communities are asked to recognize first responders for the heroic work they do every day. This picture was taken April 18 at the East Central Region Life Saving Award Ceremony when members of the Warren County Ambulance District were recognized by their peers for their role in two life-saving emergency calls. 

Submitted photo