The History of EMS Week
In 1974, President Gerald Ford authorized EMS Week to celebrate EMS professionals and the important work they do in our nation's communities. National Emergency Medical Services Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine's frontline. EMS Week is presented by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) in partnership with the National Associations of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT). Together, NAEMT and ACEP lead annual EMS Week activities. These organizations are working to ensure that the important contributions of EMS professionals in safeguarding the health, safety and well-being of their communities are fully celebrated and recognized.
Having special theme days during EMS Week helps to structure the week in terms of planning special events, conducting training and hosting celebrations. Remember all the days of EMS Week when planning your agency’s activities.
Sunday is Health, Wellness, and Resilience Day
To promote the health, wellness, and resilience of EMS professionals and patients. Health, Wellness, and Resilience Day highlights the need to recognize and care for the health and wellness of EMS professionals and patients and share ideas on strengthening resilience. It is an opportunity to step back and take care of ourselves through self-care and care for our fellow EMS professionals and the patients in our care every day.
Monday is Education Day
Highlighting public education programs and EMS professionals' education.
Education Day seeks to highlight community educational programs and the importance of continuing education for EMS professionals. This is the ideal day to plan a community injury or illness prevention program and a special CE course for your agency. Consider in-person or online community education programs related to the prevention of falls, burns, poisoning, or drowning.
Tuesday is EMS Safety Day
To promote Safety for the EMS professional, the patient, and the public, Safety Day encourages first responders to focus on risk and prevention rather than possible negative outcomes and aims to advance safety measures for both the community and the profession. This is a great day to highlight stress reduction, self-care, and mental health awareness programs. Other options for programs include improved situational awareness, driving and roadway safety, vehicle and device maintenance, proper lifting techniques, or violence awareness.
Wednesday is EMS for Children Day
To highlight the special needs of caring for children EMS for Children Day highlights the distinctive physiological and psychological aspects of caring for children and serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about improving specialized care for children in pre-hospital and acute care settings. Consider planning a pediatric care educational event for your clinicians and a community program related to first aid, emergency preparedness, car seats or bicycle safety.
Thursday is Save-A-Life Day
To promote Stop the Bleed, public CPR programs and other programs It doesn’t matter how quickly EMS professionals get to a scene—bystanders will almost always be there first. Save-A-Life Day empowers the general public to learn and apply steps that can be taken to help save a life. This is an ideal day to schedule community CPR and Stop the Bleed educational courses. Take advantage of the many programs and toolkits available that make it easier to coordinate these programs.
Thursday is also STOP THE BLEED® Day!
STOP THE BLEED® is an official program of the U.S. Department of Defense. Please check out the STOP THE BLEED® Project website and all of the programs for STOP THE BLEED® Day including:
STOP THE BLEED® Day (Save the date! May 22, 2025!)
STOP THE BLEED® Grants - STOP THE BLEED® Training Kit Grants! The fast growing STOP THE BLEED® Day Ambassador program (now in more than 100 countries).
Learn about all of the programs and activities happening this STOP THE BLEED® Month (May) and Day at:
The STOP THE BLEED® Project
The number 1 cause of preventable death after injury is bleeding. Our Strategic Partner, the American College of Surgeons (ACS), has many educational resources to help you stop the bleed. Get trained on how to save a life or help others learn how to stop the bleed by becoming an instructor.
Learn more.
The 2025 EMS Week Blood Drive is a nationwide initiative to encourage blood donation during EMS Week. This effort aims to increase blood availability for EMS and hospitals to improve survival rates for trauma and medical emergency patients. It also highlights the life-saving potential of prehospital blood administration.
Friday is EMS Recognition Day
SPONSORED BY Teleflex and the National Registry of Emergency Medical
Technicians
To recognize your local EMS heroes and those who save lives through the EMS system. On EMS Recognition Day, we honor members of the EMS community who regularly go above and beyond what’s expected. It’s a day to give gratitude to first responders for their unwavering commitment to serving their communities. Plan an awards event, a special meal, a gift-giving event, and other honors for EMS Recognition Day.
Tools to help you recognize EMS Week
(from our Strategic Partner, American Ambulance Association)
EMS Week Op-Ed Writing Structure Guide & Checklist
Webinar: Public Relations Tools for EMS Week Success
Saturday is EMS Remembrance Day
To honor emergency medical services personnel who have died in the line-of-duty and to recognize the ultimate sacrifice they made for their communities. We thank them for their service to EMS and for bringing comfort and lifesaving care to their patients. They leave us with the proud memory of their commitment and dedication to EMS. This day is set aside to recognize those fallen EMS professionals and their families. Some ideas for this day include: Plan a memorial ceremony, hold a moment of silence event, create a Wall of Honor, host a ceremony to recognize families or establish a memorial scholarship.
