This year marks the 46th annual National EMS Week. In 1974, President Gerald Ford authorized EMS Week to celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nation's communities.
The 2021 EMS Week (May 16-22) theme is: "THIS IS EMS: Caring for Our Communities." This theme is particularly meaningful now, to remind people that every day we are still there to respond, support, and care for the needs of our communities.
"The COVID-19 pandemic continues to test EMS professionals like never before. EMTs, paramedics and other frontline workers are rising to the challenge and each has a crucial role in responding to the public health crisis of our lifetime," said ACEP President Mark Rosenberg, DO, MBA, FACEP, in a statement. "National EMS Week is a time to recognize and honor EMS professionals for their tireless dedication to their communities—not just during this pandemic but every day."