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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: May 16, 2017 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 4-a <br /> SUBJECT: Emergency Medical Services Week Proclamation <br /> DEPARTMENT: Emergency Services <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> EMS Week Proclamation Dinah Jeffries, 919-245-6123 <br /> Kim Woodward, 919-245-6133 <br /> PURPOSE: To proclaim the week of May 21 through 27, 2017, as Emergency Medical <br /> Services Week in Orange County. <br /> BACKGROUND: The American College of Emergency Physician (ACEP) has announced that <br /> the 43rd annual Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week will be celebrated throughout the <br /> nation May 21-27, 2017, in recognition of the dedicated professionals who provide emergency <br /> services to residents and visitors. EMS is now firmly established as an essential public function <br /> and a vital component of the medical care continuum. On any given day, EMS practitioners <br /> help save lives by responding to medical emergencies, including heart attack, difficulty <br /> breathing, a fall or accident, drowning, cardiac arrest, stroke, drug overdose or acute illness. <br /> EMS may provide both basic and advanced medical care at the scene of an emergency and <br /> enroute to a hospital. EMS practitioners care for their patients' medical needs and show caring <br /> and compassion to their patients in their most difficult moments. <br /> With the development of mobile integrated healthcare and community paramedicine (MIH-CP), <br /> EMS is also increasingly a valued participant in achieving the nation's overall healthcare goals <br /> of improved patient health and lowered costs. Emergency Medical Services Week brings <br /> together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication <br /> of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine's "front line". The <br /> Emergency Medical Services System in Orange County includes Telecommunicators, Fire <br /> Departments, Law Enforcement Officers, Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians, South <br /> Orange Rescue Squad, First Choice, North State Ambulance Service, Emergency Nurses, <br /> Emergency Physicians, County Staff, Carolina AirCare, and the University of North Carolina <br /> Department of Emergency Medicine. <br /> The Orange County Emergency Medical Services System responded to more than 14,159 <br /> reported emergencies last year, providing medical assessment, treatment, and ambulance <br /> transportation when medically necessary. Emergency Services staffs eight (8) paramedic <br />