ENROLLED 2018 Second Extraordinary Session HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 7 BY REPRESENTATIVE PIERRE A RESOLUTION To designate May 20 through 26, 2018, as Emergency Medical Services Week, highlighting the theme of "EMS Strong: Always in Service". WHEREAS, in 1974, President Gerald Ford authorized Emergency Medical Services Week to celebrate these services and the important job that those who work in that area of health care perform in the nation's communities; and WHEREAS, in the forty-four years since that first week of recognition, emergency medical services workers have continued to save lives by responding to medical emergencies, including heart attacks, difficulty breathing, falls and accidents, drownings, cardiac arrest, strokes, drug overdoses, and many other acute medical situations; and WHEREAS, emergency medical services are an essential public function and a vital part of the medical care continuum; and WHEREAS, the members of emergency medical services teams are ready to provide lifesaving care to those in need, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week; and WHEREAS, access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury; and WHEREAS, emergency medical services have grown to fill a gap by providing important, out-of-hospital care, including preventative medicine, follow-up care, and access to telemedicine; and WHEREAS, the emergency services system consists of first responders, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, emergency medical dispatchers, firefighters, police officers, educators, administrators, prehospital nurses, emergency physicians, trained members of the public, and other out-of-hospital medical providers; and Page 1 of 2 HR NO. 7 ENROLLED WHEREAS, the members of emergency medical services teams, whether career or volunteer, engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their lifesaving skills; and WHEREAS, it is appropriate to continue the annual celebration of the value and accomplishments of emergency medical service providers by designating Emergency Medical Services Week, May 20 through 26, 2018. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby designate May 20 through 26, 2018, as Emergency Medical Services Week, highlighting the theme of "EMS Strong: Always in Service". BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Deputy Fire Chief Terry Blanchard, president of the Louisiana Association of Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technicians. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Page 2 of 2