SLS 182ES-5 ORIGINAL 2018 Second Extraordinary Session SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 4 BY SENATOR MARTINY SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH. Designates May 20 through May 26, 2018, as Emergency Medical Services Week. 1 A RESOLUTION 2 To designate May 20 through May 26, 2018, as Emergency Medical Services Week, 3 highlighting the theme of "EMS Strong: Always in Service". 4 WHEREAS, in 1974, President Gerald Ford authorized Emergency Medical Services 5 Week to celebrate these services and the important job that those who work in that area of 6 healthcare perform in the nation's communities; and 7 WHEREAS, in the forty-four years since that first week of recognition, emergency 8 medical services workers helped to save lives by responding to medical emergencies, 9 including heart attack, difficulty breathing, falls or accidents, drowning, cardiac arrest, 10 stroke, drug overdose, and any other acute medical situations; and 11 WHEREAS, emergency medical services are an essential public function and by 12 filling a gap in the course of out-of-hospital care, including preventative medicine, and 13 access to telemedicine, thereby providing a vital part of the medical care continuum; and 14 WHEREAS, the members of emergency medical services teams are ready to provide 15 lifesaving care to those in need, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week; and 16 WHEREAS, access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival 17 and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury; and 18 WHEREAS, emergency medical services have grown to fill a gap by providing Page 1 of 2 SR NO. 4 SLS 182ES-5 ORIGINAL 1 important, out-of-hospital care, including preventative medicine, follow-up care, and access 2 to telemedicine; and 3 WHEREAS, the emergency services system consists of first responders, emergency 4 medical technicians, paramedics, emergency medical dispatchers, firefighters, police 5 officers, educators, administrators, prehospital nurses, emergency physicians, trained 6 members of the public, and other out-of-hospital medical providers; and 7 WHEREAS, the members of emergency medical services teams, whether career or 8 volunteer, engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to 9 enhance their lifesaving skills; and 10 WHEREAS, it is appropriate to continue the annual occasion to recognize and 11 celebrate the value and accomplishments of emergency medical service providers by 12 designating Emergency Medical Services Week, May 20 through May 26, 2018, highlighting 13 the theme of "EMS Strong: Always in Service". 14 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana 15 does hereby designate May 20 through May 26, 2018, as Emergency Medical Services 16 Week, highlighting the theme of "EMS Strong: Always in Service". 17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 18 Deputy Fire Chief Terry Blanchard, president of the Louisiana Association of Nationally 19 Registered Emergency Medical Technicians. The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Mary Dozier O'Brien. DIGEST SR 4 Original 2018 Second Extraordinary Session Martiny Designates May 20 through May 26, 2018, as Emergency Medical Services Week, highlighting the theme of "EMS Strong: Always in Service". Page 2 of 2