Get Started Now

Of course, big EMS Week projects take time to plan. So, start now to plan your EMS Week events.

• Sponsor a public awareness campaign: Whether you work for a fire department or a hospital or private ambulance service, you easily can advocate for the work you do within your community by holding a public awareness campaign. Work with local businesses to find ways to promote your service and the important work you do. Talk to stores about placing flyers in bags for customers to take home with them, or put up posters in the windows of businesses that explain what EMS work is about. Contact schools and give tours of your station to children. 
• Promote  the opportunity to make a contribution to the trust fund to honor an EMS practitioner for outstanding service to the community.  Include a message in your promotion that "When you make a gift to the trust fund in the name of an EMS practitioner, your gift will not only honor him/her, but also help our community."
• Set up a speaker’s bureau: Another way to be your own advocate is to provide a speaker’s bureau that can help improve recognition for your service by explaining the specialized training that EMTs and paramedics receive and the equipment you use, such as AEDs. By getting the word out to schools, youth groups, community groups and senior centers, you improve recognition of your service and profession. Once your community knows who you are and what you do, you’ll get credit for more than driving an ambulance. 
• Work with local media: Contact local newspapers and TV stations when you take delivery of new equipment that will benefit the community, raise funds for charity as a team, or when your service reaches a significant milestone of employee service or patient care. 
• Even if you don’t have a big news story to report, offer to be a resource to health reporters who may be looking for a visual feature story that an ambulance ride-along or a reporter shadowing one of your crews can provide. 
• Host Public Safety events: Use EMS Week to help educate your community about seat belt and child seat safety, pedestrian street safety, bicycle safety, and household safety.
• Invite your local, state and federal elected officials to participate in your EMS Week events. Another great way to educate your elected officials on the EMS profession is to invite them to participate on a ride-along. The more you can engage your elected officials, the more they can relate to EMS.