When disaster strikes, which heroes put themselves at the frontline?
You will have firefighters and police at the top of your mind, but you probably have forgotten the most vital lifeline to injured victims: emergency medical service (EMS) workers.
This brave group of people typically include first responders, paramedics, emergency medical service technicians (EMT), and other nurses and ambulance assistants whose skills fall within inconspicuous job descriptions of pre-hospital emergency care.
Since 1970, National EMS Week has been held in varying capacities. It went from an unofficial observance inaugurated by President Geral Ford, to one that has official capacity through the nation-wide professional organization of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
It now takes place in the third week of May.
Why National EMS Week Expands Local Perspectives
National EMS Week is a time when local communities and organizations commemorate those individuals who are the first point of contact for the injured and traumatized, right at the scene of a crisis.
They are the first and most important link of the patient care chain, always spending their technical expertise to save life and limb, and their soft skills of compassion, sensitivity, and diligence, to save minds.
How can this help in the social sphere?
Children and adults, alike, can learn the extreme sacrifice and resilience it requires to put yourself through what most people deem traumatizing. Knowing the difficulty that these brave EMS workers go through can persuade us that we need to take safety more seriously.
We, as a community, can improve our awareness of safety regulations in automobiles, occupational spaces, and industrial spaces.
5 Ways Organizations Can Honor Community Safety Standards
As mentioned, communities and business organizations can use National EMS Week as a means to raise the standard of our safety awareness and regulations.
From preventing accidents on the road, to tightening up on schoolground safety, to designing public spaces so that they resist natural disasters, this week is an opportunity to impart some great public health and safety ideas.
#1 Invite Local EMS Workers to Share Their Experiences
The best teachers are those who share real-world experiences of them using their theoretical and practical knowledge to serve the community—and, in this case, to save a life.
When these individuals speak at public events organized by your company, whether it is in the local school, community center, or the company office building, the audience is doubly influenced by the uniqueness of their perspective.
And this is what can inspire them to take their safety and health standards to heart.
Hearing a suspenseful, nerve-jangling story from a paramedic will have its effect. A professional insight can open so many minds to the nuances that lie between life and death. Laypersons can then understand emergency response protocol, and know what to do when actually faced with it in real life. As a token of appreciation for their services and personal sacrifices, you can also give these invited EMS workers awards and plaques.
It will round off the evening with a nice touch!
#2 Give Away First-Aid, Survival, and Safety Kits
You could also distribute first aid kits around the venue, ones which include an assortment of all the necessary items—like bandages, antiseptic creams, gauze, etc—for emergencies big and small. Another alternative is to set up an awareness workshop so that people can learn how to tackle pressurized situations of accident and injury.
You could even hand out automobile safety kits for those participants who own cars and drive frequently. Automobile accidents are fairly frequent, and the community should prepare for certain worst-case scenarios on the road. Reflective vests for cyclists and runners are also essential to mitigate the danger of motorists.
#3 Educate Children on Safety and Emergency Protocols
The best way to celebrate EMS workers is by equipping the younger generation to learn responsible safety and health regulations. You can do this by setting up a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) demonstration, a workshop at a local school, or a stall at a local sports event.
You can distribute awareness coloring books for children themed on topics such as car safety and hospital care. These can make an impact on the younger, more impressionable minds, which is exactly the strategy that can ensure a community keeps itself antifragile.
#4 Support Health Organizations and Servicers
A business organization that wants to make a positive mark on the community’s health and safety standards can honor and support the organizations involved in that type of work. Here are several methods to help out:
- Organize fundraising events and donations for local EMS departments, hospitals, and ambulance services.
- Donate health aid and equipment to the poor.
- Organize a skit about the value of EMS workers.
- Organize a tour of the local emergency response center.
- Promote any EMS job openings.
#5 Distribute Promotional Products For National EMS Week
One of the most effective methods to celebrate National EMS Week and the countless EMS workers, is by distributing promotional items to spread awareness regarding the positive impact these individuals have on our everyday lives. This strategy is more than just an effective way to promote your brand and give your business a platform. It is a strategy that showcases your CSR, and it genuinely makes a difference.
By brainstorming with your marketing department, your company will be sure to find the right items to enhance the message of EMS in your community. Some of the most popular product categories for public health can be full-imprinted t-shirts, awareness bracelets and bands, med-shears, and face coverings for events like the recent COVID-19 pandemic. For more ideas on the same, contact a well-established promotional product company like Promo Direct.