Through May 27, 2017, National EMS Week is bringing together local communities, hospitals and medical personnel to publicize EMS and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services on medicine's "front line.” This year's national theme is “EMS Strong: Always in Service.”

Allentown EMS responded to nearly 15,600 calls for service in 2016. Allentown EMS is an all paramedic advanced life support service.

Allentown EMS Operations Manager Eric Gratz said, “National Emergency Medical Services Week is a time to recognize and honor the dedication of those first medical responders.”

President Gerald Ford authorized the first EMS Week in 1974 to celebrate EMS workers and volunteers and the important jobs they perform throughout the nation.

Allentown EMS will recognize employees during a Thursday, May 25 proclamation ceremony at 11am in City Council Chambers. Those who worked during both Winter Storm Stella and Winter Storm Jonas will be honored, including the National Guard which provided a Humvee ambulance to assist in navigating snow covered streets. The bureau will also recognize a city dispatcher, the Allentown Fire Department, the Allentown Police Department and an EMS crew who resuscitated a patient in cardiac arrest. The patient made a full recovery and walked out of the hospital three days later.

“I am very proud of the work done by our EMS team,” said Mayor Ed Pawlowski. “Our residents should have the utmost confidence that their emergency needs are being handled by highly skilled personnel.”

EMS may provide both basic and advanced medical care at emergency scenes and while en route to a hospital. More than just a mobile intensive care ambulance service, Allentown's paramedics are involved in numerous public service specialty teams such as HAZMAT, police ERT, Technical and Urban Search and Rescue, water rescue, and our dive and bike teams just to name a few.

The Allentown EMS fleet includes eight ALS equipped ambulances with two advanced life support ambulances that are staffed around the clock with two additional ALS ambulances operating during peak call-volume times. The shift supervisor responds to calls 24 hours a day in an ALS quick response vehicle.

National EMS Week also illuminates the thousands of first responders, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, nurses and physicians who make-up a complete system designed to save lives.

For more information visit the Allentown EMS webpage at www.allentownpa.gov or call 610-437-7531.

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