Emergency Medical Services Week, 2016

Proclamation 9445 of May 13, 2016

Emergency Medical Services Week, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Every day across our Nation, women and men sacrifice
precious time with their loved ones, working long and
hard to provide emergency medical services (EMS) to
people they have never met before. Often operating in
the midst of trauma and heartbreak, these professionals
deliver urgent and essential care, saving lives and
upholding a timeless belief that defines who we are as
Americans--that we all must look out for one another.
This week, we recognize the daily heroism of our EMS
professionals at all levels, and we express our
gratitude for their efforts to keep us healthy and
safe.

Embodying the grit, compassion, and courage that has
driven our Nation forward since its founding, our
emergency medical technicians, paramedics, 911
dispatchers, nurses, physicians, EMS medical directors,
firefighters, and law enforcement officers reflect a
spirit of selflessness that makes us all strive to live
up to their example. Their families stand beside them,
enduring extraordinary anticipation and exercising
sincere patience each day. As the steady anchors in an
otherwise unpredictable daily routine, these families
offer unwavering support for EMS practitioners--giving
them the support and strength necessary to fulfill the
demands of their unending work.

EMS providers brave danger and uncertainty, and their
efforts deserve our most profound appreciation. We
rarely know when tragedy will strike, and in our most
vulnerable moments, we rely on these dedicated
professionals. During Emergency Medical Services Week,
let us celebrate and support the EMS professionals who
demonstrate the values at the heart of the American
spirit, and let us thank them for their heroic work.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim May 15 through May
21, 2016, as Emergency Medical Services Week. I
encourage all Americans to observe this occasion by
showing their support for their local EMS providers and
taking steps to improve their own personal safety and
preparedness.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and fortieth.