Escambia County is celebrating National EMS Week May 20-28, which honors emergency medical service professionals for their dedication to public service while raising awareness about the many EMS services, resources and programs available to Escambia County citizens. This year’s theme is EMS Strong: Stronger Together.
EMS Week Events
- EMS Open House: Sunday, May 20 from 1-4 p.m., Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. “W” St.
- PulsePoint app launch and Cardiac Saves reception: Tuesday, May 22 at 5:30 p.m., Escambia County Public Safety
- Free hands-only CPR courses: Monday, May 21 - Friday, May 25 from 4:30-5:30 p.m., Escambia County Public Safety
- Free hands-only CPR training event: Saturday, May 26 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m, Cordova Mall, 5100 N. Ninth Ave.
EMS Week will kick off with an EMS open house Sunday, May 20. Residents are invited to tour EMS headquarters, the emergency communications and emergency operations center, see EMS equipment and vehicles up close, learn about the county’s disasters assets and capabilities and meet their local Escambia County EMS staff. There will also be a hands-only CPR station and a "Stop the Bleed" station to help educate the public about important lifesaving measures.
On Tuesday, May 22, Escambia County EMS will host an event to publicly launch the use of the PulsePoint app in the county, along with a Cardiac Saves reception for cardiac arrest survivors. The PulsePoint mobile app, now in more than 2,800 communities nationwide, alerts CPR-trained citizens of cardiac events in their vicinity through a free-to-download mobile app, so they may administer aid while professional responders are en route. The app also informs responders and emergency dispatchers of nearby public Automated External Defibrillators, or AEDs. Early application of bystander CPR and rapid defibrillation from an AED have proven to be crucial in improving a person’s chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest. Learn more at pulsepoint.org.
EMS will offer free hands-only CPR courses during EMS week at Escambia County Public Safety from 4:30-5:30 p.m. EMS will also host a free CPR training event at Cordova Mall on Saturday, May 26 at the center court entrance. Individuals and families are encouraged to show up and receive a free 10 minute hands-only CPR class. Children will have the opportunity to meet EMTs and paramedics and receive coloring books. There is no age limit, and EMS hopes to train 250 individuals in hands-only CPR and gain over 500 PulsePoint users during the week.
National EMS Week is presented by the American College of Emergency Physicians in partnership with the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians.
Escambia County EMS Facts:
- Escambia County EMS, a division of the Escambia County Department of Public Safety, is provider of critical care, advanced life support, basic life support and bariatric transports. ECEMS provides these services to Escambia County’s 300,000-plus residents. EMS has an active Public Education Information Program that provides valuable information to various groups, including students, civic organizations, churches, professionals and the general public. EMS also provides both hands free and hands-only CPR training.
- EMS responded to over 53,000 emergency calls last year.
- Escambia County EMS has 128 full-time personnel and 73 emergency relief personnel. This includes a chief of EMS, deputy chief, section chief, medical director, EMS shift commanders, field paramedics and EMTs, fleet manager, logistics supervisor, and logistics support staff as well as billing and office support staff.
- Both EMTs and paramedics have the knowledge and skills to transport patients and provide them with emergency care. EMTs are educated in many skills including CPR, giving patients oxygen, administering glucose for diabetics and helping others with treatments for asthma attacks or allergic reactions. Paramedics are advanced providers of emergency medical care and are highly educated in topics such as anatomy and physiology, cardiology, medications, and medical procedures. They build on their EMT education and learn more skills such as administering a wider range of medications, starting intravenous lines, providing advanced airway management for patients, and resuscitating and supporting patients with significant problems such as heart attacks and traumas.
- Escambia County EMS is a designated American Heart Association Gold Level recipient for 2017. This distinction is awarded to the top tier agencies that provide excellence in cardiac care.
- EMS employees from all levels of the organization are active in developing a strategic plan through an organization committee and are committed to an organizational active learning model.
To learn more about the EMS fleet, equipment used and emergency preparedness, click here.
