[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 135 (Wednesday, October 25, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       25TH ANNIVERSARY OF NAEMT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. CURT WELDON

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 25, 2000

  Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to highlight an 
important milestone for America's Emergency Medical Services systems 
and to voice my continued support for the nation's EMTs and Paramedics.
  This year marks the 25th anniversary of the National Association of 
Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT). For 25 years NAEMT has 
represented the interests of America's 600,000 EMTs and Paramedics, 
while witnessing the evolving role of EMS in this country. No longer 
are EMS personnel simply ``ambulance drivers,'' but instead they 
provide quality medical care for the sick and injured, including 
advanced life support with such interventions as intravenous 
cannulation, cardiac defibrillation, endotracheal intubation, and 
medication administration. But EMS personnel today do more than just 
clinical medicine. Whether it be a free blood pressure and blood sugar 
screening hosted by the local EMS agency in the rural town of Eveleth, 
Minnesota or the initiation of a defibrillator training program for 
community members in Omaha, Nebraska, EMTs and Paramedics across 
America exhibit a special dedication to the people of their 
communities. I applaud America's EMS personnel for their 25 years of 
outstanding service.
  The aging population and concerns about healthcare for the 21st 
century are both issues we are fervently debating in Congress right 
now. EMS, as part of the allied healthcare system, is not immune from 
the effects of these emerging issues. Instead, these issues are rapidly 
increasing the roles of EMS personnel. At the NAEMT conference 
``Outlook 2000'' in Reno, Nevada on November 8-11, America's EMTs and 
Paramedics will boldly step forward and accept these new challenges.
  Mr. Speaker, I am convinced that today's EMTs and Paramedics will 
continue to proudly serve the people of this nation and will confront 
future challenges not with trepidation, but with the same confident 
altruism that led them to first develop America's EMS systems a quarter 
century ago.

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