[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 86 (Monday, May 22, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for 5 minutes.
Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the ambulances, the emergency
medical technicians, and the paramedics that we all rely on each and
every day have come a long way since Ernest Hemingway and the first
casualty transports of World War I.
From highway crashes to heart attacks and falls, we call on our EMTs
to be the first medical care a patient receives, regardless of their
circumstance.
During National Emergency Medical Services Week, we recognize and
thank the men and women willing to respond at a moment's notice. More
and more, we rely on these first responders to address significant
instances, instances like a diabetic coma, a fractured limb, or a
patient who has overdosed.
We in Congress owe it to our EMTs and the communities that they serve
to ensure that they have the tools and resources necessary to arrive
quickly and to treat these patients.
So often, we forget the toll that these jobs take on first responders
and their families. This week, let's remain grateful for the care and
the professionalism of our frontline healthcare workers and pledge to
support the EMTs and paramedics--volunteers and paid alike--who support
our communities and, ultimately, care for our families.
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