    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 8519--MAY 13, 2010

    Proclamation 8519 of May 13, 2010
    Emergency Medical Services Week, 2010
    By the President of the United States of America
    A Proclamation

    Every day of the year, at all hours of the day and night, we rely on
    emergency medical services (EMS) professionals and volunteers for
    critical care in our homes, on our roads, in our hospitals, and wherever
    needs exist. EMS teams serve all Americans, standing ready to respond

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    at a moment's notice, and tirelessly enhancing our country's
    preparedness and resilience. During Emergency Medical Services Week, we
    recommit to supporting all EMS providers, and we celebrate their
    selflessness and courageous contributions to our Nation.
    Our EMS system includes a wide array of dedicated specialists, including
    emergency medical technicians, 9-1-1 dispatchers, paramedics,
    firefighters, law enforcement officials, educators, nurses, and
    physicians. From rural regions of our Nation to our busiest urban
    centers, EMS teams provide access to quality care when unforeseen
    illness, injury, or disaster strikes. The aid they administer cuts
    across various disciplines and often requires split-second decisions,
    essential to preventing disability or death among their fellow citizens.
    My Administration is committed to supporting EMS providers and their
    important mission. The Affordable Care Act, which I signed into law this
    year, authorizes innovative new emergency care and trauma systems, and
    improves and expands EMS for children. It also prohibits insurance
    companies from imposing prior authorization requirements or increased
    cost-sharing for emergency services.
    EMS providers spend long hours to further their medical education, train
    themselves on the latest life-saving techniques, and maintain vital
    emergency equipment, often choosing to do so on their own time and at
    their own expense. Many communities rely heavily, or even exclusively,
    on committed volunteers to provide out-of-hospital EMS. The role of EMS
    providers extends beyond performing services themselves, however. They
    also act as instructors to train ordinary Americans, because bystanders
    are often the first to arrive at the scene of a crisis. These heroic
    professionals, volunteers, and citizens form a network that has long
    supported our health care system, and their example is an inspiration to
    us all.
    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 16 through May 22,
    2010, as Emergency Medical Services Week. I encourage all Americans to
    observe this occasion with programs and activities to support their
    local EMS workers and to improve their own safety and preparedness
    skills.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of
    May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence
    of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
    BARACK OBAMA