[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