[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8982--MAY 17, 2013

Proclamation 8982 of May 17, 2013

Emergency Medical Services Week, 2013
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
In every corner of our country, emergency medical services (EMS)
practitioners are hard at work delivering hope and care to Americans in
dire circumstances. In the face of chaos and tragedy, their steady hands
provide vital, life-saving services, and their calm under pressure
delivers comfort to neighbors in need. During Emergency Medical Services
Week, we pause to offer our gratitude to these remarkable men and women,
whose dedication is fundamental to our society's well-being.
In recent weeks, we have again seen the critical role EMS professionals
play in times of crisis. When explosives went off at the Boston
Marathon, EMS personnel rushed toward the blasts and, with selfless
disregard for their own safety, immediately tended to the injured.
Alongside countless volunteers and ordinary citizens, they demonstrated
the very best of the American spirit--a spirit that EMS professionals
display every day. My Administration remains dedicated to providing
these courageous first responders, emergency medical technicians, 911
dispatchers, law enforcement officers, volunteers, and others throughout
our health care system with the support they need to aid the American
people in their darkest hours.
When Americans find themselves in times of crisis--from car accidents to
national tragedies--our robust network of EMS professionals ensures that
quality medical care is only moments away. This week, let us recommit to
supporting EMS personnel and thanking them for their heroic
contributions to our lives.
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 19 through May 25,
2013, as Emergency Medical Services Week. I en-



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courage all Americans to
observe this occasion by sharing their support with their local EMS
providers and taking steps to improve their personal safety and
preparedness.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of
May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
seventh.
BARACK OBAMA