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Notice to Readers: National Emergency Medical Services Week ---
May 18--24, 2008
In the United States, injury is the leading cause of death for persons aged 1--44 years. Prehospital emergency
medical services (EMS) have a substantial impact on the care of the injured and on public health. At an injury scene,
EMS providers determine the severity of injury, initiate medical management, and identify the most appropriate facility
to which to transport the patient.
Every day, under any circumstances, approximately 750,000 EMS providers serve their communities. National
EMS Week (May 18--24, 2008) brings together local communities and medical personnel to promote safety and
recognize the dedication of paramedics, emergency medical technicians, first responders, firefighters, police, and others
who provide often heroic, lifesaving services as a routine part of their jobs.
National EMS Week will feature activities that support this year's theme, Your Life is Our Mission. In support
of National EMS Week, CDC is launching a series of fact sheets on the treatment of blast injuries for EMS responders
and physicians in trauma and emergency departments. These fact sheets are available online at
http://www.emergency.cdc.gov/blastinjuries.
In partnership with the American College of Emergency Physicians, CDC also is sponsoring an online
course, Bombings: Injury Patterns and Care, which is designed to provide the latest clinical information regarding
blast-related injuries from terrorism. The course is available at
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/masscasualties/bombings_injurycare.asp.
This online course and the blast injury fact sheets are supported by CDC's Terrorism Injuries Information, Dissemination
and Exchange (TIIDE) Project. TIIDE was established through a cooperative agreement to link acute care and EMS to
state and local injury-prevention programs for terrorism preparedness and response.
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Health and Human Services.References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are
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the date of publication.
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