The 50th anniversary of National EMS week was celebrated this past week in the Knoxville community.

At Monday’s Knoxville City Council meeting, a proclamation was read by Mayor Brian Hatch in honor of EMS week. The proclamation stated that emergency medical services are a vital public service, and the members of EMS teams are ready to provide lifesaving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury. Hatch said he appreciates the hard work of all EMS personnel.

“You can’t really say much more than they’re live saving, and they really truly are. They’re super important. It’s another one of those departments where they just run ragged. There are so many calls that they take all the time. If it’s not calls of our own it might be calls out in a rural area or calls from another community and we’re trying to back up if their guys are out, and likewise they’re doing the same for us. All of those departments countywide are always working. It amazes me the network they have all together and how they make it all work.”

The theme for 2024 National EMS Week is “Honoring our Past. Forging our Future.”.