National Emergency Medical Services Week
Tri-Community South EMS is observing National Emergency Medical Services Week from May 20 - 26, 2007.
Since entering service on December 31, 1977, Tri-Community South has answered over 120,000 emergency calls and has done over 21,000 non-emergency transports in Bethel Park, South Park and Upper St. Clair. In addition, TCS employees and volunteers provide stand-by medical coverage at school district and community gatherings, and provide community education in such subjects as CPR, Personal Safety, and Child Car Seat installation and safety, and assist local organizations in providing flu vaccines, and assist in Community Health Fairs for local hospitals and organizations. Every member of Tri-Community South's staff puts dozens of hours annually into continuing education.
National EMS week is sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). It was first designated in 1974 by President Gerald Ford to honor EMS providers nationwide who deliver lifesaving care all day, every day, with little fanfare and little recognition.
"EMS is a vital part of every community, but recognition of its contribution is often lost in the broader focus on fire, police, public health and homeland security," said ACEP President Robert E. Suter, DO. "The events during this week are important to bring together local communities to honor the more than 750,000 EMS providers nationwide and to raise public awareness about important health and safety issues."
This year's EMS Week theme is: "EMS: Extraordinary People, Extraordinary Service." The men and women of EMS are indeed extraordinary. They have to see things that no person should have to see, and do things that most people would refuse to do, all as a matter of course. The service they provide is extraordinary, too, far beyond anything imagined in past generations. With a combination of technology, knowledge, skill and compassion, EMS providers save lives that once would have certainly been lost, reduce suffering, and provide comfort and reassurance to people who are in the greatest need. Whatever the health care emergency, EMS providers are always there when you need them.
In 2007, Emergency Medical Services are under greater pressure than ever. Tri-Community South EMS is no exception. Support from federal and state governments has been almost totally eliminated. EMS is excluded from most Homeland Security grant support, though EMS is likely to be the most critical first responder if lives are to be saved in any homeland security emergency. In fact, EMS receives less than 5% of all DHS support, though EMS providers comprise more than 33% of all Homeland Security first responders. Tri-Community South has not been successful in garnering any support from these means. Businesses in the community are often controlled by national and international parent companies, and most refuse to support local EMS in any way, and generally will not even subscribe to the service. Yet, these same businesses demand the very highest levels of service. In general, EMS is a victim of a culture that says, "I demand this service, and I demand that someone else pay for it."
Tri-Community South EMS is owned and operated by the Municipality of Bethel Park, the Township of South Park, and the Township of Upper St. Clair. As such, it enjoys the full support of the local governments in the communities it serves. Still, it does not use municipal tax revenues to fund its operations. All revenue comes from subscriptions, insurance reimbursements, and user fees. Each of these revenue streams has decreased. Subscription support from citizens has been eroded by the deceptively named EMS Tax that supports municipal services, not EMS. Medicare and other insurers continue to restrict the amount they pay for ambulance service and exclude more services from eligibility for reimbursement. Some insurers refuse to pay EMS providers directly for service, sending payment to the insured person instead. All too often, these people then keep the payment and refuse to pay for the EMS service, and the EMS agency has to resort to the courts to receive any payment, usually much less than the billed amount. Some people simply refuse to pay for the EMS services they received.
These are all among the reasons that EMS providers nationwide are by far the lowest-paid public safety workers. Yet these extraordinary people continue to provide extraordinary service, day or night, in all weather, in spite of all hazards, whether appreciated or abused by those they serve, whether remembered or forgotten by those they've saved. EMS Week is a small token of the appreciation that these extraordinary people are due.
For more information on EMS Week, to find out what you can do to support EMS in your community, to schedule a Child Safety Seat inspection, to register for a CPR class, or for any other questions on Emergency Medical Services, call Tri-Community South at 412-831-3710, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or visit our website at: http://www.tcsems.org