JFK Hospital Celebrates EMS Week

It's not just a job; it's a calling.

That's the message that in Edison is sending during National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week, an event dedicated to recognizing the jobs that EMS workers of all stripes do in saving lives.

EMS Week is May 20 to 26 this year, and the theme, "EMS: More Than A Job. A Calling", honors those community members who provide day-to-day, “front-line” lifesaving services - from paramedics and emergency medical technicians to fire fighters and police.

"EMS providers don’t choose this field for big salaries, comfortable working conditions, or 9-to-5 hours.  They have a true calling to help their neighbors and friends in their time of need," said Ray Fredericks, president and CEO of JFK Medical Center, in a statement.

Fredericks called EMS workers "the quiet heroes of health care."

"Our EMS members depict this year’s theme.  They demonstrate their compassion and dedication to those they serve through their willingness to respond to those in need," he said.

EMS Week is sponsored nationally by the American College of Emergency Physicians, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Health Resources and Services Administration, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.