In 1974, President Gerald Ford authorized EMS Week to celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nation's communities. NAEMT partners with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) to lead annual EMS Week activities. Together, NAEMT and ACEP are working to ensure that the important contributions of EMS practitioners in safeguarding the health, safety and wellbeing of their communities are fully celebrated and recognized.
- PUB DATE: 5/17/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NAEMT

VIDEO: The Town of Waterford is making firefighters in town decide whether they want to work part-time and get paid or fight fires as a volunteer. Currently the town has overlap between part-time and volunteer firefighters. First Selectman Dan Steward said the issue was raised after a local part-time firefighter requested to be paid for decades of volunteer service, citing a potential violation of an old federal labor law.
- PUB DATE: 5/17/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WVIT-TV NBC 30

Seattle firefighters need more bulletproof vests because of growing dangers on the job. The department has gotten a few, but still needed more than 200 vests and there's no more money from the city to pay for them. But, with help from the Seattle Fire Foundation, more than $55,000 has been raised in community and corporate donations.
- PUB DATE: 5/16/2019 9:04:37 PM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000

Hundreds of firefighters are training in preparation for this year’s fire season. "So today is the second day of the Central Washington Interagency Fire Training Academy here in Gleed," said Miles Pollack, Assistant Fire Unit Manager, Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The annual week long training brings in 500 firefighters from multiple agencies.
- PUB DATE: 5/16/2019 6:54:16 PM - SOURCE: NBC Right Now

Firework season is coming up fast here in Washington. To help keep people safe, firefighters around the state got some training Thursday in inspecting and handling fireworks. Firefighters were given demonstrations to see how improperly handled fireworks can quickly lead to trouble. “The public is going to know when they get to these stands that they're getting a product that they can use, that is safe for their families," Deputy State Fire Marshal Kevin Hoff said.
- PUB DATE: 5/16/2019 5:21:41 PM - SOURCE: KCPQ-TV FOX 13