Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is honoring Michigan’s dedicated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel by proclaiming May 21-27 as Michigan EMS Recognition Week.

“Michigan EMS heroes are a lifeline to our communities, serving our residents when they need it most,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). “We owe these heroic First Responders so much appreciation this week during EMS Week and all year round.”

EMS providers stand ready day or night to help residents, providing critical pre-hospital care to Michiganders in both emergencies and other health care situations. These services include preventative medicine, follow-up care, other transportation needs and more. EMS heroes help improve survival and recovery rates of people who experience sudden illness or injury.

“Michigan’s EMS practitioners take great pride in providing lifesaving pre-hospital care to residents in need,” said Jason MacDonald, president of the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services and vice president at Medstar Ambulance. “We stand ready to serve Michiganders in-need and encourage others to consider serving their communities by working in EMS.”

There are 29,035 EMS providers and 800 life support agencies in Michigan and more than 4,000 licensed life support vehicles, according to the MDHHS Division of EMS and Trauma within the Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, EMS and Systems of Care.

Click here for more information about EMS services in Michigan.