Emergency medical services are a vital public service, providing lifesaving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Lee County Emergency Medical Services covers a variety of people-usually the publics initial experience starts with a phone call to 9 1 1. Spokesperson Paul Filla says "It happens on a daily basis, there's somebody who's calling who's in an emergency, who doesn't know what to do, and the EMS call takers are trained in how to handle emergency medical calls and they're able to walk you through and more importantly, they're able to calm you down."

Capt. Arthur Garcia says that the call takers then dispatch help immediately. "Any 911 call, we respond lights and sirens."

EMS week is designed to bring the local community and the medical personnel together to promote public safety and at the same time honor the dedication of those who provide life saving services on a day-to-day basis. Capt. Garcia also says that "I think that being involved in this line of work, it's just one of the things because of training and practice it does become second nature."

This year's theme is celebrating how EMS serves on the front lines and the powerful commitment that these individuals combine to render care to their fellow man.

EMS Week is an excellent time to bring public awareness to this essential community service. If a special EMS worker has saved your life, you might want to send a special thank you their way.