Recognizing National Emergency Medical Services

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the ambulances, the emergency medical technicians, and the paramedics that we all rely on each and every day have come a long way since Ernest Hemingway and the first casualty transports of World War I.

From highway crashes to heart attacks and falls, we call on our EMTs to be the first medical care a patient receives, regardless of their circumstance.

During National Emergency Medical Services Week, we recognize and thank the men and women willing to respond at a moment's notice. More and more, we rely on these first responders to address significant instances, instances like a diabetic coma, a fractured limb, or a patient who has overdosed.

We in Congress owe it to our EMTs and the communities that they serve to ensure that they have the tools and resources necessary to arrive quickly and to treat these patients.

So often, we forget the toll that these jobs take on first responders and their families. This week, let's remain grateful for the care and the professionalism of our frontline healthcare workers and pledge to support the EMTs and paramedics--volunteers and paid alike--who support our communities and, ultimately, care for our families.

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