GOVERNOR MARKELL PROCLAIMS NATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK (MAY 15-21, 2016)

DOVER, DE (May 13, 2016) - In appreciation of the service and dedication of Delaware's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel, Governor Jack Markell proclaimed May 15 - 21, 2016 as National Emergency Medical Services Week.

More than 3,300 Emergency Medical Services personnel are registered in the First State, according to the 2015 Delaware Emergency Medical Services Oversight Council (DEMSOC) report. They consist of educators, administrators, dispatchers, first responders, EMTs, paramedics, and hospital Emergency Room staff.

"EMS personnel play a critical role in our health care system by providing life-sustaining care to the ill and the injured," said Governor Jack Markell. "They respond to calls for help 365 days per year, 24 hours a day, and in threatening weather and dangerous conditions."

Added Delaware Health and Social Services Cabinet Secretary Rita Landgraf, "Emergency Medical Services personnel are real life heroes. Whether they are out in the field or serving at a dispatch site or providing care in a hospital, they save lives every day."

In 2015, Delaware's EMS personnel responded to over 209,026 calls, equating to approximately 573 calls daily, 24 calls per hour, or approximately 12 calls every 30 seconds across the state.

"Delawareans should know that EMS personnel take rigorous education and training to maintain their certification," said Division of Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. "We thank them for consistently providing quality, professional care."

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person's spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.