This week, May 18-24, is Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week in Indiana.

The EMS Commission in conjunction with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security has joined state and local governments across the nation in observance of EMS Week to make Hoosiers aware that "Your Life is Our Mission."

Emergency Medical Services Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to publicize safety and honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine's "front line."

This year's theme, "Your Life is Our Mission," symbolizes the commitment that emergency medical personnel make to the communities they serve. The dedication these people possess provides round-theclock care to communities in Carroll County and across the nation.

"What many people fail to realize is that EMS workers put their own lives on the line daily," said Sherrie Crain, EMS Operations Director. "They work around the clock, coming to the rescue regardless of weather conditions or holidays."

Indiana has more than 27,000 certified emergency medical professionals consisting of emergency physicians, nurses, and medical technicians, as well as paramedics, firefighters, educators, first responders and administrators that are ready to provide lifesaving care to Hoosiers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each year these EMS providers respond to more than 700,000 requests for emergency medical care.

EMS professionals perform under difficult circumstances everyday and we thank them for their dedication, self-sacrifice, and courage.