Pediatric Ideas for Theme Days

Celebrate EMS Week Theme Days

Each year, Sunday through Friday of EMS Week are appointed a theme that represents the multifaceted nature of EMS:

  • Sunday = Health, Wellness, and Resilience Day
  • Monday = Education Day
  • Tuesday = EMS Safety Day
  • Wednesday = EMS for Children Day
  • Thursday = Save-a-Life Day
  • Friday = EMS Recognition Day

This section provides ideas on how to celebrate some of these days with a pediatric focus. You could also use any of the ideas listed in the themes days for your EMSC Day celebration.

Education Day

Education Day seeks to highlight educational programs that serve the public, as well as the importance of continuing education (CE) for EMS clinicians. This is the ideal day to plan a community injury or illness prevention program or a pediatric CE course. EMS agency pediatric emergency care coordinators (PECCs) can play a pivotal role in educating the public about ways they can prevent illness or injury in children.

Event Ideas

In recognition of Education Day, listed below are some ways to help the community and EMS personnel learn to care for children in an emergency.

  • Host an EMS open house and offer public education presentations and training on the unique needs of children in the prehospital setting.
  • Speak to local groups to share why EMS is a valuable part of your community and educate them about local resources for pediatric emergency care.
  • Host a pediatric training course (see below for course ideas & educational opportunities).

Educational Resources

For Providers:

For State Partnership Program Managers:

Safety Day

Safety Tuesday encourages responders to focus on risk and prevention rather than possible negative outcomes. It aims to promote the advancement of safety measures for both the community and the profession.

Injury Prevention Community Events

National Campaigns and Tools
  • The Blue Campaign (Department of Homeland Security)
    A national public awareness campaign designed to educate the public, law enforcement and other industry partners to recognize the indicators of human trafficking, and how to appropriately respond to possible cases.
  • Heads Up (CDC)
    Whether you are a parent, youth sports coach, school coach, school professional, or health care provider, this site will help you recognize, respond to, and minimize the risk of concussion or other serious brain injury.

EMSC Day

EMS for Children Day highlights the distinctive physiological and psychological aspects of caring for children, and serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about improving specialized care for children in prehospital and acute care settings. Consider planning a pediatric care educational event for your clinicians and a community program related to first aid, emergency preparedness, car seats or bicycle safety.

The EMS for Children Program would like to thank the thousands of health care professionals — EMTs, paramedics, nurses and physicians — who for the last 37 years have worked with the Program at state and national levels to improve the care provided to children in the emergency setting!

State Partnership Program Celebration Examples
  • Alabama: arranged for transport services to receive thank you cards from children and hosted an education day
  • Alaska: promoted EMS week through a newsletter and Facebook posts
  • District of Columbia: EMSC Team visited DC firehouses to provide pediatric disaster education
  • Kentucky: recognized agencies for it’s Voluntary EMS Pediatric Recognition Program
  • New Hampshire: hosted a fire & injury prevention day
  • Tennessee: teams held picnics throughout the week, and hosted a breakfast in one city
  • Louisiana: celebrated at the capital rotunda with a magician and hosted a CPR practice table and were featured in two news reports. (WABF, WBRZ)

EMS Agency/Community Celebration Ideas

Click here for more ideas!

EMS Recognition Day

On EMS Recognition Day, we honor members of the EMS community who regularly go above and beyond what’s expected. It’s a day to give gratitude to first responders for their unwavering commitment to serve their communities. Plan a memorial ceremony, an awards event, a special meal, gifts and other honors for EMS Recognition Day.

  • Remember colleagues injured or killed in the line of duty with a public ceremony or a moment of silence (visit the National EMS Memorial Foundation or National EMS Memorial Service webpage for additional ways to memorialize EMS providers)
  • Host an awards luncheon to recognize an EMT or Paramedic of the Year, as well as all of your EMS professionals
  • Recognize a save
  • Visit a school or youth organization
  • Give gratitude to your family by taking some time off during EMS Week, relax, and be present and attentive with the ones you love

Stories of EMS providers saving children’s lives