St. Mary's County declares May 18–24, 2014 EMS Week; officials urge volunteer recruitment

The Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary's County, Maryland, on May 13, 2014, declared May 18–24, 2014 as Emergency Medical Services Week and heard remarks from local EMS volunteers and leaders who emphasized volunteer recruitment and training demands.

The proclamation recognized volunteer and career first responders — emergency medical technicians, paramedics, medevac crews, communications specialists and emergency department personnel — and honored their training and service. County officials read the proclamation and invited EMS volunteers and staff to describe their roles.

Assistant Chief Koch, who identified himself as assistant chief of the county Advanced Life Support Unit, thanked the board for support and described training expectations for paramedics: "It's about an 18 month training program to become a paramedic," he said, noting the time and commitment involved. Koch added that county EMS handles a large volume of calls: "We do over 10,000 calls, I think, as a county EMS a year." Volunteers and auxiliaries also urged residents to consider non-clinical support roles; Betsy Myers, identified in the remarks as a chief safety officer in Lexington Park, noted fundraising and auxiliary roles that do not require riding on ambulances.

Several volunteers described personal motivation for service and encouraged others to sign up. Eddy Boswell, who said he has volunteered for eight years, said he serves "so that I can help and serve my community." Mechanicsville volunteer organizers said recruitment and morale are ongoing concerns, particularly for auxiliary groups that support fundraising and logistics.

The proclamations were ceremonial; no personnel or funding decisions were recorded during the presentation. Commissioners thanked the volunteers for their service.