ALAMOSA — On May 24 at the meeting of the Alamosa Board of County Commissioners, a proclamation was read honoring regional emergency responders and designated May 21-27 as Emergency Medical Services Week. Many first responders were present for the reading of the proclamation.

Commissioner Lori Laske told the emergency services personnel gathered at the meeting, "Thank you all for what you do in keeping our communities safe."

The proclamation read at the meeting is: "To designate the Week of May 21- 27, 2023, as Emergency Medical Services Week emergency medical services is a vital public service; and
the members of emergency medical services teams are ready to provide life-saving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and access to quality emergency care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury; and emergency medical services has grown to fill a gap by providing important, out of hospital care, including preventative medicine, follow-up care, and access to telemedicine; and the emergency medical services system consists of first responders, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, emergency medical dispatchers, firefighters, police officers, educators, administrators, pre-hospital nurses, emergency nurses, emergency physicians, trained members of the public, and other out of hospital medical care providers; and, the members of emergency medical services teams, whether career or volunteer, engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their life-saving skills; and it is appropriate to recognize the value and the accomplishments of emergency medical services providers by designating Emergency Medical Services Week. Therefore, the Board of County Commissioners of Alamosa County, in recognition of this event do hereby proclaim the week of May 21 27, 2023, as Emergency Medical Services Week."

Reyna Martinez with the San Luis Valley Regional Emergency Medical and Advisory Council (SLV RETAC) who was at the presentation, said in a statement to the Valley Courier, "Being a paramedic or EMT is not a job but a career. It's an oath we take towards saving lives and a duty to serve their community. As SLV RETAC, we stand behind them and support them through their dark and hard times, through their good and great moments."