Sunday kicks off the first day of National EMS Week. It’s a time to honor and recognize the work that emergency personnel do for their communities and how they play a vital role in saving the lives of many.

“We are the frontline of the healthcare system,” president of Northeast Quadrant Advanced Life Support Syed Ahmed Mustafa said. “You get to connect with patients in a much different way in EMS than you do in some other.”

Mustafa has invested many years in the medical field, working his way up to where he is now.

“I have been in EMS for almost 32 years now,” Mustafa said. “I became a paramedic in 1996, an EMT in 1990 [and] then a paramedic in 1996. I joined NEQ in 1999, and I've been a paramedic, a deputy chief, a member of the board, vice president board and now I'm the president, CEO of the branch.”

Over the past several years, emergency medical services professionals have faced the risks of providing emergency medical care in the field, with the added physical, emotional and mental strain of a global pandemic. During that time, COVID-19 calls soared while EMS staffing worsened. It’s something they're still dealing with.

“In the three years of the pandemic, EMS never stopped,” Mustafa said. “Other first responders did. Businesses closed. EMS ramped up. And we worked very hard. We did home vaccinations. We did COVID testing. People left because they were afraid of getting the disease. They were afraid of bringing it home to elderly parents or young children. The compensation is not competitive with other parts of the health care or even first responder industries. So staffing is number one.”

Having an appreciation week dedicated to EMS workers, Mustafa hopes people take the time to seek career opportunities within the field but recognize all workers who play a vital role in saving the lives of many.

“At the end of the day, it starts with that number one call,” critical care paramedic Katie Hayden said. “So we need to get the information out to the general public and get appreciation out to these EMS workers who are going into sometimes nasty scenes and seeing things that others don't. And they bring the patients to our hospitals and to where they need to be.”

Hayden works with just one of the 32 mobile stroke units in the country.

 “We can do a CT right in the field,” Hayden said. “So if you see the picture behind me, you see the giant circle with the donut. That is our CT scanner that we can do right by your driveway or wherever you're having the stroke, wherever the call comes in.”

Hayden says she loves making an impact on people's lives.

“The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the outcome of patients that have been left in a better place because of what I'm doing,” Hayden said. “And that's the thing about EMS is that we're the start of a very large system that is. Yes, there's appreciation for EMS, absolutely, but it needs to be for the entire system. It’s just EMS is where it starts.”

Continuing to recognize and thank EMS professionals for all the work they contribute 24 hours a day year-round, several EMS leaders will be offering events all week long for participants to meet the local heroes in your area.