Planning kits are available online for this year’s Emergency Medical Services Week, so your emergency departments can join the grassroots activities nationwide to mark this year’s theme, “EMS: A Proud Partner in Your Community.”

The 36th annual EMS Week will be held May 17-23 and will feature national and local activities to honor EMS providers and raise public awareness about health and safety issues, including how to prevent injuries and what to do in a medical emergency.

Special observances this year include the Annual Emergency Medical Services for Children Day on May 20.

Each year, ACEP develops and distributes EMS Week kits to help communities plan and promote activities for the week. Kits are distributed to hospital EDs, state EMS offices, fire departments, EMS services, and the 53 ACEP chapters. The kits are free to the public, thanks to this year’s EMS Week 2009 corporate sponsors, including OnStar, NBC Universal, and American Medical Response.

EMS Week planning kits can be ordered at www.ACEP.org/emsweek or by calling 800-798-1822, ext. 6.