PORTLAND, Maine – The Portland Fire Department is celebrating National Emergency Medical Services Week from May 17 through May 23, joining departments and agencies across the country in recognizing the lifesaving work of EMTs, paramedics, 911 dispatchers, and other pre-hospital care providers.
This year marks the 52nd annual National EMS Week. The official 2026 theme is “Improving Outcomes, Together,” highlighting the critical role emergency medical personnel play in the broader continuum of health care and public safety.
Portland’s Fire Department is the largest municipal EMS service in Maine. In 2025, the department responded to just under 15,000 emergency medical calls for service and transported just under 10,000 patients to local hospitals.
National EMS Week was first established in 1974 by President Gerald Ford as a way to formally recognize emergency medical personnel for their essential service to communities across the country. The observance is led nationally through a joint effort by the American College of Emergency Physicians and the National Association of EMTs.
The week-long recognition also provides communities with an opportunity to focus on education, safety, children’s emergency care, CPR awareness, field service, and appreciation for EMS professionals.
Daily themes traditionally include EMS Strong Day on Sunday, Education Day on Monday, Safety Day on Tuesday, EMS for Children Day on Wednesday, Save-A-Life Day on Thursday, Friday in the Field, and Recognition Day on Saturday.
Across Maine and the nation, EMS agencies, hospitals, fire departments, and local public safety organizations often mark the week with blood drives, public safety fairs, continuing education seminars, and appreciation events aimed at honoring emergency medical personnel while educating the public.
For Portland, the observance is also a reminder of the scale and urgency of the work carried out every day by the city’s emergency responders, from the moment a 911 call is answered to the delivery of care in the field and transportation to local hospitals.
You may want to update the caption. Those are full time professional firefighters. Portland only has volunteers on the islands.