This week is National EMS Week, conceived to show appreciation to the men and women we rely on in case of medical emergencies. National EMS Week was first authorized by President Gerald Ford in 1974 to recognize the important work EMS practitioners provide to their communities. Ainsworth Fire Chief Waylon Schultz says the impact his work has on the Washington County community is what makes all the hard days worthwhile, “There’s a tremendous amount of volunteers in all of Washington County, on all the departments. We get up in the middle of the night and go out and do things that people never see. We take care of people’s dogs or family members after somebody else goes to the hospital in the ambulance. There’s a lot of the little stuff that people see after the emergency is over that EMS workers in Washington County take care of. So, it really feels good when you know you’ve made somebody’s day better.” This year National EMS Week runs from May 19 through the 25th.