The National Emergency Medical Services Week is held each year during the month of May. To celebrate, the Yakima County Department of EMS along with the assistance of community members holds an “EMS Award Ceremony”. The ceremony closes EMS week with a celebration and a thank you to those agencies, men and women who serve our community each and every day. Volunteer firefighters make up over 60% of Yakima Valley’s EMS response. Men and women waiting for their pager to go off, calling them away from their families or jobs to medical calls, fires and more. Kids and family events are interrupted repeatedly as they sacrifice those events for us. The system would not be functional without the services of the local fire department volunteers, the full-time firefighters, ambulance crews, emergency rooms nurses and physicians, dispatchers, and so many more. On this day, we say thank you. Thank you for the commitment you’ve made to our community and thank you for providing excellent care.
Backboard Awards
The backboard award is given to EMT students/practitioners for excellence in service. These awards have been granted since 2013 and are in displayed on the backboard on the wall in the lobby area of the EMS office.
2015 - Awards Picnic
In 2015, the EMS office hosted a picnic for the awards presentation.
3rd Annual EMS Awards Ceremony - May 2012
Special thanks to everyone who made the 2012 EMS Award Ceremony a success: Capitol Theatre crew, and Jan Hanna (photography).
2nd Annual EMS Awards Ceremony - May 2011
Special thanks to everyone who made the 2011 EMS Award Ceremony a success: Dr. Chris Schmelzer, Dr. Linda Seaman, Karen Jackson, Kim Bersing, American Medical Response, Advanced Life Systems, Chief David Willson, and Battalion Chief Tom Sevigny, Capitol Theatre crew, and Leslie Porter (photography).
To see the 2011 EMS Awards Ceremony photos CLICK HERE.
1st Annual EMS Awards Ceremony - May 2010
Thank you to everyone who made the 2010 EMS Award Ceremony possible: Brother Jack Henderson, Mayor Micah Cawley, John Stouffer, Chief Charlie Hines, Chief Steve Smith, American Medical Response, Advanced Life Systems, Kim Bersing (YVMH), Capitol Theatre crew, and the Yakima Valley School Districts and Leslie Porter (photography).
To see the 2010 EMS Awards Ceremony photos CLICK HERE.
