Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/4659

 124 STAT. 4633 PROCLAMATION 8519—MAY 13, 2010 at a moment’s notice, and tirelessly enhancing our country’s prepared- ness and resilience. During Emergency Medical Services Week, we re- commit to supporting all EMS providers, and we celebrate their self- lessness and courageous contributions to our Nation. Our EMS system includes a wide array of dedicated specialists, includ- ing emergency medical technicians, 9–1–1 dispatchers, paramedics, firefighters, law enforcement officials, educators, nurses, and physi- cians. From rural regions of our Nation to our busiest urban centers, EMS teams provide access to quality care when unforeseen illness, in- jury, or disaster strikes. The aid they administer cuts across various disciplines and often requires split-second decisions, essential to pre- venting disability or death among their fellow citizens. My Administration is committed to supporting EMS providers and their important mission. The Affordable Care Act, which I signed into law this year, authorizes innovative new emergency care and trauma systems, and improves and expands EMS for children. It also prohibits insurance companies from imposing prior authorization requirements or increased cost-sharing for emergency services. EMS providers spend long hours to further their medical education, train themselves on the latest life-saving techniques, and maintain vital emergency equipment, often choosing to do so on their own time and at their own expense. Many communities rely heavily, or even exclu- sively, on committed volunteers to provide out-of-hospital EMS. The role of EMS providers extends beyond performing services themselves, however. They also act as instructors to train ordinary Americans, be- cause bystanders are often the first to arrive at the scene of a crisis. These heroic professionals, volunteers, and citizens form a network that has long supported our health care system, and their example is an inspiration to us all. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con- stitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 16 through May 22, 2010, as Emergency Medical Services Week. I en- courage all Americans to observe this occasion with programs and ac- tivities to support their local EMS workers and to improve their own safety and preparedness skills. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Inde- pendence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty- fourth. BARACK OBAMA