AFSCME's Saunders: This EMS Week, we honor the AFSCME members in EMS who provide lifesaving care during some of the most difficult moments in people’s lives
WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement recognizing National EMS Week, May 17–23, 2026. AFSCME is proud to represent nearly 100,000 public safety personnel, including EMS workers, in more than 40 states and Puerto Rico.
“During EMS Week, we honor the highly skilled AFSCME members in EMS who answer the call to provide lifesaving care during some of the most difficult moments in people’s lives. Whether responding to an accident or a medical emergency, dispatching help when we need it most, or transporting a patient during a natural disaster, EMS workers bring professionalism and courage to countless emergencies every day. But they do so amid a national staffing crisis in emergency medical services.
“In too many communities, response times are increasing because of staffing shortages. Those shortages will only worsen since Congress cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid — funding that more than 90% of EMS agencies rely on to maintain critical services.
“From the moment an EMS worker is dispatched, every second counts. When someone calls 911, any delay in receiving care puts their health — and their life — at risk. EMS workers deserve fully funded resources, pay parity with other first responders, mental health support to combat burnout, and workforce investments to recruit and retain the next generation of emergency responders. Every community relies on the EMS professionals who show up in moments of crisis — and we will continue organizing to ensure they have the equipment, staffing, training and support they need.”
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AFSCME's 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, childcare providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families.