National EMS Week, May 20-26, recognizes the men and women who dedicate their lives to providing quality emergency medical care and life-saving services. As a first-responder and emergency management planner, I've been thinking a lot about the one message I wish I could share with individuals—be prepared.

Medical emergencies can happen to anyone, at any time. If you ever find yourself or a loved one in need of emergency medical assistance, being as prepared as possible will increase the speed and efficiency of EMS personnel.

Steps to Being Prepared for a Medical Emergency

The amount of time it takes for EMS personnel to gather information from you or a relative dramatically decreases and ensures that the information is complete when you're prepared.

• Develop a list of known medical needs, including potential allergens, medications, and prior medical history (heart attacks, diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, etc.)
• Include emergency contact information of someone who can authorize decisions in the event that you're unable
• Medic Alert bracelets are available for those with severe allergies or other medical conditions and are quickly accessible to emergency personnel
• Keep your medical list where it's accessible by first responders and easy to retrieve, such as your wallet or purse. You may also want to keep a copy at your bedside, in the bathroom, on the refrigerator, at work, and in your car
• Give your medical list to your emergency contact
• Put together an emergency go bag, including your medical information, an extra supply of medications and clothes, and contact information for anyone you may need to get in touch with

Putting these items together greatly reduces the delay in getting you to a care facility. By presenting EMS personnel with this information upon arrival, they can quickly reference all of this information then shift focus to the signs and symptoms that you are currently presenting.