Celebrate EMS Week Saturday with a Pig Roast

Blogger's Note: The following was submitted by Boyertown Community Ambulance

National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week was first recognized by President Gerald Ford in 1974 and has become an annual tradition ever since. In 2021, EMS Week is celebrated May 16-22, 2021, with a theme of: This is EMS: Caring for Our Communities.

The Boyertown Community Ambulance was first dedicated in service in 1941, pledging to provide compassionate care to its community. 80 years later, many things have changed, such as the advanced equipment, superior training protocols and award-winning patient care it provides, but one thing remains the same: The selfless dedication of our people. “The EMS professionals that staff our EMS service 24/7/365 are top notch,” says Jeff Knopf, Executive Director of EMS. “Over the past year, our EMS professionals have been on the frontline in the war against COVID-19. We have risen to the challenge, time and time again.”

On Saturday, May 22, the Boyertown Community Ambulance Service will celebrate 80 years of service to the community, with a family-friendly event that includes a pig roast, music, an awards ceremony, an unveiling of their new sign and a vow renewal for their community. “The long history of our ambulance service is not only a reflection of the care we provide to the community, but also the support the community provides to us,” said Amy Muzopappa, President of Boyertown Community Ambulance Service. “As a private, non-profit organization, we rely on donations to survive.”

The public is invited to attend and bear witness to the vow renewal on Saturday, as they “pledge our commitment to provide comfort and care, when our community calls.” The ceremony will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m. and will be officiated by Reverend Dr. Robert D. Machamer Jr, from St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Boyertown.

The ribbon-cutting will kick off the day Saturday at 10 a.m., with a Pig Roast picnic (take-out also available) from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The vow-renewal will take place at 1 p.m. with the Awards Ceremony to directly follow.

For more information on the event, visit the Boyertown Community Ambulance Service Facebook page @boyertownems

To purchase Pig Roast tickets, please visit: www.boyertownems.org

About Boyertown Community Ambulance Service

The Boyertown Community Ambulance Service is an Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency medical service that was chartered by the Boyertown Lions Club in 1941. Boyertown Ambulance, designated as Company 525, operates out of one station which houses three ambulances. They provide primary emergency medical coverage for Boyertown Borough, Colebrookdale Township, and a large portion of both Earl and Douglass Townships. In addition, mutual aid service is provided in cooperation with Gilbertsville Ambulance, Bally Ambulance, Oley Ambulance, and Southern Berks EMS in the Boroughs of Bally and Bechtelsville, and portions of Pike, District, Washington, Douglass (Montgomery), Oley, and Amity Townships.

Boyertown Ambulance is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their commitment to the community goes beyond exceptional patient care. Boyertown Community Ambulance also promotes health and safety education to the public with:

CPR and First Aid training; A community AED program; Car seat checks; Opioid/Overdose education; Stroke and heart attack awareness; Blood pressure screenings and a free medical equipment loaner program.

The Boyertown Community Ambulance Service is recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Health as having achieved the Expert Level in the Pediatric Recognition program; been recognized by the American Heart Association with a 2021 Mission Lifeline Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award; and in 2018 they were honored to be recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council, as the EMS Small Agency of the Year.