National Emergency Medical Services Week is the third week of May each year. The week is set aside to honor EMS providers (paramedics, emergency medical technicians, first responders, firefighters, and police) to raise public awareness about health and safety issues, including how to prevent injuries and what to do in a medical emergency. For more information visit the California EMS Authority Website.

Every 15 Minutes Program
Thanks to the support of firefighters and Battalion Chiefs, multiple high schools are presented with the “Every 15 Minutes” program each year. The continued dedication of fire district personnel to this program has resulted in outstanding programs presented at each participating school. On average, five high school programs are presented by the fire district each year.

Every 15 minutes is coordinated primarily by the individual schools. This annual program is supported through a partnership between the Fire District, CHP, local police, Sheriff’s Office, John Muir Medical Center, and the parent organizations and staff at each school. The two day event is a nation wide program that vividly demonstrates through a full scale crash reenactment the consequences of driving under the influence and what making bad decisions can do to everyone. Each event takes months of preplanning at each site. The fire district has been the lead coordinating agency for the crash scene. The program has been credited with saving countless lives. Each year more stories surface of students who tell their teachers how the program has stopped them from driving under the influence and how it has helped them stop others from getting behind the wheel. Contra Costa County has the largest and most comprehensive program of Every 15 minutes in the State.