In honor of this year's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) week, eFORCE® would like to thank all the men and women who are apart of any EMS professional teams. We owe a lot to the men and women who are constantly working and helping to save lives.

A big part of EMS Week is raising public awareness about health and safety concerns.

One of the things the general public should be aware of is how to handle an emergency situation, so we found the 5 Best Ways YOU Can Handle an Emergency Situation:

Step 1 -- Call 911 for help immediately if you think someone is in crisis. Don't delay. This includes seizures, shortness of breath, unconsciousness, chest pain, heavy bleeding, severe stomach pain, possible broken bones or poisoning.

Step 2 -- Stay on the phone with the dispatcher. They are trained to help during emergencies. They'll continue asking you questions and can help you stabilize the person until help arrives.

Step 3 -- Keep calm until the ambulance gets there. You need to be level-headed. Reassure the patient and keep their temperature comfortable. Take it one step at a time.

Step 4 -- Talk to the patient to keep them reassured. Ask them questions about themselves.  Try to get them into a discussion with you in order to get them focused on something other than their situation.  Fear and emotional stress can cause their condition to worsen. Talking will keep their attention directed away from the event itself.

Step 5 -- Make it easy for the ambulance to find you. If there are other family members or friends around, send them to stand on the nearest corner. Turn on all the inside and outside lights if it's night time. Attempt attracting attention to your location to speed the arrival and recognition of the EMS unit.

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