Flags in Wisconsin will fly at half-staff on Saturday, May 23 for National EMS Week and on Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day.
Gov. Tony Evers ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol and other government buildings from sunrise to sunset Saturday as a “as a mark of respect for the emergency medical services professionals who have given their lives in the line of duty,” a news release says.
“No matter the ZIP code or the emergency, Wisconsinites count on our EMS professionals to be there when we need them most, and the health and safety of our kids, families, and communities depend on their invaluable service,” Evers said.
Flags will also fly at half-staff on Monday, which is Memorial Day.
What is National EMS Week?
National EMS Week is a weeklong observance of emergency medical professionals and the work they do for communities across the country.
President Gerald Ford proclaimed the first National EMS Week in 1974. The American College of Emergency Physicians and National Associations of Emergency Medical Technicians lead observances for the week around the country.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here’s why flags in Wisconsin will fly at half-staff on May 23 and 25
Reporting by Caden Perry, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
