Emergency Medical Services Health Fair

A Montage of “Healthful” Information

Everyone loves a health fair, and high school and college student councils, bands, sororities, and fraternities are always looking for community service projects. It’s a perfect suggestion for EMS Week. Other targets might be local businesses and civic or social organizations. The great thing about an Emergency Medical Services Health Fair is that the sponsoring organization actually puts it together. Your job is to gather the EMS personnel to be on hand to explain emergency medicine and answer questions.

How to Put on the Program

• Target the organizations you want to approach about an Emergency Medical Services Health Fair. Schedule the event on a day that is most convenient for the sponsoring organization’s members; for example, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. for schools, and 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. for businesses and organizations. Determine the amount of help you’ll require from your EMS team and what promotional tools you’ll need. Line up the EMS personnel for the event as soon as the target school, business, or organization agrees and sets a date.
• Agree on a centrally located site such as a gymnasium, ballroom, the student union, cafeteria, or a large conference room or auditorium. Make sure the location is large enough for participants to walk around.
• Anticipate the attendance and plan your needs accordingly. Then look at the content. Ideally, it should provide a range of information on emergency medical problems. Exhibits, displays, and information booths providing free health testing works well. Include topics like how to deal with a victim of drug or alcohol abuse, first aid treatment, CPR, childproofing your home, and general emergency department procedures.
• Coordinate with the organization’s public or community relations department to print literature or provide samples and giveaways to health fair visitors. Invite other medical groups to participate and donate informational material.
• Ask the sponsoring organization’s leaders how the fair will be set up, who will represent them there, and agree on a time schedule for the fair. This will give you a basis on which to develop your own program implementation.
• Meet with the sponsoring organization at least one week before the fair to coordinate plans. Prepare a checklist of items and equipment you’ll need and the programs or demonstrations you will present, along with timetables. Be sure to get the names and telephone numbers of all the workers, and confirm that they know their responsibilities.
• Arrive at the health fair at least two hours in advance to make sure all booths are set up and to answer questions for fair workers. Hang signs in various locations to inform participants of parking and the location of the event. Throughout the day, be available to answer questions and gather feedback from visitors, and take black and white photographs during the fair for follow-up publicity.

Sample Media Memo

[NCEMSF Logo and Your Logo]

Media Memo

WHAT: An Emergency Medical Services Health Fair, sponsored by [organization]. The fair will offer participants free screening for (list screening you will have). Emergency medical personnel will provide attendees with information on emergency medical procedures, injury prevention, and more.

WHEN: [day, date, and hours]

WHERE: [location]

WHO: [Sponsoring organization] and emergency physicians, nurses, paramedics, and other emergency medical personnel from [list organizations] will present the exhibits and do the health screening.

WHY: The Health Fair is part of NCEMSF EMS Week . The seven-day observance, sponsored by the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation, is designed to make the public aware of the entire range of emergency medical care.

NOTE TO PHOTO ASSIGNMENT EDITOR: There will be some excellent photo opportunities available. Participants of all ages will be present and emergency medical personnel will be in uniform during the demonstrations.

For additional information, call:
[Name]
[Title]
[Organization Name]
[Address]
[Telephone]
[Email Address]

Sample 30-Second Radio Spot

30-Second Announcement

ARE YOU AT RISK FOR A MEDICAL EMERGENCY? FIND OUT AT THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES HEALTH FAIR [DAY, DATE] FROM [HOURS] AT [LOCATION]. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WILL BE ON HAND TO CHECK [LIST SCREENINGS] FOR FREE AND OFFER TIPS ON INJURY PREVENTION, CHILDPROOFING YOUR HOME, AND MORE. THE FAIR IS SPONSORED BY [ORGANIZATION] AND THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROFESSIONALS OF [YOUR INSTITUTION], WHO’LL BE ON HAND TO DISCUSS EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, INJURY PREVENTION AND MORE! FOR INFORMATION, CALL [NAME AND NUMBER].