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Friday, February 18, 2005, at the EMS State of the Science Conference, U.S. Surgeon General, Richard H. Carmona advised all Emergency Medical Service providers, to partner with Pre-EMS youth organizations as the Save A Life Foundation to prepare schoolchildren, throughout the nation for emergencies.

“As a trauma surgeon, I treated thousands of children whose injuries could have been prevented, he stated.  “Bystanders are the first to encounter an emergency, and quite often if a child is hurt the bystander is another child.  So we must give the tools to help his friend”.

A week prior to addressing the members of the Gathering of Eagles VII at the Conference, Surgeon General, Carmona, met with SALF President and CEO, Carol Spizzirri, to confirm SALF’s role as the medical training component for “The Year of the Healthy Child” agenda, set forward by the Surgeon General to improve a child’s health needs.  Carmona also directed his Medical Reserve Corps to make sure they work together with SALF and its programs.

SALF, member of U.S. Homeland Security Citizen Corps, is renowned for developing the most effective and efficient age appropriate Life Supporting First Aid training programs, utilizing local Emergency Medical Service (EMS) professionals as instructors and for training nearly a million schoolchildren (K-12) for free, in skills that prove to save lives.

“We know that kids even as young as 5 can learn to recognize an emergency, look both ways to cross a street, and call for help.  By teaching every child in America basic life-supporting first aid skills, we can save lives”, said Carmona.